Sierra Southwest Kitchen

Sierra Southwest Kitchen offers the perfect selection of food to satisfy any kind of culinary craving – especially if you are in the mood for a little Southwestern flavor

The restaurant, located at 15225 N. Fountain Hills Blvd., is situated near Fountain Hills Charter School, the middle school and right on the road to McDowell Mountain Regional Park, a favorite hiking and biking destination in the area. Sierra Southwest Kitchens features food and drink that goes down well after a bike ride or a hike through the desert.

The restaurant opened in June this year. Owners Kendal and Mary Amick, who have lived in Fountain Hills with their three sons for about two years, have been fine tuning the menu since opening in the summer.

“We have eliminated some items, added some and kept many,” Kendal said.

The Amicks know the restaurant business. They owned La Casa Mexican Grille in Morgantown, W.Va., for 26 years before moving to Fountain Hills. Kendal started his love for the Southwestern cuisine in Yuma, where he grew up. His parents still live there, which motivated the family to move west.

The food at Sierra Southwest is decidedly Southwestern, with an emphasis on the Sonoran side of Mexican dishes. Enchiladas, tacos and burritos are popular items on the menu, but there are plenty of chilies to satisfy taste buds in the mood for some snap.

“Generally our food is not hot,” Kendal says. “But we can spice it up as much as you like.”

Dishes are homemade. Kendal makes a mean chili relleno, using poblano peppers as the stuffed portion of the cheese-and-egg delicacy. He also offers chicken enchiladas with sour cream sauce, another customer favorite.

Customers are encouraged to provide feedback on their meals.

“That helps us know what people really like,” Kendal said.

From that feedback has come the addition of chipotle meatloaf to the regular menu.

“That had been a chalkboard special, but people really liked it, so we decided to feature it all the time,” Kendal said.

Sierra Southwest has a large variety of unusual quesadillas including smoked salmon, spinach, tomato and mushroom and others.

“People can design their own custom quesadillas,” Kendal said.

“We have really enjoyed working with the people in this area to create our menu,” Kendal said. “In West Virginia, people don’t eat as much Mexican food, so they aren’t as adventurous. Out here, since people tend to eat Mexican food quite a bit, they are willing to try new things.”

The restaurant features a salsa bar, with five homemade salsas including salsa fresca, picante, chipotle, tomatillo and pico de gallo.

Kendal’s favorite menu items are the chicken enchilada and the tacos. Mary enjoys a new menu item: avocado stuffed with chicken salad and chipotle mayonnaise.

Recipes for the restaurant come from a number of sources. Some are old family recipes. Still others come from friends of Kendal’s dad.

“He was a junior college basketball coach in Yuma,” Kendal said. “Some of the Mexican kids would bring him food, and he always wanted to the recipe. A lot of those have ended up in the restaurant.”

Mary, who was a flight attendant for Pan American Airlines and “ate all over the world” has provided ideas along the way.

The food is fresh and tasty. The Amicks make their own margarita mix, so their margaritas are a favorite.

“They’re not the same ol’, same ol’,” Mary said.

They also make flan and banana split cake from scratch and offer other desserts, too.

The updated menu will include hamburgers and additional sandwiches. Beef brisket will still be offered, along with the Mexican food items.

“We want to encourage people to give us a try,” Mary said. “We have a nice little restaurant with great food.”

The Amicks are starting a Sunday brunch Nov. 4 and will feature some six breakfast items from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mimosas and bloody Marias, in addition to margaritas and beers will be available, as they are daily.

Sierra Southwest Kitchen is open Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Saturday from 4 to 8:30 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call (480) 836-4205 for take-out or more information.