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I went to La Mexicana because of a mistake—but staying for lunch was anything but.
A recent news report elsewhere had identified the Willowbend District shop on Highway 54 and Willowbend in Peachtree City as the place a Roswell man deposited money into an ATM during a scam involving threats about his daughter. There was just one problem: La Mexicana doesn’t have an ATM.
Somewhere along the way, the location was wrong. But by the time I posted about the story—with a bright, inviting photo of La Mexicana’s exterior—I had unintentionally tied their name to something they had nothing to do with.
And yet, something unexpected happened.
Even with a negative story attached to their name, the comments on social media filled up with people sharing their favorite dishes—empanadas, burritos, tacos. It was clear that, around here, La Mexicana is already a local favorite. A true “if you know, you know” kind of place.
That’s how a place that should be known for its empanadas briefly became known for something else.
So this is my mea culpa.
When the owner’s daughter called me, she was gracious but clear: her mother has never allowed an ATM inside their small Mexican grocery and lunch counter. She didn’t want a correction—she wanted the story taken down.
I understood why.
After apologizing, I decided the only appropriate next step was to go again myself—and make sure we got the story right.
A grocery on one side, a lunch counter on the other
La Mexicana sits in the Willowbend District, which has recently gotten a thoughtful facelift. From the outside, the shop now looks bright and inviting—easily one of the most charming storefronts in the plaza.
Step inside, and it’s a different story—but in a good way.
On the right side of the store, shelves are stocked with Mexican grocery staples and snacks—plenty of unfamiliar items worth exploring. On the left, there’s a compact, no-frills lunch counter with booths packed tightly together.
It’s honestly impressive how many people they manage to seat in such a small space.
It’s not designed to impress. It’s designed to feed people.
And it does that well.
I arrived just as my lunch companion did—Peachtree City Councilman Clint Holland. We were there to talk about family, the city, and, as it turned out, the food in front of us.
Right as we stepped up to the counter, a tray passed by carrying three golden, crispy empanadas topped with crema and crumbled queso.
Holland didn’t hesitate.
“I’ll have one of those,” he said.
He chose cheese. I went with chicken tinga.
A place people return to
Holland told me this wasn’t his first visit, it wasn’t my first time, either.
“I usually just get some burritos,” he said. “A beef burrito… I like it the supreme way, with everything on the inside.”
His connection to the place runs deeper than the menu.
“The reason I like to come here is because my wife speaks Spanish very well,” he said, explaining that her background in the restaurant industry and experience with Mexican cuisine made places like La Mexicana feel familiar.
Looking around the room, he pointed out something easy to miss if you’re not paying attention.
“A lot of the people here are workers… a lot of them are Hispanic,” he said. “So this is perfect for them—they can get food they’re comfortable with.”
That authenticity shows up in small details, like the menu posted above the order counter in Spanish first, then English.
Simple, affordable, and full of flavor
Neither of us came in especially hungry, so we ordered just one empanada each—though it was immediately clear that on another day, two or three would make perfect sense.
At less than $5 apiece, they’re an easy decision.
We grabbed bottled waters and found a seat among the tightly packed booths in a dining room that stayed busy even past the typical lunch rush.
My chicken tinga empanada came with a real kick—spicy enough to make me cough a little, which, for me, is a good sign. I like heat, and this delivered.
Holland sampled the sauces and quickly formed an opinion.
“This one’s really garlicky… very habanero-style,” he said of the orange sauce, before settling on the red salsa. “This has just got a little bit of heat.”
It was the right call.
The crisp shell, the warm filling, the tang of crema and queso—it all worked together without needing anything fancy to elevate it.
A gem in the rough
La Mexicana isn’t polished. The seating is tight. The setup is simple.
But that’s part of the point.
It’s the kind of place where your eyes make the decision before your stomach does—where you spot something coming out of the kitchen and immediately know that’s what you’re ordering.
And it’s the kind of place where people come not for ambiance, but because the food is good, familiar, and affordable.
As we finished up, Holland summed it up simply:
“The food was good and dirt cheap,” he said. “Where can you go for $15 and have two people get something to eat?”
He’s not wrong.
La Mexicana may not try to impress you—but it wins you over anyway.
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