New Mexican Restaurant Opens In Former Home Of Cafe Frida On UWS

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — A new restaurant is now open in the former home of Cafe Frida, and it is under the same ownership that ran the now-shuttered popular Mexican eatery.

The new neighborhood joint located at 368 Columbus Avenue, between 77th and 78th Streets, is called Covacha. The new restaurant is under the ownership of Cristina Castaneda, who also owned Cafe Frida, and still runs the successful neighborhood spots El Mitote and Ella Social.

ILoveTheUpperWestSide was the first to report on Covacha's soft opening.

Similar to Cafe Frida, Covacha will focus on authentic Mexican cuisine. However, the new restaurant will specifically look to transport customers to the cuisine of Jalisco, a region within Mexico.

The menu offers different types of guacamoles, frescos, covachas (regional small dishes), tostadas, while also dishing out more heavy-hitting entrees such as beef, fish, shrimp, and pork buns.

You can check out the full menu here.

Covacha is still in the midst of a soft opening, but the restaurant will be open Tuesday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from noon to 10 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m.

"Today, after 22 years of embracing the neighborhood, Café Frida is saying Goodbye, but not closing her doors," wrote Cafe Frida ownership at the end of November announcing the closure of the restaurant.

In that closure announcement, though, ownership also shared the news of Covacha's expected arrival in the neighborhood.

"With joy, we would also like to share a moment of hope during this historic moment, that leveraged to launch a new local favorite. Thanks to the support of New York, our landlords, and every one of you who has not forgotten us, we announce the birth of ‘La Covacha’, a new generation of restaurants, coming soon!"

The Covacha website is not up and running yet, but you can check out their Instagram page to find out more about the restaurant's menu and story.