Lucharitos To Open Mattituck Burrito Bar; Spot Eyed In Riverhead

MATTITUCK, NY — Taco — and burrito — lovers can celebrate good news: The hugely popular Lucharitos is opening a new location in Mattituck. And that's not all — owner Marc LaMaina said he and partners are considering a new eatery in downtown Riverhead, too.

The new Lucharitos "Burrito Bar" will open next to the movie theater in the Mattituck Shopping Plaza, in the spot previously occupied by Bam Burger, and, before that, Greek Bites.

LaMaina, who plans to open the new spot with managing partner Kevin Sage, said Mattituck was the perfect location for the new Burrito Bar, which joins Lucharitos in Greenport, Little Lucharitos in Aquebogue, and a third location coming soon in Center Moriches.

"We always had our eye on Mattituck. It is a great community, full of active people — and we actually tailored our concept to fit that," LaMaina said. "When the previous tenant left, we had talks with the plaza owners and decided to work together to make an even better experience for our customers and theirs."

The hope is to connect the restaurant and the movie theater down the line, LaMaina said.

(A new Lucharitos location is coming soon in Mattituck. Patch / Lisa Finn)

As for the menu, LaMaina described mouthwateringly delicious fare. "Customers will be able to customize their burritos, rice bowls and salads, picking from the freshest, local when we can, greens, veggies, cheeses, proteins and fixings," he said. "We will also specialize in popcorn chicken with six different finishes and a easy-to-eat snack menu if you don't trust yourself eating a jalapeno popper stuffed steak burrito." He laughed.

The goal, he added, is to open the Burrito Bar in four months. The restaurant, LaMaina said, will be small, just as Little Luchas is. "We couldn't add on to Little Lucharitos so we figured, to ease congestion, we needed to find a space similar in size."

But, he said, good things come in small packages. "The opportunity is great here. The theater has a lot of life in it. We are excited to be a part of the Plaza. The current group in here are all stars in their own niche. We have a great relationship with the Goldberg's Famous Bagels crew and look forward to working with all the businesses to increase the draw of the Plaza."

The movie theater, he added, has special meaning. "We have a connection here. Its nostalgic for us," he said. "We saw 'Ghostbusters' here," LaMaina said.

He added that Mattituck really epitomizes the heart of a small town. "It's just a great community — and a proud community. We want to create a place that they appreciate and, hopefully, fall in love with. We are restaurant guys, which means we are hospitality guys. Which really means we want you to leave with a smile and make it so that you emphatically enjoy your time with us."

Riverhead soon?

LaMaina also shared the exciting news that a brand-new restaurant, fifth restaurant could be coming soon.

"We have our eyes set on a downtown Riverhead location that has a great outdoor space," LaMaina said. He added that the eatery won't have the same menu as Lucharitos.

"It will be another concept for our restaurant group, which we have recently formed. The new spot will feature a healthy salad bar and not-so-healthy nacho fries — and you can take it all into the theater! Win, win, win!" he said.