The change happened almost overnight, said Saul Maldonado, co-owner of Lindo Acapulco Mexican Grill in Pinehurst.

Saul and his two brothers, Misael and Apolinar, moved their family’s modest taqueria and quickly transformed it into a nearly 8,000-square-foot restaurant in a matter of months.

Saul’s parents, Juan and Maria Maldonado, first opened Lindo Acapulco Mexican Grill in a Pinehurst shopping center in 2002 under the name Taqueria Acapulco. The couple handed the business over to its three sons in 2014.

While the brothers have remained true to their father’s recipes, Saul said they have introduced new options that reflect their own flair and have become immensely popular. Lindo Acapulco still serves authentic Mexican cuisine using recipes from the Maldonado family cookbook, including traditional favorites, such as enchiladas, tortas, tacos and fajitas.

“Our fajitas [are popular] because our meat is very tender,” Saul said. “I’ll buy the most expensive meat on the market so I don’t have to work on it here. We just add our seasonings.”

One of Saul’s favorite new dishes is the Mexican hamburger.

“It’s a juicy patty, queso fresco, chorizo [and] corn on a torta bun,” he said. “And then it has a homemade sour cream sauce. It’s the best thing you’ll have.”

Saul said his parents are still involved in the business and occasionally help out in the kitchen. He and Misael handle business operations and the dining areas, while Apolinar leads the kitchen.

“I was in high school when we opened the first restaurant,” Saul said. “We started with 10 tables. It was a small Mexican taqueria—a hole-in-the-wall as they call it.”

The family was able to purchase a neighboring unit, which allowed it to expand the restaurant to 25 tables in 2006. After he returned from business school, Saul encouraged his brothers to take on the family’s next big move.

They changed the name to Lindo Acapulco Mexican Grill and relocated to a new building in October. The new location—less than a mile away from the original taqueria location—is four times bigger and features a covered patio, a 14-seat bar and a private parking lot. The small family-owned business also expanded to a staff of nearly 50 employees.

Event catering has become a major component for the restaurant, Saul said. Lindo Acapulco offers buffet selections and staff for events with seated dining.

Saul said the restaurant has experienced substantial growth in a short period of time, but delivering reliable service and offering the freshest food in the area is the Maldonados’ main focus.  

“I have customer[s]—they throw Christmas [and birthday] parties every year,” Saul said. “They’re going to come to me [to host it]. We invest in our customers.”

27917 Decker Prairie-Rosehill Road, Magnolia 281-356-5885 www.lindoacapulcomexgrill.com Hours: Sun.-Wed. 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Thu.-Fri. 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m.