MERIDIAN, Idaho — Come for the coffee, stay for the handmade pususas and hospitality at Antigua Coffee and Bistro in Meridian.
Owners Silvia and Edgar Azmitia moved to the Treasure Valley 20 years ago to raise their family.
“We love it, we are part of the community here,” said Edgar Azmitia.
But they never forgot their Salvadoran and Guatemalan roots.
“I grew up making pupusas because my mom would make [them] for the home, for us, for the family,” said Silvia Azmitia.
For the last 5 years, they’ve been sharing their passion for quality ‘café y comida’ with the community.
“I’ve seen grown men come in here and try mom’s food and [they] break into tears, saying they ‘haven’t eaten food like that since their mom made it for them’,” said Isabel Azmitia.
Their oldest daughter Isabel shares her pride for her parent's commitment, “It’s pretty inspiring to see the impact that they’ve made, and how hard they’ve worked.”
And their restaurant has served the community with more than just food, as they prioritize relationships with each customer.
“I feel like it brings a lot of people together. It nourishes your body and your soul,” said Isabel Azmitia.
It’s that very connection that keeps loyal customer Stephani coming back to the cozy cafe.
“So I just love the aesthetic and the history and the culture behind it. And I didn’t even know what a pupusa was before coming in here,” said Stephani, a Meridian Resident.
“Are they good?” Triepke asked.
“They’re delicious,” said Stephani.
Their restaurant offers coffee and espresso drinks with beans from Central America, fruit filled pastries, breakfast sandwiches and plates… the list goes on. And everything's made-to-order.
Meridian Neighborhood Reporter Allie Triepke says she couldn’t have stopped into Antigua without trying some of those iconic, handmade pupusas.
“So that one’s beans, cheese and pork. Like the ground chicharron. We make our chicharrones here in house, everything is made here in house,” said Isabel Azmitia.
And Triepke can confirm.. Everything she tried was "cómo se dice… muy delicioso!”
“It’s such an honor to be able to bring that to people and to say that my loving parents are the ones that get to do that,” said Azmitia.
Antigua Coffee and Bistro is located at: 1800 N Locust Grove Rd, in Meridian, near the Fred Meyer store.
