Mexicano Grill and Bar in Georgetown has been open for nearly two years, though the recipes for its classic Mexican dishes are closer to 35 years old.

In 1997 Orlando Leon, his 14 brothers and his father, launched the first restaurant focused on family tradition and experience.

“We all started in one little restaurant in Houston,” Leon said. “We all wanted a restaurant for the whole family in one place.”

Leon and his brothers began expanding the restaurant by opening locations in multiple Texas cities, including Temple, Belton, Killeen
and Jarrell.

The restaurants serve homemade recipes that were created by Leon’s uncle and mother. The dishes are also served at the Georgetown location, which opened Oct. 21, 2013.

Maria Touar and Lorenzo Moralez run the Georgetown bar and grill, and worked at other Mexicano Grill locations for close to 10 years. Moralez grew up with Leon and his brothers in a city outside of Juarez, Mexico, and worked at the Temple location. Touar worked as a waitress and bartender at the Jarrell restaurant. Both were offered co-manager positions at the Georgetown location.

The two split the responsibilities, so Touar manages the front of the restaurant, and Moralez serves as the head chef.

“He knows everything in the kitchen,” Touar said.

One of the most popular dishes is the Fajitas a la Diabla ($12.99), a combination of beef and shrimp fajitas grilled with bell peppers and drizzled in diabla sauce. Touar said the restaurant also gets many orders for the Super Molcajete ($16.99), a combination of shrimp, beef and chicken fajitas with grilled cactus, onions and bell peppers. The dish is topped with Monterrey Jack cheese and is served with green or red sauce.

“A lot of Hispanic people come for that plate; they serve it in a bowl, so it’s kind of different,” she said. “A lot of Hispanics and Latinos like it spicy, so they love this plate.”
Touar said the majority of the dishes are classic Mexican, though Mexicano Grill does offer some Tex-Mex meals, such as the Enchiladas Rojas.

The most popular appetizer is Guacamole Live! ($6.99), a customizable bowl of guacamole made by the waiter or waitress at the table. Customers are able to add ingredients such as tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, cilantro, lime, salt and pepper to crushed avocado, Touar said.

Mexicano Grill also serves breakfast daily beginning at 6 a.m. and features a full bar. The bar offers various Mexican beers, and one of the top-selling drinks is the Mangorita, a margarita with Grand Marnier tequila and fresh mango blended with spicy chili, Touar said.

Mexicano’s happy hour runs Mon.-Fri. from 3-7 p.m. with different drink specials nearly every day, Touar said.

She said the restaurant could expand the bar area by adding tall tables sometime in September.