Arturo Ibarra opened San Miguel Grill in October 1992 with his three brothers, two sisters and two cooks. Together, they have been creating traditional Mexican dishes in McKinney for the past 24 years.
Ibarra said he thought becoming a popular dining option would take time.
“We opened on a Monday, and by Friday, I needed to hire more people,” he said. “I thought starting a new business was a slow process. By that Friday, we had so many customers that I was the host, cashier and waiting tables.”
Within four years the family-run restaurant needed more space, and in 1996 the restaurant expanded by 1,000 square feet.
“When we opened, we had two rooms and 12 tables in each room,” Ibarra said. “That was not enough, and we wanted to accommodate our loyal customers.”
Ibarra says his menu is a combination of traditional Mexican food and Tex-Mex favorites.
“The food at San Miguel is all inspired by central Mexico, where I am from,” he said. “They say central Mexico is where all of the good food and good traditions were born. It’s considered the heart of Mexico because it’s where so much comes from, so I’m happy to bring some of this to McKinney. We also offer Tex-Mex for those who enjoy that flavor.”
Ibarra said his biggest challenge is making sure he always has something new to offer his customers.
“After 24 years, the hard part is continuing to come up with different dishes, but we have to keep trying to make sure our customers don’t get tired of the same old food all the time,” he said.
Ibarra said he and his chef come up with the new creations and come up with fresh ideas when visiting Mexico.
“We will try a dish there and try to bring that flavor back, so it’s always authentic,” he said.
According to Ibarra, during the summer months customers prefer fish, so San Miguel concentrates some of its specialties on seafood.
“We have a fish special every week,” he said. “It might be salmon, mahi mahi or sea bass, and we even have a fish and shrimp cerviche.”
The Tex-Mex dishes include chicken enchiladas with sour cream sauce ($9.25) and combination dinners, such as the Frida ($11.45) and Daniella ($10.25), which have been on the menu for 24 years.
Saturday brunch features migas and egg dishes from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., as well as La Paloma, a specialty drink with grapefruit soda, lime juice and tequila.
“People would be surprised to know this drink is more popular in Mexico than the margarita,” Ibarra said.
The restaurant owner says doing business in McKinney is a pleasure.
“The people here have been so supportive and made this such a pleasant experience,” he said. “I am happy to tell my family and friends that our kids went to college, and the cooks’ and waiters’ kids all went to college and everything to do this came from San Miguel, so I am grateful to the community. I love this place.”
506 W. University Drive, McKinney 972-548-2345 www.sanmiguelgrillmex.com Hours: Mon.-Thu. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., closed Sun.
