The sound of water trickling down a fountain could be heard inside of Greenville’s new Mexican restaurant Monday afternoon.

Santa Fe Mexican Grill Restaurant, which is located at 623 Willow Lane, opened to the public last Sunday.

Since then, restaurant owner Efrain Tamayo said business has gotten “better and better.”
“We started well,” Tamayo said. “People, they came here on their way to Walmart, and see the sign. They come here and try to eat.

“People come in and they like having this here,” he said. “We’ve been doing better and better since Sunday.”

Santa Fe offers diners the typical food faire that comes with any Mexican restaurant — burritos, tacos and fajitas, to name a few.

Something special the restaurant offers is Pollo con Crema (chicken strips cooked with sour cream) and the shrimp burrito.

“That’s real good,” Tamayo said. “All of the things are the same the other restaurants have.”

When one enters the eating establishment, they’ll notice right away an almost-full bar with two large-screen TVs.

Tamayo said those who would like to can come and enjoy a beer or the restaurant’s hot sellers — margaritas — while enjoying a ball game.

Tamayo has been in the restaurant business for 22 years and Santa Fe is his first venture as an owner.

“I know everything about restaurants,” he said with a smile.

How Tamayo came to the restaurant in Greenville was through a friend of his.

“He saw the location and told me what if I open this place,” Tamayo said. “I just looked at the place and thought it looked nice. I was interested. I decided to do it.”

The new Mexican restaurant’s location housed a former sports bar and grill. The layout caters to around 225 people.

Santa Fe offers lunch or dinner during all hours of operation.

“If people come in for lunch and they would like dinner, we’ll serve it,” Tamayo said. “If somebody comes for dinner and wants lunch, we’ll do dinner.”

Additionally, Santa Fe takes to-go orders.

The hours of operation are from Monday to Thursday, from from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, from 11 a.m. until 10:30 p.m.; and Sundays from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m.