El Chico (restaurant)

El Chico is a restaurant chain in the Southern United States. The first restaurant opened in 1940 in Oak Lawn, in Dallas, Texas. There are 78 locations.[1] The restaurant serves a variety of Tex-Mex dishes.

History

The restaurant's origin was Adelaida "Mama" Cuellar's popular homemade tamales at a county fair in 1926. Two years later, Cuellar opened Cuellar's Cafe in Kaufman, Texas.[2] Her sons opened a cafe in Dallas using her recipes.[1][3] The 11th Cuellar restaurant was located at Six Flags Over Texas amusement park, which was owned by Adelaida Cuellar's husband's employer, Angus Wynne.[2] Today, it is part of Consolidated Restaurant Operations, Inc. (CRO)[4] Joe V. Carvajal was an integral part of the success of many of the el Chico restaurants in the 1960s and 70's. He introduced the sopapilla to Tex-Mex and American cuisine.

References
  1. Official website
  2. Nichols, Nancy. "The Family Who Sold Tex-Mex to America". D Magazine. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
  3. Mico Rodriguez, co-founder of Mi Cocina restaurants (December 2016), Greatest Dallasites: Adelaida "Mama" Cuellar - The woman behind El Chico., D Magazine, retrieved 24 January 2017
  4. Consolidated Restaurants


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