Solorio family brings a touch of Mexico to Rapid City
Walking into Ma Cualli, Rapid City’s newest restaurant, feels like an invitation to a family dinner where authentic homecooked food, conversation, and hospitality are the focus of the menu.
That is exactly what owners Mario Solorio and Teresa Núñez wanted when they opened the family-run, traditional Mexican restaurant last weekend.
Ma Cualli is a slang term from Michoacan, Mexico which means blessings, Mario said. “We use this to salute at all times.”
The family moved to Rapid City earlier this year and found a connection with the community. They came to the United States from Mexico with stops in California, New Mexico, Colorado and North Dakota before finding a permanent home in western South Dakota. This is the first restaurant the family has owned. “We started thinking of opening a restaurant, and we visited Rapid City and loved it,” Mario said.
Ma Cualli is the result of a long journey through various cities and generations of Mexican recipes, traditional dishes, and the gastronomy of a culture that lives through their food. It is an ode to the dishes and cuisines inspired by personal family food traditions, travels and learned experiences. “Me and my family, we have special food recipes that we want to share with the community, so they have different experiences,” said Mario.
The food menu features a variety of traditional family recipes with signature items like Macualli Special, a dish that features chicken, shrimp, peppers, squash, poblano crema, cheese, rice and avocado. The menu also includes tableside, made-to-order guacamole, traditional Mexican desserts and a variety of signature cocktails.
The family’s goal is to create the best Mexican restaurant in the state, focusing on high-quality ingredients. Still, more importantly, Mario and Teresa want to offer a warm, friendly, family atmosphere.
Nearly everyone working at Ma Cualli is related, some moving to Rapid City this summer to work at the restaurant. They now invite the Rapid City community and visitors to be part of that family.
Ma Cualli Location and Hours
- Address: 4831 5th St., Suite 101
- Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Learn more on their website.
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