“You have people from all over Mexico here, ... but we wanted to bring food the way it’s cooked [where we grew up],” Doris said.
Growing up in Linares, Antonio often spent time beside his grandmother, Rosa, in the kitchen, learning how to make masa, or dough, from scratch. He learned how to prepare chili peppers for homemade salsas as well as how to cook chicken, pork and beef. He said he fondly remembers the time he spent with her preparing tamales for the family. After getting married, Rosa taught Doris how to properly cook tamales, known as a labor-intensive dish.
“I remember she taught me how important the [corn] leaves are,” Doris says. “She was always very stern about making sure you put the dough on the right side of the leaf, or it will fall apart.” The idea of opening a Mexican restaurant showcasing the flavors of Nuevo Leon gradually grew into a dream, then a reality. After opening a number of successful taquerias across Dallas, the couple began thinking of a new concept. “We [started] with two tables, enough for four people, and there were 50 people [lining up for our tacos],” Antonio said.
When Rosa died, Antonio wanted to honor his grandmother’s memory. He told Doris he wanted to open a restaurant specializing in tamales, and she felt the same enthusiasm to offer something different to Richardson. All they needed was a plan for the new restaurant, Antonio said.
To operate a full-scale, daily tamaleria that is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner they would need more than just extra hands, the couple said.
“We had to do it, because once that thought was in our heads, we couldn’t get it out,” Doris said.
They invested in a machine that can cook more tamales at a faster rate and opened Tamaleria Nuevo Leon in 2019. They still make dough from scratch and put in the same amount of preparation they would at home, but now, they can make enough for the whole table, the couple said.
“The most important thing was having a flavor casero. We want people to say, these are really homemade tamales,” Doris said.
Tamaleria Nuevo Leon
2139 Buckingham Road, Richardson
972-685-6556
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063717664037
Hours: Daily 7 a.m.-9 p.m.
