Joanna and Joel Fried stand behind the bar at Eldorado Cafe.[/caption]Although Northwest Austin residents Joel and Joanna Fried can claim ownership over the newly opened Eldorado Cafe, the ’60s-inspired Latin restaurant came to fruition through community effort.
“We wanted to create a place for our neighborhood and all the neighborhoods around us,” Joel said.
In total, 41 residents invested in the business, located at 3300 W. Anderson Lane, Austin, near MoPac, and at least half those investors live in the neighborhood, Joel said.
Although this is Joel’s first restaurant, he has worked as a chef in the local food industry for 30 years at businesses such as Tacodeli, Whole Foods Market and Stubbs BBQ.
The menu
The restaurant serves popular Mexican dishes including enchiladas, queso, salsa, cocktails and guisas, or braised and roasted meats.
Joel said Eldorado Cafe strays from being a traditional Mexican restaurant because they are not afraid to diversify the menu. For example, the restaurant’s shiny ribs are a Latin spin on Chinese ribs.
“We’re not holding ourselves to being just a Mexican restaurant,” Joel said.
Aside from Mexican cuisine, Joel said he is influenced by both Cuba and Texas.
“We tried to bring all the culture together,” he said.
The atmosphere
The interior of Eldorado Cafe has Latin-inspired art hung on the walls.[/caption]Every detail and decoration inside the restaurant holds a special meaning to the Fried couple.
Latin-inspired art hung around the venue was created by residents and an Eldorado fish overlooks the seating area.
The couple also placed subtle nods to their family, including a flamingo poster that Joel’s mother found on his father’s floor the night of their first date. The Latin albums placed around the restaurant on tables and walls were once owned by Joel’s father.
Along the ceiling, the couple painted the names of all 41 investors. The tiles around the venue display “secret” messages, as well.
Joel and Joanna, who moved to Austin in 1991 and 1983 respectively, said the restaurant intends to be a throwback to an older Austin. The sign, for example, was inspired by the old sign from the Electric Lounge, a music venue the couple frequented in the ’90s that is now closed.
“Back in the ’90s, Austin was a really comfortable place,” Joel said. “And sometimes it seems it has gotten very fancy. We want to be a throwback to just a comfortable cafe.”
The children's corner inside includes Hot Wheels and coloring sheets.[/caption]Eldorado Cafe also boasts a kid-friendly environment with a seating section filled with Hot Wheels and coloring sheets drawn by area residents.
“Someone commented the other day, ‘Wow, you’re really building a community,’” Joel said. “I said, ‘Nah, the community is already here; we’re just building the clubhouse.’”
