Highlights
- Chicheria Mexican Kitchen has been operating with its new executive chef since January 13.
- The new chef is bringing a whole lot of changes to the existing menu and will also introduce the new full menu in March.
- The “Meet the Chef” event for the new executive chef is scheduled for January 23.
Sign up now to get our Daily Breaking News Alerts
The Mexican restaurant in West Midtown Atlanta, Chicheria Mexican Kitchen, has announced a Michelin-recognized chef as its new executive chef. A “Meet the Chef” will be held on January 23 where the chef will meet the community and present his vision for the future of the restaurant. The new chef, Juan Hormiga, will reinvent the existing menu to make it 100% gluten free. He will also be introducing a new ice cream program at the restaurant.
Juan Hormiga As the New Executive Chef for Chicheria

-
Facebook
-
Twitter
-
LinkedIn
-
Gmail
Juan Hormiga is not a stranger to Atlanta’s restaurant scene, as he previously worked as the executive chef of the popular tapas restaurant Buena Vida. Hormiga moved on to become the executive chef of Parche, a restaurant in Oakland, California. During his time there, the restaurant was added to the esteemed Michelin Guide in 2024 – a few months after opening. This gave Hormiga the distinct honor of becoming a Michelin-recognized chef.
Juan Calle, owner of Chicheria Mexican Kitchen and co-owner of Buena Vida, expressed his excitement to be working again with Hormiga at Chicheria. “Working with Chef Juan at Buena Vida was a true highlight of my career as a restaurateur,” he said. Calle said that he couldn’t wait for the guests to taste Hormiga’s new cuisine and see what he had planned.
Speaking about his new position at Chicheria, Hormiga said that he loved that the restaurant makes real, authentic Mexican cuisine. He said it is very different from the Tex-Mex is served at many Mexican restaurants. He shared his admiration for the cooking style and said he enjoyed diving into it. He also expressed his hope of being able to put his spin on it in a way that his guests would love.
About the New Menu

-
Facebook
-
Twitter
-
LinkedIn
-
Gmail
Chef Hormiga made Chicheria’s entire menu gluten-free menu and is serving it from Monday, January 13. An in-house ice cream program focusing on Mexican-inspired flavors was introduced by the chef at the restaurant the same day.
The new chef’s first full menu at Chicheria will be unveiled in March. However, guests can already check out some of the coastal Baja-inspired changes he has planned for the restaurant.
A sample platter of dishes that are planned for Chicheria’s new menu will be featured at the “Meet the Chef” event.
An Evening with Chef Juan Hormiga
To be held from 6 PM to 8 PM on January 23, this event will introduce Chef Juan Hormiga as the new executive chef of Chicheria Mexican Restaurant. The chef will also give the guests a taste of the new menu that he is planning for the restaurant.
The sample platter served at the event for $18 per person will include the following dishes:
- Aguachile Rojo de camarón which will have roasted tomato and red peppers, agua chile, pico de gallo, avocado, sliced jalapeño garnished with fresh cilantro and green oil and a side of purple tortilla chips.
- Snapper and coconut made with Red snapper, coconut leche de tigre, red peppers, cilantro, and roasted corn in spicy red pepper oil with a side of purple tortilla chips.
- Yellow tuna tostada containing sliced tuna, guacamole, salsa macha, horseradish aioli, fresh cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds.
- Braised short ribs with mole poblano made with 12-hour braised short rib, poblano mole, queso fresco, pickle, onions, and purple tortilla chips.
Hormiga will take the guests through his culinary journey at the event, how he started from his native Bogot, Colombia, and then moved on to Madrid, Ibiza, and London.

-
Facebook
-
Twitter
-
LinkedIn
-
Gmail
The event will be open to the public, although reservations are highly encouraged.
Chef Juan Hormiga is expected to bring the vibrance of authentic Mexican flavors and fresh, innovative techniques to Chicheria. Exciting changes are coming to Chicheria, and Atlanta’s diners can now experience it in its full glory.