Photo by Joe Lanane[/caption]

A bold business move in the spring is paying off for owners Bill and Kim Shea, who in April converted their Leander restaurant, Shea's Place, into an authentic Mexican eatery.

But the Sheas were not alone in this new endeavor, as they added to their staff manager Gabriel Rodriguez, nephew of Ninfa Rodriguez Laurenzo—creator of the popular Houston-based Mexican restaurant Ninfa's. Rodriguez has used many of those same family recipes to transform the restaurant.

"This is not your ordinary Mexican food," said Rodriguez, who left only a handful of old American comfort food favorites on the menu, otherwise adding fajitas, burritos and enchiladas as well as many house specialties.

So far, the change has been a welcome one by Leander-area residents, although such a move to a Mexican bar and grill wasn't made without hesitation, Bill admits.

"I had to take a deep breath, quite frankly, but then the more I realized what an incredibly compelling change this was," he said. "Now I'm grateful for it. I've never looked back."

With food and menu choices that stay consistent, Kim said she expects more Leander residents to embrace the new concept rather than travel to Cedar Park and Austin for dinner. The husband-wife duo have also kept busy by participating in community events such as Leander Liberty Fest to promote the restaurant.

"It's a nice, clean environment that people really enjoy," she said. "It's just a matter of letting people know we're here."

Many of the featured dishes and sauces are unlike anything else available in the market, Rodriguez said, including Ninfa's-generated dishes such as the pechuga options as well as the brochettes and homemade salsas.

"We want to be known in Leander as the first place people think of for their Mexican food," Rodriguez said.