For North Austin resident Rosendo Perez, his family was the impetus behind the expansion of his restaurant, Mango King Loncheria, in 2016. Perez first opened Mango King at a stand inside Marketplace Austin on North Lamar Boulevard in 2010. The market had limited hours, however, and Perez wanted to provide his children the opportunity to work seven days a week and become more involved with the restaurant. Six years later he opened the storefront down the street and made his children—Ismael, Daniel and Marisela Perez—co-owners. He still runs the stand on the weekends. “It’s a family business,” he said in Spanish through a translator. Perez said the business’s familial atmosphere distinguishes it from other restaurants. “People like coming here and knowing that the whole family works here together,” he said. Mango King’s menu is also a curation of both new and old family recipes. The restaurant’s torta de lomo—a pork shoulder sandwich—is a delicacy Perez brought to Austin from his hometown, Jesus Maria, in Jalisco, Mexico. Marisela created the restaurant’s most popular specialty, the Mangonada. The frozen beverage comprises ice, mango syrup and chamoy—a pickled fruit sauce that tastes sweet, sour and salty. Just as family inspired the restaurant’s opening, Perez said his future plans for the business revolve around his children. “My main goal and dream would be for me to stay at the local market and each of my kids to run and own their own branch of the Mango King,” Perez said.

What is chamoy? 

Chamoy is a pickled fruit sauce that is unique to Mexican cuisine. Although the consistency ranges from liquid to paste, the taste remains a mixture of sweet, salty and sour. Chamoy is typically used to flavor fruits and vegetables, such as mango, cucumber and apples. It can also be applied to iced beverages and candy.

Mango King Loncheria

10205 N. Lamar Blvd., Ste. 135, Austin 512-300-0515 Hours: daily 10 a.m.-10 p.m.