6 minute read
Mario Bros Tacos
TROMPO FAMOUS
Family traditions and flavors from Monterrey
PREVIOUS SPREAD:
Tacos with bacon-wrapped jalapeño pepper and charro beans.
RIGHT:
Mexican hamburger.
OPPOSITE PAGE: Regio dog with fries.
MARIO MONTOYA SR. IS THE DESIGNATED CHEF OF THE FAMILY.
Mario Bros Tacos is a fami ly-owned business in Town Creek Shopping Center, between Dallas Ballet Center and MD Kids Pediatrics on Abrams Road. The restaurant has been in Lake Highlands for the past seven years, but the cooking has gone on longer.
Montoya Sr. and his wife, Nancy, immigrated to Dallas from Allende, Nuevo Leon — about 30 miles from Monterrey, Mexico — in 1995. Twenty years later, he and his son, Mario Montoya Jr., opened their first brick-and-mortar restaurant on Northwest Highway. Montoya Jr. handles the behind-the-scenes operations of the restaurant, like social media, marketing and logistics, and considers himself a “rookie” in the kitchen.
Before they were selling out of trompo tacos and tacos al carbon at their restaurants, Montoya Sr. and Nancy sold food from out of their apartment when they were 24 and 23 years old.
Fast forward to this year, and the family still has its loyal customers in Lake Highlands from their first location. It’s food and conversation that keeps customers coming back.
The restaurant is famous beyond our neighborhood for its trompo tacos, tacos al carbon and Mexican hamburgers.
Tacos al vapor, another dish, are steamed like tamales. An order includes four shredded pork and one refried-beans tacos on single corn tortillas, served with menudo or pozole — and is only available on weekends.
Trompo is seasoned pork shaved from a rotisserie rod onto tacos and other menu items. They go through 1,000 pounds each week. Sometimes, Montoya Sr. is even called the “Trompo King.”
It had been the senior Mario’s dream to open a restaurant someday, but he didn’t know how or where to begin. He took up work in construction, truck driving and other jobs years before heading down the road of starting a restaurant.
Back then, weekends were for family, friends and watching sports. Montoya Sr. was the “designated grill man” and would cook for everyone. This was also around the same time the Montoyas sold tacos and hamburgers outside their apartment.
“My friends and family would always tell
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ABOVE: Owners Mario Montoya Sr. and Mario Montoya Jr.
RIGHT:
Trompo, or seasoned pork on a rotisserie rod. me that my food was really good and that I should open up a restaurant because it would be very successful.” Montoya Sr. says. “We moved to a suburb outside of Dallas in 2000. My neighbors — and later on when my son (Mario) was a teenager and had his friends over for the cookouts — they also would urge me to open up a restaurant because the rest of the world was missing out on my cooking.”
It was Montoya Jr. who, after graduating college in 2013, urged his father to take the leap into finally starting his own restaurant. The next summer, he spurred his dad once again, but the cash investment and financially supporting his family made him hesitant.
So, Montoya Jr. had two food carts shipped to them and posted ads on Facebook.
The first step on their path to restaurant ownership: catering.
“I convinced him that we would start off by just catering. The catering business blew up and we were booked with multiple events throughout the week, especially on Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” Montoya Jr. says. “After working a year at my corporate job, and with the money I saved up, I finally convinced my father to leave his job and for him and I to go 110% into his American Dream.”
A year later, in April 2015, the original yellow, red and blue Marios Bros Tacos building opened.
Either of the Marios, Nancy and Montoya Jr.’s siblings can be found behind the counter.
The Montoyas want to remain family-owned and credit the Lake Highlands community to their continued success.
Their motto is “Peace. Love. Mario Bros Tacos,” which they demonstrate through charitable acts and service. They sponsor events for local schools and churches and gave food where needed during the big freeze last February.
Mario Bros Tacos, 8420 Abrams Road, 469.450.0360, themariobrostacos.com
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