FAYETTEVILLE — Barbara Aguilar had a very successful Mexican restaurant in Philadelphia for nearly six years, but one thing seemed to be on her mind on a daily basis.

“I thought about West Virginia and being home,” said the Hinton native. “I was homesick and just wanted to move back to my home state.”

Aguilar says she missed her daughter and all of the outdoor activities her native state has to offer.

“I wanted to come back, but I still wanted my Mexican restaurant,” she said.

Aguilar and her husband, Oscar, a native of El Salvador, decided to bring their unique Mexican foods and drinks to historic Fayetteville, which was recently voted one of the “coolest small towns in America” by a national magazine.

“We thought about Beckley, but there seemed to be so many already established Mexican restaurants,” she said. “My daughter suggested we look at Fayetteville. It was the perfect location and we love it here.”

DiOGi’s Mexican Grill and Cantina is conveniently located just off U.S. 19 in downtown Fayetteville.

“Our large outside deck provides a wonderful view and a great place to enjoy your meal with friends,” Barbara Aguilar said. “You can even bring your dog onto the deck and the dog gets its own taco and water.”

Aguilar says the dogs must be on a leash.

The restaurant also offers free Wi-Fi service for computer users.

“We have 12 years combined experience to back our wonderful entrees and customer service, plus great-tasting Mexican cuisine,” she said.

The restaurant opened Oct. 1 in an old store under the bike shop in Fayetteville, but is planning a larger grand-opening event on Nov. 21.

“We are waiting to receive our beer and wine license before we have our big event,” Barbara Aguilar said.

Oscar Aguilar has been recognized for his award-winning chili and other authentic Mexican foods. He won cook-off awards in 2006 and 2007, as well as garnering a first-place award during the recent “Taste of Bridge Day” event.

“We are probably a little different than most Mexican restaurants,” he said.

The menu features seafood as well, but Mexican-style.

“We have crab meat enchiladas, fish tacos, scallops and other seafood items,” he said.

Entrees also include carnitas, which is tender chunks of seasoned pork, deep-fried with onions and served with four warm tortillas, guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream, Mexican rice and refried beans. The Mariscos Vallanta is quickly becoming a favorite dish for many customers. There are other entrees on the menu as well.

Appetizers include El Salvador-Style guacamole, which is spicy, chunky and thick guacamole served with hot, home-made nacho chips. The appetizer menu also includes crab dip, chicken tortilla soup and more.

Desserts include Oscar’s award-winning bread pudding, fried ice cream and Mexican Flan, which is a traditional, velvety Mexican custard in caramel or coconut flavor.

With its unique menu, DiOGi’s hopes to attract people from Fayette, Raleigh, Nicholas, Summers and Kanawha counties.

“We’re hoping the word gets out and we attract people from all over the region,” Barbara Aguilar said.

She says customers seem to enjoy the authentic, hand-made Mexican cuisine.

“We have a spacious restaurant and we also offer dine-in, takeout and catering,” she said. “We urge everyone to visit DiOGi’s Mexican Grill and Cantina or contact us today to enjoy Mexican food the way it was meant to be made — fresh.”

The restaurant’s dining hours are from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and stays open until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. They also take all major credit cards.

For more information, contact the restaurant at 304-574-3647 or visit the Web site at www.diogismexicangrill.com.

— E-mail: fpace@register-herald.com