Ojos Locos Adds Chicharrones con Guacamole as Scratch-Kitchen Push Deepens

Ojos Locos Sports Cantina has added Chicharrones con Guacamole to the menu at all of its locations, the latest move in a 2026 menu expansion that has so far added more than ten new dishes without cutting a single longtime favorite.

The new plate leans hard on scratch preparation, and that detail matters more than the flavor profile. The dish features crispy fried pork belly inspired by the traditional chicharrón con carne sold at Mexican carnicerías, served with a generous portion of house-made guacamole topped with pico de gallo. It arrives alongside salsa roja, salsa verde, and corn tortillas made by hand daily at every Ojos Locos cantina.

That last element is the operational spine of the item. Hand-pressed tortillas at every unit mean daily labor and ingredient costs baked into a shareable appetizer — a menu-engineering bet that visible scratch work supports premium positioning in the sports-cantina segment.

Who's driving the menu?

The expansion is led by corporate Chef Alex Sadowsky, Vice President of Training, Culinary & Beverage. His team's approach reflects what the brand describes as a renewed focus on its scratch kitchen: new flavors and more variety for guests, while staying anchored to the chain's Latin roots.

Translation for operators: this is additive menu engineering, not a reset. Nothing comes off the menu.

What went on the menu in 2026?

The year's additions stack up quickly:

• Carne Asada
• Cali Burrito
• Burrito Bowl
• Carne Asada Fries
• Birria Pizza
• Birria Ramen
• Mexicali Shrimp Tacos
• Guajillo Wing Rub
• A revamped Smash Burger
• Breakfast items, including Chilaquiles Rojos o Verdes

Add Chicharrones con Guacamole and the pattern is clear. Ojos Locos is layering Latin street-food formats — birria, chicharrón, chilaquiles — onto core cantina categories like burgers, fries and wings. The Birria Pizza and Birria Ramen in particular show the chain cross-applying a single protein platform across multiple dayparts and formats, a classic move to spread sourcing and prep cost across several menu lines.

The wing rub and shrimp tacos extend the same logic into proteins that carry their own pricing power. And breakfast gives the kitchens a morning revenue window without a separate build-out.

What does this change for guests?

Practically, more choice at every visit and no risk of losing a favorite order. The chain has explicitly kept longtime staples in place while stacking on new options, so the menu grows rather than rotates.

The chicharrón dish itself signals sourcing intent. Pork belly is a commodity with real cost volatility, and frying it crisp requires active kitchen work rather than reheated prep. Pairing it with house-made guacamole — avocado, another volatile input — puts the item's margin squarely on execution discipline in the scratch kitchen.

For a sports cantina, where dayparts skew toward games and group occasions, a shareable pork-and-guacamole plate fits the check-building strategy: appetizers that tables order alongside drinks carry some of the strongest contribution margins in casual dining.

The dish is available now at all Ojos Locos locations. If the brand holds its additive pace into next year, the menu board — and the scratch-kitchen labor model behind it — will keep growing together.