David Bell, left, Abuelo's corporate vice president of beverages, talks with general manager Michael Wright on Tuesday at the new location in The Villages at Cumberland Park in Tyler. When it opens Monday, the Tyler location will the the 40th Abuelo's Mexican Restaurant location in 15 states. Andrew D. Brosig/Tyler Morning Telegraph

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It’s the graceful courtyard interior that strikes first-time visitors, said Abuelo’s regional vice president Pete Stovall. There’s not a sombrero in sight.

“The interior of our restaurants are very nice,” said Stovall, who is in town for Abuelo’s grand opening on Monday. “We don’t have the traditional Tex-Mex restaurant look. That look focuses on the border side of Mexico, the beat-up side. We went the other direction.”

The chain’s founder spent time in Central Mexico researching the cuisine and the culture. But really, James Young’s journey started long before that.

He’s originally from Shanghai, China, and came to Texas in the 1980s for college at Texas Tech University in Lubbock.

While he was there, he opened a restaurant called the Chinese Kitchen. That was successful, and eventually grew to 16 restaurants throughout West Texas.

But one location in Amarillo turned out to be too close to another location in the chain – the two sites were splitting a single customer base.

Young’s solution was to convert one of them to a Mexican restaurant. So with some partners, he opened the first Abuelo’s in 1989, after seeking inspiration throughout Central Mexico.

The company made a key hire in those early years – Chef Luis Sanchez, who now directs the menu for all 40 locations.

“I love to recreate recipes from our past, recipes from our families, from our friends,” Sanchez said. “Recipes that we love and that we can present with pride to our customers. That pride is very important to me.”

Perhaps his most popular creation is the “Los Mejores de la Casa,” which translates to the “best of the house.”

“We take beef tenderloin medallions, wrapped in bacon and cooked on the grill, then combine that with three of our bacon wrapped shrimp, stuffed with cheeses and a small sliver of jalapeo,” Stovall explained. “It’s outstanding.”

But the menu items are reasonably priced, he said.

“When people first walk in, they think the restaurant is really nice and maybe that it will be too expensive,” he said. “But that’s not the case. We have items under $10, especially on our lunch menu. You can spend up to $22 for our highest price dishes. We’re very affordable, and value is one of the priorities we have.”

Stovall said that menu will help the Tyler location will stand out from its competitors.

“Tex-Mex has been around a long time, a lot of people define it differently,” he said. “But most people agree it originated in Central Texas, and it focuses on tacos, enchiladas, the heavier meat sauces or cheese-based queso. We think what separates us from our competitors is we have a very creative side of the menu which features coastal specialty seafood, and creative, Central Mexico-based chicken and beef items.”

The company is excited to finally open a Tyler restaurant.

“We’ve been looking here for a good nine to 10 years,” he said. “I know, because I’ve been the one down here numerous times, completing the site survey reports. We all believed Tyler would be a great market for us, but it is all about finding the right spot. There’s no question that Tyler supports restaurants that are well-run. We wanted to make sure that when we got here, we had a chance to be successful.”

The Village at Cumberland Park on South Broadway Avenue was the right location, at the right time, he said.

“There’s no question this development is growing and will continue to fill out for the next couple of years,” he said. “And we believe firmly that growth in this area will continue.”

 

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IF YOU GO: Abuelo’s

Address: 8926 S. Broadway Ave. (The Village at Cumberland Park)

Phone: 903-581-2611

Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Note: Chef Luis Sanchez will be on hand for the Grand Opening