PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — For the last 10 years, Jay Edgecomb wanted to open a Mexican restaurant in Aroostook County and now his goals have come to life with the Feb. 23 opening of Mainely Mexican.
“Until now there hasn’t been a Mexican restaurant north of Bangor, so I wanted to fill a niche that was needed in this area,” Edgecomb said on Thursday as he and two kitchen staff members made preparations for opening night. “I think the restaurant will become a draw for people from all over the County.”
Edgecomb has a degree in culinary arts and previously worked as part of the kitchen staff at Palm Beach Polo and Country Club in Wellington, Florida; the Christmas Tree Inn and Spa in Jackson, New Hampshire; Migis Lodge near Sebago Lake; and the Caribou Inn and Convention Center. A graduate of Wisdom High School in St. Agatha, he has lived in Fort Fairfield since 1998 and teaches physical education at Van Buren High School.
Currently, Edgecomb will keep his day job while operating Mainely Mexican in the evenings and plans to wait a year before deciding whether he’ll continue teaching due to the demands of the business. But for now, he is focused on giving Aroostook County both unique and more familiar options for Mexican-style food.
“I would say that the menu is very Tex Mex. We have both South of the Border and North of the Border items, with the North menu for people who might not like Mexican food as much but still want to come,” Edgecomb said. “My favorite is probably the Mexican spiced rib-eye steak with tequila reduction from our South of the Border section.”
Other noteworthy items, Edgecomb said, will include the tamale pot pie, lobster and fish tacos, grilled chicken, and the Yam I Am Enchilada, all made with Maine ingredients. The full menu can be viewed on Mainely Mexican’s Facebook page. The restaurant can seat 74 people, including those in the bar area.
Edgecomb purchased the vacant VFW hall on 6 State Street in Presque Isle over one year ago and renovated the space by adding walls that separate the two dining areas, repairing the bathrooms, painting both the inside and exterior walls and replacing the old flooring. He has employed 10 people, six who work in the kitchen and four servers.
Throughout the past few weeks, Edgecomb has received many good comments from community members, who he said are excited to have a restaurant that will give them a unique choice for dining out.
“I think that people will enjoy the food and seeing this building revitalized again,” Edgecomb said. “Eventually I might build a patio out back for some outdoor seating in the summer, but for now, I just want to give people restaurant-style food that wasn’t in this region before.”
Mainely Mexican is now open 5-9 p.m. on Tuesday through Thursday, 4-10 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday. The restaurant can be contacted at (207) 760-7520.
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- Mainely Mexican, owned and operated by Fort Fairfield resident Jay Edgecomb, features two dining areas, one of which includes a bar area, that can seat a total of 74 people. Edgecomb officially opened the restaurant for business on Friday, Feb. 23. (Melissa Lizotte)
