The menu rollout precedes other major news for the brand, including the opening of a new Burlingame location next month and a refreshed in-store experience

BURLINGAME, Calif., Aug. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Local Kitchens has partnered with celebrated Mexican-American chef and famed cookbook author, Rick Martínez, to co-create a Sonoran-inspired menu, launching August 19 across the brand's Northern California locations. This partnership is one of several acclaimed chef collaborations featured at the brand's restaurants. A key component of the Local Kitchens experience, the fast-casual culinary collective partners with one-of-a-kind visionaries to co-develop unique, regionally inspired menus that can't be found anywhere else.

Currently available at Local Kitchens' newest — and first Los Angeles-area — restaurant in Studio City, CA, Martínez's signature tacos, burritos, caramelos, rice plates, and housemade horchata will now be available at locations across California.

The expansion of Martínez's menu precedes other major news: Local Kitchens will debut its next restaurant in Burlingame, CA this September. This marks restaurant number thirteen for the brand and brings with it a refreshed in-store experience and design.

Chef Rick x  Local Kitchens: A Love Letter to Sonora
Rick Martínez is a celebrated Mexican-American chef, cookbook author ("Mi Cocina," "Salsa Daddy"), recipe developer, and regular contributor to The New York Times. His menu created in partnership with Local Kitchens draws from his cultural roots, culinary travels, and signature techniques. Inspired by the Sonoran region of Mexico, the menu pairs expertly seasoned meats with flame-charred flour tortillas, bright housemade salsas, and heritage ingredients like chiltepin chiles, sourced directly from Mexico.

"Rick's deep connection to his roots, passion for sharing the flavors of Mexico, and contagious energy made him the perfect chef partner for Local Kitchens," says Local Kitchens Head of Culinary Ashley Torrijos. "Creating this menu together — from traveling through Sonora to perfecting every ingredient — was such a fun, collaborative process. We can't wait for our guests to experience the vibrant, soulful flavors he's brought to life in our new Sonoran menu."

Signature offerings include the Carne Asada Taco, made with richly marbled carne asada, smoky pecan salsa macha, and salsa verde cruda—all wrapped in a locally sourced flour tortilla from CA-based tortilleria Mejorado. Each dish reflects Martínez's goal to "celebrate the soul of Mexican cooking with honesty, pride, and a little bit of chile-laced chaos." Guests can explore the full menu here: localkitchens.com/chefrick. Follow Torrijos and Martínez on their trip to Sonora to research and develop the final menu via this video here.

Martinez's menu joins a powerhouse lineup of Local Kitchens co-creations, all developed in collaboration with award-winning chefs including: Oklahoma Onion Burgers from Chef Alvin Cailan, Saigon-inspired Broken Rice Plates from Chef Tuệ Nguyễn, California-style Fried Chicken from Chef Ari Feingold, and Mediterranean-style Pitas & Plates with Chef Einat Admony,

A New Look Debuts in Burlingame
Set to open September 24, 2025, Local Kitchens Burlingame will be the second location to showcase the brand's enhanced in-store dining experience (the first being their recent Southern California opening). This new look and feel includes café-style seating; communal tables; cookbooks, photos, and artifacts from chef partners; and a front-of-house team available to guide guests and share the stories behind each dish. This approach reflects Local Kitchens' commitment to elevating fast casual with warmth, culture, and chef-focused storytelling—and will begin rolling out to other locations throughout this year and next.

Local Kitchens' newest location will open at 225 Lorton Ave, #3, Burlingame, CA. The new Sonoran-inspired menu will be available exclusively for guests who order direct on LocalKitchens.com, through the app, or in-store. It will not be available on third party delivery sites. All other chef menus are available for dine in, to go, and delivery via the Local Kitchens website, Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub. 

About Local Kitchens
Local Kitchens is a culinary collective that partners with visionary chefs to craft bold, unforgettable menus you won't find anywhere else—all available under one roof. With story-rich dishes inspired by regional traditions and infused with modern flavors, from celebrated names like Alvin Cailan, Rick Martínez, Tuệ Nguyễn, Einat Admony, Ari Feingold, and more, Local Kitchens elevates every day dining into an experience of discovery. Local Kitchens operates 12, soon to be 13, locations across California.

www.localkitchens.com | @eat.local.kitchens | Link to imagery

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SOURCE Local Kitchens