Making moves, meals and memories

In Spanish, the word potrillo means foal; for Grevil and Angel Sagastume, who own and operate Potrillo’s Mexican Grill alongside their family, the foal symbolizes a new chapter, full of promise. While the restaurant has been open for a few years in two locations, Auburn and Carlinville, the latter recently moved into a new building on M.J.M. Electric Cooperative lines.

The Sagastume family members — Grevil, wife Ana and brothers Angel and Brayan, to name a few — are excited about the new space. “This is a better spot, bigger,” says Ana. “It’s a big opportunity for us, because we own the building.

“We want to create something special for the community,” she continues. “A special place, where the people can come, enjoy, [experience] another environment, relax [and make] memories.”

The Carlinville community has supported the move to the new building, which previously housed The Glades, a fine dining establishment that was known for its rattlesnake appetizer — marinated, breaded and fried filet mignon served with a special butter sauce.

“This building has a lot of history,” Ana explains. “The owners at that time were like us, very social, very close to people. … When people come in, they [relive] those memories. You can see it on their faces, how they feel it.”

She loves to hear older generations reminisce about visiting as children. “We [want to] continue creating memories,” she adds.

Some of those memories are made behind the scenes, tackling challenges and celebrating wins. “We have been in this business for years. … But, as owners, you get many surprises, some things you wouldn’t even think of,” says Ana. “You have a challenge, you’re going to learn from it. This [has been] our experience, and this is what we learned, and this is how we grow. It’s nothing for us [as a] family to tackle it.”

She says the family enjoys working together, despite the long hours. “We all work together. We are a team. We are more than family — everyone has a role,” she explains. “Some days, you have to work like 16 to 20 hours, and the next day, no matter what, you have to wake up and continue the routine.”

A major part of that routine takes place in the kitchen, under the supervision of her brother-in-law, Chef Angel. Ana says they frequently try out new menu items and weed out those that are less popular. Still, the menu is quite extensive, which keeps things hopping.

“You have maybe 25 tickets in the kitchen, and they’re coming and coming —  [the kitchen crew] handles the pressure very well,” she describes. “I don’t know how they mentally prepare [and] are so 100% there [in the moment].

“It’s incredible. You have to see it to believe it, how they are connected,” she continues. “One ticket [can have] 20 meals, and they have 20 meals already at the moment.”

At any given time, customers are ordering from a long list of appetizers, soups, salads, lunch specials, quesadillas, enchiladas, burritos, chimichangas, tacos and fajitas. In addition, the kitchen serves up a number of chicken, steak and seafood entrees. There is also a selection of special entrees, like the Carnitas Dinner, consisting of tender pork tips topped with fried onions and served with rice, refried beans, lettuce, guacamole, Pico de Gallo and three tortillas.

Fajitas are a bestseller, but Ana says the Arroz con Pollo is the “teenagers’ meal” — grilled chicken over a bed of rice, covered with cheese dip and served with three tortillas. “Chicken, cheese and rice,” she laughs.

For more diverse palates, Ana recommends the carnitas, the Camarones shrimp dishes and steak dinners. Patrons would also be remiss to forego one of Potrillo’s desserts — from chimi cheesecake to fried ice cream, flan, churros and sopapilla.

Another distinguishing feature of the restaurant is its decor. “It’s another view of Mexican restaurants, something different,” she explains. “Mexican restaurants can be different than the culture and colors. We decided to do something else.” She adds that its ranch style is a nod to Carlinville’s farming community.

“Since the beginning, we have had a lot of support,” says Ana. “[Customers] express how well the [staff was] with them, how good the food is, how nice it is to come in and talk with people.”

She emphasizes that the family has two main priorities, one being the quality and presentation of the food they serve. “We care about how the plate goes to the table,” Ana says.

Their other priority is providing the highest level of service. “We train everyone … [The customers] have to remember you — the service, the interaction,” she adds.

“When people are happy with what you are creating for them, it gives you energy, it gives you more motivation — that’s very important to all of us.”