Longtime McKinney residents Manuel and Adelina Ortega purchased Juarez Mexican Restaurant in 2003 after Manuel’s sisters, Lulu and Monica Ortega—who worked at the restaurant, which has been serving McKinney since 1988—told him the owner was looking to sell.
Manuel Ortega has a simple answer when asked why he purchased the downtown McKinney restaurant: “I wanted to own my own business,” he said.
When the married couple purchased the eatery, the recipes for the menu items were included in the deal. Adelina Ortega took over operating the kitchen while Manuel Ortega said he handles everything else.
On the menu
The menu features breakfast items, which are served all day, including chilaquiles, burritos, huevos rancheros and more. Beyond breakfast fare, Juarez Mexican Restaurant serves a variety of authentic Mexican plates such as carne guisada, chile relleno and tortas, which are Mexican sandwiches made with French bread, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapenos, avocado, cheese and a choice of ham or carnitas. One of multiple Tex-Mex options is Adelina’s special, featuring two beef or cheese enchiladas and two tamales with chili which are served with rice and beans.
Manuel Ortega said their soups have proven to be top sellers, particularly the caldo de res, which is a Mexican-style beef soup that is served with flour or corn tortillas. Chicken enchiladas and chili con queso are also crowd pleasers, Manuel Ortega said.
What’s special about it?
Manuel Ortega said it is common for customers to say they’ve been eating at Juarez Mexican Restaurant since they were children and credits about 45% of their business to repeat customers. He attributes the flavor of their food and the lower-than-expected prices as being what surprises first-time customers as well as what brings them back.
When the couple bought the business 23 years ago, Manuel Ortega had food industry experience—he had worked at Food Source, a private label and branded frozen food manufacturer in McKinney—but Adelina Ortega had only cooked for her family. Through trial and error and a little guidance from previous ownership, she learned how to scale recipes from family-sized to restaurant-sized.
Adelina Ortega said she begins each day by making tortillas and tamales. Manuel Ortega said he and his wife, who have lived in McKinney for 24 years, put in about 10-hour days every day at the restaurant.
