Mexican eatery keeps it in the family

Matriarch of Gabriela’s passes passion for quality food onto sons

As a little girl growing up in Mexico City, Gabriela Gonzales began preparing food and peddling it on the city's street.

She learned the true culture of Mexican cuisine at it roots, passed down from her family at an early age, and now continues to perfect her craft some 1,500 miles away in Northwest Arkansas.

As the owner of both Gabriela's Mexican Grill Restaurants -- at 330 E Main St., in Farmington, and at 121 N Pittman St., in Prairie Grove -- Gonzales is now passing her kitchen and business prowess on to her three sons. Rene, 32, is the oldest and manages the Farmington location, while his younger brothers, Yovany, 26, and Diego, 22, maintain the Prairie Grove location.

"I know some people say its hard to work with family, but with our situation, we have never had any issues," Rene Gonzales said. "We have always got along and worked well together."

When the Gonzales family immigrated to the United States more than two decades ago, Houston was the family's original landing spot, followed by short stints in Florida and Pennsylvania. After making their way to the local area, at the urging of friends, Gabriela Gonzales began managing a local Mexican restaurant.

In 2003, she opened her first self-named establishment in Prairie Grove. Two years ago, the Farmington restaurant was opened, and the rest has been a dream come true for the family matriarch.

"When I was 14 I had a friend in Mexico City that had a restaurant, so since that time I had a dream of having my own business, especially a restaurant," Gabriela Gonzales said through Rene Gonzales' translation. "I come from a business-oriented family, so I also wanted to get my sons involved.

"I am very proud of how they have turned out. It hasn't been easy, but every sacrifice has its rewards."

All three of the young Gonzales men are graduates of Springdale High School and have grown to call this area home.

"We are very proud of where we are from, but we also love it here," Rene Gonzales said. "There are great people around here, the area is beautiful and it is just a great place to have a business.

"My first job was working in a restaurant and that is really all I have done since then."

He admits that he has learned the finer things about the restaurant business from his mom, who remains active at both eateries on a daily basis.

"She has taught us how to manage a small business, making sure things are always clean, and being persistent to serve customers with quality food in a nice, clean environment," Rene Gonzales said.

One thing Gabriela does not tolerate is cutting corners in the way food is prepared, expecting the highest quality authentic dishes be served to her customers.

"I think our success comes from our consistency in what we serve," Rene Gonzales said. "We don't go for the cheaper stuff to serve. We try to use the highest quality ingredients in everything we serve, and I think that's what keeps the customers coming back."

Both restaurants are open seven days a week, opening at 11 a.m. daily and closing at 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. On the weekend nights, Gabriela's stays open an hour later, closing at 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.

A staple of Gabriela's is their $5.99 enchilada special on Wednesdays at both locations. Choices for the enchiladas include chicken, beef and shrimp. A spinach enchilada is available on the menu but is not included in the special.

The kids menu, serving those under 10 years of age, has five selections starting at $3.25 and ranging up to $4.50 for a kid's Steven's Special. Burgers and chicken tenders are available for the youngsters along with the traditional tacos, enchiladas, tamale, burritos, and quesadillas. Children older than 10 can order off the kids menu for two additional dollars.

There are 21 lunch specials available Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Prices for lunch platters start at $4.99 and range up to $7.25 for beef fajitas. Some of the lunch favorites are shrimp quesadillas ($6.75), grilled chicken salad ($6.99), bean burrito with chile and cheese ($4.99), and chicken enchilada and crispy chicken taco ($4.99).

The A la Carte menu has more than 15 choices available anytime. Fajita tostadas ($3), Taco de Azada ($2.25), three choices of chile rellano ($6.50), and tamales for ($1.85) highlight the A la Carte options.

The House Specials include the chimichangas, Mexican fish tacos, carnitas platter, and carne asada steaks. Rene Gonzales suggests that the foundation meal first timers should order is the carne asada. He suggests starting with the steaks and exploring the menu on subsequent visits.

Desserts at Gabriela's offer staples such as flan, fried ice cream, and sopapillas. However, the one dessert Rene Gonzales says that people rave about is the fried cheesecake. A slice of cheesecake is hand battered and deep fried, then topped with ice cream, strawberries, chocolate sauce, and whipped topping. A popular way to end the meal is to enjoy the fried cheesecake with a Mexican Coke.

NAN Dining Guide Cover on 04/22/2016

Upcoming Events