First Pics: Lyas Cafe opens in former bahn mi location at 802 Christian St.

Lyas Cafe, a new Mexican-inspired joint, has opened at 802 Christian St., previously the home of the (beloved, by us, anyway) Vietnamese hoagie shop Cafe Nhu Y.

Gloria Guadalupe PoPoca and her husband, Andres Ladino, opened the cafe about two months ago. The new café has a menu full of Panini-style sandwiches and salads, with a separate menu for vegetarian options.

Off the regular menu, Ladino says the Cuban sandwich with yellow mustard, mayo, black forest ham, pork, pickles, avocado and Swiss cheese has become a customer favorite. The café’s signature Lyas veggie is the most popular item on the vegetarian menu, with a multigrain tortilla, basil, pesto, iceberg lettuce, cucumber, broccoli, beets, carrots and goat cheese.

In general, the menu is very green, with the use of many vegetables, including herbs like the Mexican Papalo herb. Decor-wise, Lyas also aims for a cool, green feel with a combination of purple and green paint on the walls.

Lyas Cafe is open 7 days a week—on Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. through 6:30 p.m. and Sunday, 8 a.m. through 3:30 p.m. The there is not yet a website for the café, but Lyas can be reached at 267-235-0786.

 – Taylor Farnsworth, @tfarnsworth3