This feature originally ran in our Community Matters magazine in April.
Located at 1410 Second Ave. NW, in Cullman is K’s Botanas & More. Owner Karen Silva said the restaurant thrives on unwavering faith, loving family values and daily devotion.
“I come in every morning at 5 a.m.,” she said. “It’s my moment. I don’t open until 11 a.m., but I get my coffee going, I turn on my lights and I pray.”
She prays for the hands that prepare the food that day and every customer who walks into her restaurant.
“I pray that every customer may feel welcome and be blessed as they walk through the door,” said Silva.
She asks God to guide her every step of the way and to bless her within her work.
It has been three years since she opened her food truck in April 2023, with this upcoming September marking one year at the brick-and-mortar restaurant. Her business has drawn in the community, and she credits it all to God and those who support her.
Said Silva, “This wouldn’t be possible without my family and my faith.”
She recalled having overbooked her catering last summer, sharing, “I had one full event serving over 100 people and had a quinceañera! I didn’t know how I did that to myself. I overbooked myself, not knowing the dates. I prayed – then my whole family showed up to help.”
When she isn’t working at her food truck or restaurant, Silva works as a translator for Hispanic families at local nonprofit Curt’s Closet.
“I like it and I love what I do,” she smiled.
“It’s funny how we started off with street corn,” she said. “Then we added corn-in-a-cup, strawberries n’ cream and we kept adding.”
Her menu consists of traditional Mexican foods such as tamales, papa esquites, elote and more, but also showcases her own spin.
She explained, “Let me tell you, I’m a big fan of potatoes! In Mexico they use a lot of French fries. I like to do a little mix and match. I try to keep it traditional because I love my culture. I just want to expand my culture.”
Her restaurant offers a perfect combination of savory Mexican meals, but as we enter summer Silva recommends having their aguas frescas paired with taquitos dorados.
Aguas frescas are non-alcoholic drinks crafted from blended fruit, with water, sugar and sometimes lime juice served over ice. K’s Botanas & More currently offers cantaloupe and pineapple, which can be perfectly paired with any menu item. They are made fresh every day and have fruit chunks at the bottom you can enjoy once you finish the drink.
K’s Botanas & More is open Thursday-Sunday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Call 256-631-8410 for additional information or to place a catering order.
Find the restaurant online at Facebook/K’s Botana’s & More.
