“There was lots of anxiety on my part,” Stephanie said. “We opened on June 1 and then all got COVID[-19] on June 13. So we had to shut down for two weeks.”
Despite the rocky start, Stephanie and Johnny said they have been successfully running the establishment ever since.
The Ontiveroses had not owned a restaurant before, but Johnny, who owned Rocky’s Piano Bar next door with partners since 2015, would always eat next door at Recuerdos. He loves the food, he said, and once he got word that the previous owners were looking to sell, he eventually convinced Stephanie to go into business with him.
“We didn’t change any recipes or anything,” Stephanie said. “The only thing we did really was get on social media and open the restaurant up seven days a week instead of five.”
Aside from its in-store and pick up service, the restaurant also offers delivery options for its customers through platforms including Uber Eats, she said.
One of the most popular dishes at Recuerdos is the enchilada plate, which comes with a special chile sauce that Johnny describes as a secret ingredient for the restaurant.
The Ontiveroses said the carne guisada, which has a brown gravy and tender chuck meat, as well as the fajitas, are two of the more popular dishes at Recuerdos.
“We have great breakfast, too, including the juevos rancheros and the migas,” Johnny said.
For now, the Ontiveroses said there are no plans to expand to other locations. Having just the one restaurant located in Downtown Round Rock helps maintain Recuerdos’ reputation for quaintness, Stephanie said.
“I just love coming here, and I just love what I do and meeting people,” Johnny said. "Every day you meet a new person. I think part of our success is getting to know customers.”
Recuerdos Tex-Mex
109 W. Main St., Round Rock
512-215-2295
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 8 a.m.=8:30 p.m., Sun. 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
www.facebook.com/besttexmex
