Hutto staple restaurant expands its options

When he opened Mario's Mexican Restaurant in Hutto in 2004, owner Mario Perez knew the odds were stacked against him.

The majority of restaurants fail before their second anniversary, and with a professional background working in sales at IBM, Perez had no personal experience in the restaurant industry. But instead of being discouraged or frightened, he said he was motivated by the challenge.

"When I would hear people say that [opening a restaurant] is one of the hardest things to do and that most don't make it, I said, 'Let me see if they are [right] about that,'" he said. "I'm going on 10 years, so that's not too bad."

Mario's Mexican Restaurant serves everything from migas and waffles to chicken-fried steak and chalupas. Perez recently expanded the menu to include barbecue dishes such as brisket, Elgin sausage and spare ribs.

Perez said he is considering changing the restaurant's name since the dishes have expanded beyond those associated with Mexican cuisine.

"I hope I can get beyond the perception of Mario's Mexican Restaurant, because we have diversified," he said. "Everything that comes out of here is good."

Although Hutto only had about 1,200 residents and four restaurants in 2004, Perez said he decided to open Mario's Mexican Restaurant in the city because he saw Hutto's growth potential. His prediction has proven to be correct. Hutto's population surpassed 20,000 residents last year, according to the city.

"To me, Hutto is the center of just about everything north of Austin," he said.

Perez grew up in San Antonio, and many of the dishes served at his restaurant come from family recipes. Other recipes were developed by the cooks at the restaurant.

In addition to owning the restaurant, Perez serves as the president of the Hutto Economic Development Corp.'s board of directors. Perez said he is excited about efforts to make downtown Hutto, where his restaurant is located, a more central and active place for the community with an Austin-like vibe.

On a Wednesday morning in June, Mario's Mexican Restaurant was packed with regulars who Perez greeted by name. Given the restaurant's success, Perez said he can look back at the restaurant's first rocky months with a smile.

"At first it was like, oh my ... goodness, what did I get into,'" he said. "I figured it would just last six months, I'd close and go back to the tech world. But it just kept growing."

Popular dishes

Migas: The dish consists of mixed bell peppers, tomatoes and onions with scrambled eggs and tortilla chips. The migas can be prepared spicy or mild depending on the customer's preference.

Chiles rellenos: A chile relleno is a poblano pepper that can be stuffed with everything from cheese and taco meat to fajita filling. The dish is topped with a ranchero sauce and cheese and is served with rice and beans.

Barbecue: The restaurant's brisket, sausage and spare ribs have become increasingly popular with customers, owner Mario Perez said. Perez smokes the meats himself.

Steak nights

In April, Mario's Mexican Restaurant expanded its hours and opened for dinner on Thursday and Friday nights.

The dinner menu currently features ribeye steak, Kansas City strip steak and bacon-wrapped filet sirloin.

Mario's Mexican Restaurant owner Mario Perez said the dinner crowd has been increasing steadily. He said he hopes to eventually expand the menu and open on Wednesday and Saturday nights as well.

"It's starting to pick up; the advertisement has all been word of mouth so far," he said.

Mario's Mexican Restaurant served dinner six nights a week when it first opened in 2004. Perez said he had to cut those hours steadily because of the weak economy.

However, Perez said it appears that the economy is rebounding in the Hutto area.

209 East Street, Hutto TX, 512-846-1778, Mon.–Wed. and Sat. 7 a.m.–3 p.m., Thu.–Fri. 7 a.m.–9 p.m. Sun. 8 a.m.–3 p.m.