El Chaparro Mexican Bar & Grill owners Gustavo and Efrain Hernandez have worked in restaurants for two decades, from bussing tables to bartending, to managing a restaurant in The Woodlands for five years. The two brothers decided to use their expertise to open their own restaurant.

El Chaparro opened in Magnolia four years ago, serving authentic, fresh Mexican cuisine.

"My brother talked to me one day and said, 'Let's open our own restaurant instead of working for someone else,'" Efrain said.

Gustavo and Efrain partnered with the property owner to start El Chaparro.

"We looked around and thought this location had a lot of potential," Gustavo said. "It's a good neighborhood. I told my brother, 'Let's take a chance.' So, we did."

And the restaurant has been such a success, there is often a 30-minute wait on Friday and Saturday nights and it is busy on Sundays for breakfast or afternoon lunches. Gustavo and Efrain expanded the kitchen two months ago to accommodate all the growth.

"It wasn't built for the volume we have now," Gustavo said.

They added 1,400 square feet to the restaurant. The large, high ceiling restaurant is now 6,800-square feet and has a large patio in front.

Customer service is very important to Gustavo and Efrain. They are often at the restaurant greeting customers, and they emphasize a family-friendly environment.

"You can get fajitas or enchiladas anywhere, but we keep in touch with customers," Gustavo said. "They know us."

The food at El Chaparro is fresh, including homemade flour tortillas that are made at the restaurant daily. The restaurant also serves homemade flan.

Gustavo and Efrain moved to Spring from Mexico two decades ago.

"We were just kids looking for a better life," Gustavo said.

Specials:

Mon.–Tues.—Happy hour all day

Wed.–Fri.—Happy hour from 11 a.m.–6 p.m.

Wednesday—Fajitas for two $19.99

Sunday—Kids eat free

Breakfast:

El Chaparro offers breakfast on Sundays from 9 a.m.–2 p.m., though they will serve it anytime of the week if a customer requests it.

Customer comments:

• The food is great, and the service is great. And the restaurant is roomy. -James Polnick
• The service is good, and I really like the salsa. I crave their salsa. -Kathy Dietrich
• They are consistently good. I really like the burritos. -Don Gaines

Second location

Gustavo and Efrain opened a second location at 24914 Kuykendahl Road, Tomball. That restaurant is smaller and not yet as crowded as the Magnolia location, but they are hoping with the growth in Northeast Tomball, Creekside in The Woodlands, and the expansion of energy companies in the area, the restaurant will continue to thrive.

El Chaparro

24914 Kuykendahl Road, Tomball 281-516-2134

5405 FM 1488, Magnolia 281-259-6769

www.elchaparro.net, Hours: Mon.–Tues. 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Wed.–Thurs. 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–10:30 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–9 p.m.