It's Official: Texas-Mexican Cuisine is Not "Tex-Mex"

Do you serve fajitas in your restaurant? As you probably know, that’s a “Tex-Mex” dish – not really Mexican, but delicious and popular nontheless. But do you serve fideo? Or carne guisada? Those dishes are more correctly identified as “Texas Mexican,” and that’s a different cuisine. In a nutshell, Texas Mexican is what Texans of Mexican descent eat in their own kitchens, and Tex-Mex was developed for customers who preferred something a little smoother, a little cheesier. Read More

Why Tex-Mex is Not Texas Mexican: Part 1 of the Adán Medrano Interview

Adán Medrano is a chef, film maker and author who has championed the unique cuisine served in home kitchens across south Texas crafted by cooks of Mexican descent. This cuisine is Texas Mexican, and Medrano has written books and produced a documentary – Truly Texas Mexican – on the topic. Read More

Mexican Restaurants Win $50K Historic Preservation Grants

What would you do with $50,000, with no strings attached? That’s the task four Mexican restaurants are now undertaking thanks to the Backing Historic Small Restaurants grant program. Read More

6 New Mex/Lat Restaurants Spice Up Chicago

Chicago is rich with Mexican and Latin restaurants located in every neighborhood. And it just became even richer with the debut of six new entries on the culinary scene. Read More

Not Charging Yet for Chips and Salsa? You Should Be!

If the reason you’re still giving away chips and salsa to your guests (and giving away some of your income in the process) is that you’re afraid of losing customers, it may be time to reconsider. Read More

James Beard Bootcamp for Policy & Change Coming in October

Are you a chef with a passion for making a difference? Ready to become a powerful voice for food system reform? The James Beard Foundation is now accepting applications for its 2024 Fall Chef Bootcamp for Policy and Change™ set for October 27 through October 29 in Carnation, Washington.  Read More

Grupo Carolo Growth Fueled by New Investment

Grupo Carolo, the Mexican restaurant operator that owns the La Popular chain, among others, has received a $30 million investment from the Mexican private equity fund Kans Capital. Read More

Parent of Best Mexican Foods Acquires Halsey Foodservice

Legacy Food Group, owner of distributor Best Mexican Foods, has acquired Halsey Foodservice. Among Halsey’s brands is Chili Peppers Mexican Food. Read More

New Del Taco Locations Set Records

Del Taco’s latest new store openings -- in Port Orange, FL, Tallahassee, FL, and Chesapeake, VA – each set the new company record for first week sales. Read More

Cocktails-to-Go Now Legal in NC

In a boon for North Carolina restaurants, on July 8 North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper signed the ABC Omnibus Bill relaxing several regulations for alcohol sales. Read More

At the Bar: How to Inventory Tequila and Mezcal

The kind of mezcals and tequilas on your back bar — and the number of each you choose — impact how effectively you can entice new cocktail customers while keeping existing ones in your fold.

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"Favorite Recipes from Our Archives" Posted

Looking for some great recipes? Check out the el Restaurante "Favorite Recipes from Our Archives" collection, which we just posted. The digital recipe booklet features innovative recipes for salsas; new variations of posole, pulpo, birria and other modern Mexican classics; and fresh takes on delicious Latin cocktails. Read More

Do You Make Great Salsa? Get Rewarded for It!

If you make especially good salsa, we want to know about it! For the second consecutive year, we are partnering with Sammic to uncover great salsa recipes through the el Restaurante Sassiest Salsa Contest. Read More