Wimpy and Fritz bring their tacos from the farmers’ market to the Riverbend Restaurant | News, sports, jobs

Valerie Phillips, Special to the Standard Examiner

Lefty Montoya and Brian Zinsmann, owners of the restaurant and food truck Wimpy and Fritz in Ogden.

Wimpy and Fritz is not your typical Mexican restaurant in Utah. Instead of sombreros, you’ll find brightly painted skateboards on the walls at 352 Park Blvd. There is also a living mural of the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe created by Ogden artist Richard Ramos.

The ambience feels light and open thanks to a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that can be opened like a garage door onto the terrace in warmer weather.

“Our whole style is the vibe of the Californian skateboard era of the late 80s when we were growing up,” says Lefty Montoya, who together with Brian Zinsmann owns the restaurant and the food truck. “We’re still skaters and a lot of the boards on the wall came from our basement.”

This self-proclaimed Ogden taco cartel is also more playful with its food than your typical Mexican restaurant. His new Cuban sandwich is called Tony Montorta – an inside joke from the movie “Scarface” in which the character of Al Pacino was a Cuban named Tony Montana. “Everyone who’s seen this movie knows what we’re doing,” said Montoya. (The sandwich won’t appear on the menu until January, but you can still order it. Just tell them Tony sent you.)

Another play on words: your Borracho por Vida Taco translates as “drunk for life”.

Valerie Phillips, Special to the Standard Examiner

The OG taco plate each contains one of the characteristic tacos from Wimpy and Fritz – Carne Asada, Al Pastor and smoked carnitas. It is served with beans and fideo, a short, thin pasta.

“So getting drunk on Friday or Saturday nights is kind of a hangover cure,” said Montoya.

These borracho tacos have become a bestseller, and not just for people who drink too much. They’re a riff on birria tacos, a current foodie trend across America. The smoked Carnitas taco is draped in Chihuahua cheese and fried until crispy. It is served with a dip broth or consommé.

“The outside is seared, not fried, so it’s not that hard,” said Montoya.

Their Sunday brunch called Hair of the Dog is another clue to hangover cures. It contains the most popular hipster avocado toast.

While it could be said that this isn’t your grandfather’s typical Mexican restaurant, in some ways it is. Montoya’s grandfather was nicknamed Wimpy and Fritz is the nickname of Zinsmann’s grandfather.

Valerie Phillips, Special to the Standard Examiner

The Nachos Por Dinero are topped with a selection of minced meat, queso, pico de gallo and jalapeño relish.

So how did two types of skaters get into the restaurant business?

Zinsmann attended the Dubrulle School of Culinary Arts in Vancouver, British Columbia. He and Montoya met in the early 2000s when they both worked for the fine dining group that owned Salt Lake landmarks like Market Street and Oyster Bars, Cafe Pierpont and The New Yorker.

“I didn’t do a cooking school, but everyone in my family, especially my grandmother, is a great cook and I took it with me,” said Montoya. “Our entire menu is based on family recipes and our own ideas.”

The two started with a modest 10 by 10 foot tent at the Ogden Farmers Market.

“We added more devices and more coolers every week,” said Zinsmann.

Valerie Phillips, Special to the Standard Examiner

Borracho por Vida Tacos are smoked carnitas that are draped in Chihuahua cheese and fried until crispy. They are served with a consommé dip broth.

They started taking requests for private catering events. Working on the Ogden Twilight Series gave her food a bigger audience. For about a year they shared the space with The Yes Hell bar on Grant Avenue on 25th Street.

“We took over her kitchen and got wet with the restaurant,” said Montoya. “But because it was a bar, we lost a lot of our family-based customers.”

About a year ago they bought a food truck to drive to venues and events. The iconic, unmistakable exterior was also designed by artist Richard Ramos.

They opened their own space on September 9th after Brian Wrigley, CEO of Lotus Development, offered them a place in Riverbend, a 30-unit townhouse project on the Ogden River, west of Washington Boulevard.

They said they enjoy the hospitable aspects of their business.

Valerie Phillips, Special to the Standard Examiner

Tony Montorta’s Cuban Sandwich is an inside joke from the movie Scarface, in which the main character was a Cuban named Tony Montana.

“I like the way I deal with people because I’m not very sociable,” says Zinsmann.

The side dishes also differ from the typical rice and beans. Instead of rice, they serve fideo, a short, thin pasta (think vermicelli).

“We did it differently, but my grandma and aunts used to do it and you could guarantee the kids would eat it,” said Montoya. “It feels good when people from Mexico or New Mexico come here and say, ‘Fideo! I haven’t had that in a long time. ‘”

In addition, the beans are flavored with Mexican oregano instead of the usual cumin. In fact, the restaurant doesn’t use cumin at all, which, according to Zinsmann, is overused in Mexican restaurants.

“If it’s not in Middle Eastern food, I’m not into cumin,” said Montoya.

Valerie Phillips, Special to the Standard Examiner

Wimpy and Fritz’s food truck was painted by Ogden artist Richard Ramos.

The two pride themselves on the freshness of their food, adding that everything is freshly prepared daily and the tortillas are made locally.

Her OG taco plate each contains one of her three typical tacos – Carne Asada, Al Pastor and Räucherkarnitas. (Brag here: The carnitas made from smoked pork shoulder were recognized as the best taco at the SLC Taco Fest 2019.)

The Nachos Por Dinero are topped with a selection of ground meat, homemade queso, pico de gallo and jalapeño relish.

Of their three vegan menu items, the favorite is the Jacked Up taco plate, which is made with smoked jackfruit instead of meat. “It has the same taste and flavor as Carnitas,” said Zinsmann. “It is for sure our # 1 vegan (dish).”

Although it’s not on the menu, you can ask for a keto plate, which is three types of meat topped with two fried eggs and a little avocado.

El Gordos XL Burrito is huge, filled with Fideo, beans, onions, pico, coriander and a choice of meat: Carne Asada, Smoked Carnitas, Pollo Adobo or Al Pastor. Those who accept the challenge and complete it in full will receive half of their next order.

When you go

WIMPY AND FRITZ

Location: 352 Park Blvd., Ogden

Contact: 385-492-3735, instagram.com/wimpy_and_fritz

Prices: $ 11-13 (excluding El Gordo’s XL Burrito, $ 22); Children’s menu, $ 6

Hours: Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Newsletter

Join the thousands who are already receiving our daily newsletter.