A new Mexican restaurant paying homage to Frida Kahlo is opening in South Charlotte

A new restaurant, Frida’s Mexican Cantina, is on its way to South Charlotte, making its home in the former Pizza Hut location on Pineville-Matthews Road. It’s set to open in late March.

A large mural by Jorge Torres of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo — the restaurant’s namesake — greets visitors near the front door. “The Frida theme has inspired me,” owner Roble Zarate said, noting the flowers, colors and butterflies Kahlo is known for in her work will appear throughout the space.

Zarate’s looking for a playful approach to the food, as well. She doesn’t want to just put a churro on a plate, for example, Instead, she’s getting supplies from Mexico for a Popsicle cart-style presentation.

But the fun take on a traditional atmosphere at Frida’s won’t translate to a high-dollar experience. “It’s not going to be too expensive — I’m not looking for that,” Zarate said.

The food: Zarate said Frida’s will have dishes based on her mom’s traditional recipes and sauces. Among the specialties created by Zarate’s mom will be pozole, a rich, flavorful soup that includes hominy. She’ll also share her mole sauce and birria.

Zarate co-owns Tres Pesos on Woodlawn Road, so a few of that restaurant’s most popular Mexican seafood options will appear on the menu, as well, including Langostinos — fresh water prawns bathed in house-made seasoning.

“People just love it. They drive from far away,” Zarate said.

She also plans to weave in a little American “fusion” to welcome English-speaking clients, noting she’ll have options for people on special diets and hamburgers to please everyone’s palate.

The drinks: Along with those American-leaning options will be a focus on wine and local craft beer. “Mexican restaurants are not that much into wine, but because of the area, I think I can have a little fusion of clientele,” Zarate said.

Frida’s will also offer lychee and berry sangria, inspired from Zarate’s trips to Medellin, Colombia. She said, “Mexican restaurants are popping up right and left” there, featuring colorful drinks and plates that are influencing her own restaurant.

The atmosphere: Indoors, no trace of Pizza Hut will remain. The completely renovated dining room will be filled with booths and tables made in Mexico. Epoxy floors were installed, along with fixtures giving off a high-end vibe. “It has changed so much — we completely gutted the whole place,” Zarate said.

A few Instagrammable spots will entice diners to explore, including a throne-like chair and a second mural by Torres that features Kahlo with 3D lights accenting flowers in her hair.

Outdoors, a patio was added to the restaurant, just to the left of an art instillation featuring wine barrels and butterflies. Zarate is working on an area for pets to welcome dogs along, too.

Frida’s Mexican Cantina

Location: 8740 Pineville-Matthews Road, Charlotte, NC 28226

Cuisine: Mexican

Instagram: @fridasmexicancantina