“I started out from the bottom as a kid and decided to open my own place with a couple of my own ideas,” Carillo said.
Staying local
Carillo said he grew up in Magnolia in the restaurant industry with his father who owns several restaurants in the Houston area. From a dishwasher to a bartender, Carillo became a manager for his father’s restaurant.
With 15 years of restaurant experience and his colleague Juan Carbajal as the chef, Carillo opened his own restaurant known for its authentic Mexican food and lively cultural ambiance.
What's in the name
Lemon Y Sal offers authentic Mexican food and Tex-Mex with a lemon twist. The name “Lemon Y Sal” is an emphasis on the lime and lemon added to the food.
Popular menu items include street tacos, chente tacos, the mexi burger and the perro macho, a hot dog wrapped in bacon placed on a grilled poblano pepper with melted cheese and topped with pico de gallo and grilled onions.
The restaurant also offers Tex-Mex dishes, such as queso, enchiladas, tamales and burritos, as well as sizzling fajita options. Carillo said there are plans for Lemon Y Sal to serve crawfish during its season by early March.
It’s 5 o’clock somewhere
To pair with its Mexican cuisine, Lemon Y Sal offers customers a full bar with happy hour offered from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. daily and all day Thursday.
The restaurant's bar offers tequila shots as well as flavored house margaritas, including mango, strawberry, peach, amaretto, sangria, raspberry, hibiscus and passion fruit. The bar also serves mixed drinks, such as palomas, bloody marys and mezcal mules.
To maintain a lively ambiance, Lemon Y Sal offers karaoke, live music, a DJ and to-go drink services.
- 28303 Dobbin-Huffsmith Road, Magnolia
- www.tex-mexrestaurantmagnolia.com
