“I started when I was 19, and at that moment, I knew this was what I wanted to do. I loved it so much,” Benitez said. “I was intrigued by the atmosphere and wanted to learn everything.”
He said along the way, many good people taught him the necessary skills to run his own restaurant, including cooking, bartending, designing layouts for restaurants and much more.
In 2002 he said he opened Tio Carlos in Irving. Then in 2019 he opened another location on Main Street in Keller.
He said he liked the Keller location for a few reasons, including traffic on the busy corridor, as well as the size of the building.
“Our original plan was to continue with what I had—events with live music, a great bar area, private room and dining,” Benitez said. “We thought it was a good location and affordable for the size we were getting.”
The menu is multifaceted by design, he said.
“We can target different clientele,” Benitez said. “It’s better to say, ‘Yes, we have it,’ than, ‘No, we don’t do that.’”
He describes the menu as having traditional Mexican food, Tex-Mex options and an infusion of Latin flavors.
Street Tacos are a popular Mexican menu item, he said. Cheese onion enchiladas and chimichangas are go-to Tex-Mex fare. Latin options feature papusas from El Salvador and Lomito Argentino, which is a large Argentine-style sandwich. They also offer American food, such as cheeseburgers and steaks.
When asked whether the Latin items remind him of home, Benitez said, “No, I’m a Texan now. I’ve been in Texas for 40 years.”
