Jimenez’s (the owners) start in the food industry began over a decade ago with a job at a taqueria in Mexico City. Friends then brought him to Philly where he worked as a dishwasher at many restaurants, including Melograno and an oyster bar.
When you arrive knowing no English, the only thing you can do is be a dishwasher
says
Jimenez.
However, armed with two years-worth of English classes at a community college and his firsthand experience working in Philly’s restaurant industry, Jimenez decided to start his own place in 2009.
The business was originally a grocery store that also served small dishes like tacos, tortas and quesadillas, but with a growing clientele Jimenez decided to turn it into a fulltime restaurant in 2012.
The menu is enormous, boasting over a hundred different Mexican dishes, including quesadillas, tortas, chilaquiles, tacos a la plancha, enchiladas and tostadas. Among the most popular options are the classic tacos al pastor, carnitas, rib eye, alambres and guacamole. The tacos rancheros burst at the seams with avocados, cheese, lettuce and your choice of meat filling.
To drink, there’s agua de jamaica and Jarritos, the classic Mexican soft drink. In addition, every order starts with chips and salsa and each day there are blackboard specials, such as costillas de borego, salmon a la diabla and tacos de tinga.
The wide, rich variety of Mexican dishes on offer is relatively new to the city, a result of Philadelphia’s growing familiarity with Mexican food.
Today the restaurant’s clientele has grown to include customers from many backgrounds and walks of life.
Now we have a wide variety of customers
said Jimenez. Latinos, Mexicans, Asians,
African
Americans. Our goal is to bring people in and introduce them to Mexican cuisine.
Both English and Spanish can be heard in the restaurant, with Jimenez commonly greeting customers by name and wishing them a buen día. The business has also expanded to include a thriving catering business that serves local colleges and private events in the area, such as bachelorette and birthday parties.
In addition, we participates in food festivals seeking to teach customers about Mexican cuisine.