The backstory
Carlos Nevarez thought he would continue working in the computer science field when he moved to Dallas, however, while providing computer programming service to a taqueria in Dallas, he opted for a career reboot and started learning what it would take to become a restaurateur.
“We came here and started working in a restaurant, and thought ';Why don’t we open a business?',” Norma Nevarez said. “We had no money, just a vision.”
While deciding what type of restaurant they should open, Carlos Nevarez remembers looking around and noticing chicken restaurants were plentiful and they all seemed to be doing well.
On the menu
The restaurant serves authentic Mexican fare. The restaurant's slogan, ‘Cross the border and never leave town’ was coined by a customer when El Pollo Alegre first opened.
Carlos Nevarez creates recipes for all menu items. He said he changes the menu almost annually and weeds out underperforming menu items while adding new options.
Camarones a la Diabla, a dish featuring pan-seared shrimp in homemade diablos sauce, is a popular dish as well as Seven Mares soup which includes shrimp, octopus and more, Carlos Nevarez said.
The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Karla Mercado, the Nevarez's daughter who started working at the restaurant when she was 15 years old, said popular breakfast items include chilaquiles, breakfast tacos and huevos montados, a steak and egg dish.
What’s in a name?
Mercado said she told her dad she never really liked the business name but when he explained the true meaning of ‘alegre’, he changed her mind.
“El Pollo Alegre means more than just ‘The Happy Chicken’” Mercado said. “Alegre means more than ‘happy’, it means positive and joyful. It's a way of life—not just a moment.”
Quote of note
Norma Nevarez said she enjoys sharing conversations with their customers and staff, and seeing the families grow over time.
“Customers come in with their babies, then years later, that baby is a teenager that drives themselves and they are coming here to pick up tacos after school,” Mercado said. “We love telling them we’ve known them since they were little.”
- 1211 N. Tennessee St., McKinney
- 214-544-3725
