After surviving the COVID-19 pandemic as the vice president of restaurant operations for Cinemark, Murphy and his wife, Carmen Vega, poured their savings into opening Zafiros Mexican Grill y Cantina in Colleyville, he said.
Murphy opened Zafiros in January, taking a modern approach to a Mexican atmosphere with clean lines and crisp blues apropos to the restaurant’s name, which means "sapphire" in Spanish. Murphy's wife named it after both of their birthstones, he said.
“It was important to me that we looked and felt different than the average Mexican restaurant,” Murphy said.
Murphy also wanted to serve cuisine that complemented the quaint elegance of the decor without feeling exclusive, he said.
“We want it to be upscale food and service in a casual environment,” he said.
What’s on the menu
While the menu still offers classic Tex-Mex options, such as enchiladas and chimichangas, it also touts unique dishes, such as the Mi Madre’s Flank Steak, a soy and brown sugar marinated flank steak leaned on a bed of Mexican mashed potatoes with minced sauteed vegetables and a side of elote, he said.
Another dish outside the realm of Tex-Mex is the Surf and Turf, which includes a 7-ounce petite filet topped with chimichurri, three grilled shrimp, and served on a bed of poblano rice and roasted vegetables.
The staff also puts consideration into the presentation of each dish with artistic arrangements of food and selective use of garnishes and microgreens, Murphy said.
“People have to go, ‘Wow,’ when you bring it to the table,” he said.
Serving beautiful and flavorful food is just one piece of the three-legged philosophy guiding Zafiros, Murphy said. The other two components are providing a friendly and accommodating service, and—perhaps most importantly—building relationships with the customers and Colleyville community.
This sentiment was on display when the restaurant heeded feedback on its flautas—stuffed corn tortillas—which some customers called dry and a little overdone, he said. The team responded by ensuring each tortilla was filled end to end with protein and vegetables to prevent any empty portions from overcooking. The chefs also gave the flautas more flavor, removed the garnish and added queso to the dish, which led to a better-tasting dish with a presentation to match, Murphy said.
At the community level, Zafiros has made donations to the Colleyville Public Library for its summer reading program and is involved in Colleyville Chamber of Commerce events, he said. It also donated to Colleyville Women's Club, Heritage Elementary School, Colleyville Pantherettes and Serving Our Seniors in Colleyville.
“We care about the community and will be as involved as we can be. As we grow we’ll certainly be able to do more,” he said.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information.
