Authentic Mexican smoothies, dessert made at El Tamarindo Snacks in Macon

No need to choose sweet over savory at the recently opened El Tamarindo Snacks in Macon.

This casual Mexican restaurant, which opened in April at 1546A Rocky Creek Road, uses generations of family recipes from el rancho, or the ranch, in Mexico, to create fresh smoothies, juices, desserts and fried snacks.

“Just to be able to have something close to home from Raices, (Mexico), from where we come from, is nice to have here,” Jeniffer Reyes, a part owner, said.

Her mom, Adriana Reyes, grew up in Tamaulipas, Mexico, living there until she was 18 years old.

The 49-year-old was always the head chef of the family, even after losing her sense of taste and smell in a vehicle crash.

But that didn’t interfere with her love and natural talent for cooking.

“The taste and all of that, no … honestly, I don’t doubt myself on that part,” Adriana Reyes said. “She taught us when we were little,” referring to her mom.

The Reyes family chose the name, El Tamarindo Snacks, because it was easy to pronounce and means tamarind, or a tropical sweet and sour fruit used in many of their Mexican treats.

Most of their smoothies include a tamarind-coated straw, which gives a sour kick while slurping up a fruit smoothie drizzled in Tajin – a chili, lime and salt seasoning, and chamoy – a zingy fermented fruit and herb paste.

“We pretty much keep everything pretty fresh, so sometimes it does take a moment (to make),” Jeniffer Reyes said.

A range of iced beverages include horchata, or rice milk, and juices like cucumber, lime, strawberry, pineapple, tamarind, melon, mango and watermelon.

A few must-try items include the mangonada, which is mango sorbet, lime, chamoy and tajin; and chocoflan, which is a caramel, condensed milk and chocolate custard cake.

Hot drinks include peach, green and chamomile teas, as well as hot chocolate and café de olla, or spiced coffee made in a ceramic pot with cinnamon and piloncillo, or raw dark sugar.

The family buys most ingredients in bulk from small towns in Mexico and farmers markets in Atlanta. Other goodies are handmade, like yo-yos, miniature mugs and dreidels in kids meals.

“With the trinkets, the knickknacks and such, it’s not factory made,” Jeniffer Reyes said.

Authenticity and family values are at the core of their business, down to Jeniffer Reyes’ younger sister Delsy Reyes regularly dancing in costume outside to wrangle in customers.

Most tables have board games, which was an intentional way to bring families together, according to Jeniffer Reyes. Even when the family gets ready to close for the night, there are days when customers hang out until late, which Jeniffer Reyes said she appreciates.

“Sometimes it’s just to get away from technology for a little bit… and you just see the parents interacting with the kids,” she said. “People will stay for hours.”

Her family recently added tacos to the menu after customers requested more than just a snack. She also hopes to expand as a larger restaurant in the future.

“The tortillas are handmade, we don’t use any kind of machinery or anything,” Jeniffer Reyes said. “They’re literally handmade in the moment, fresh.”

El Tamarindo Snacks is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday; and closed on Tuesday.