In 1988, Owen Reischman and Kathy Boyd collaborated to open up a small restaurant with 20-25 tables, serving Tex-Mex dishes to the community. After nearly 37 years, three relocations and a few new menu items, La Margarita is a longtime staple cooking up fresh, handmade food in Round Rock.

“As the city grows, we grow,” general manager Eli Aviles said.

Main course

La Margarita offers a variety of tacos and enchiladas, burritos and chalupas.

Popular dishes include the Mexican White Wings, which are chicken breast nuggets with serrano peppers wrapped in bacon and covered in a cayenne pepper sauce served with rice; as well as the fajitas made with fresh meat cooked on mesquite wood. The restaurant is most known for its fajitas and homemade tortillas, Aviles said.


It’s 5 o’clock somewhere

The bar also has a full menu complete with margaritas, mangonadas and mojitos. In paying homage to the restaurant's name, staff works to ensure the margaritas are high quality, Aviles said.

A family affair

What makes the restaurant unique is the consistent team of employees that show up daily to serve customers and cook food from scratch, Aviles said. About half of all employees have been at the restaurant for a decade or more, and they take pride in what they do.


Aviles joined the La Margarita staff as a freshman in high school in 1996 as a busser and worked his way through positions as a dishwasher, host and server. He later became a general manager in 2006.

“You can not forget about the employees that we have,” Aviles said. “As a team, we're considered family here.”

What made Aviles want to stay with the company through the last 29 years was a combination of a supportive staff and loyal customers, who also feel like family.

“Over the years, I see some kids become adults and have their own kids and bring them in here,” Aviles said. “It's not just about the work [or] the industry, it's [about] the connection between people.”


More details

La Margarita also has daily specials, including a fajita special on Mondays, a free kids meal promotion on Tuesdays, and a queso and enchilada special on Wednesdays.

With the current economy, La Margarita hopes the community will support the restaurant by dining in, Aviles said.

“Right now, just like everyone else, we're fighting to make sure that our business grows and improves.”