Topo, the newest concept from East Valley restaurateur Joe Johnston, opens at 11 a.m. today next to Joe’s Real BBQ on the northeast corner of Gilbert and Page in downtown Gilbert.
The grab-and-go food stand, topped by a 7-foot Styrofoam sculpture of a gopher head (technically, topo is the Spanish term for a mole), offers a bare-bones menu of burritos, elote (corn), and soft-serve ice cream:
- Topo Burrito: Chicken or pork with beans, cheese, and salsa ($7);
- Topo Loco Burrito: Chicken or pork with beans, elote, Fritos, hot sauce, cilantro, cheese, and tomatillo crema ($8.50);
- Elote: Roasted corn with tomatilla crema, cilantro, cotija cheese, and chile powder ($3.50);
- Soft-serve: Vanilla, prickly pear, or twist ($2.50, add 50 cents for dipped);
- Bottled beverages: Mexican Coca-Cola, Topo Chico mineral water, or Top Chico Lime ($3).
The cinder-block street stand’s unusual architecture is a tribute to the classic roadside stands, such as those along iconic Route 66, popular in the 1950s and ’60s.
A word of warning: Topo, which has no indoor seating, calls itself a ‘‘cashless business,’’ so bring a credit card.
Johnston’s other restaurant concepts include Joe’s Farm Grill and Liberty Market, also in Gilbert.
Topo is open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday.
