Mijares Rising

Mijares is the oldest and finest Mexican Restaurant in Pasadena today, but not many know the humble roots from which it began. How it began, started with a mother’s dream to provide for her family.

Mijares Restaurant started out as a tortilla and tamale factory in 1920, after its founder Jesucita Mijares fled the revolution inMexico.

R-lene Mijares de Lang, General Manager and granddaughter of Jesucita, says, “she came here carrying her little molcajete and used the metate in the early days, and when she found this machine that would grind all the chili together for the sauces…”

“She became very popular,” Alice Mijares, mother of R-lene and daughter of Jesucita, adds. “With her grinder, she created something very different so that the food tasted different. She just started making all the food out of her kitchen and people would bring their pots and pans in so that they could fill them up with enchiladas and the word just got around that she was a great cook.”

In 1940, Jesucita bought the property where the original Mijares stands today.

“That’s how it all got started with the people coming to sit and enjoy the patios and the birds and it just got bigger and bigger and bigger,” addsAlice.

However, in 1978, there was an arson fire that all but decimated the original restaurant.

Alicesays, “The fire was devastating. A lot of it was gone and the restaurant just stayed here dormant for three years, four years and so I asked her, ‘Mom, what do you want to do with it? It’s your land, it’s your home.’ She said, ‘I would like you to build a restaurant again.’ So I got busy with an SBA package and I went everywhere.”

In time, Mijares rose from the ashes. R-lene says of Jesucita, “She lived to see the restaurant rebuilt and that was her biggest dream.”

So happy was Jesucita, that on the night of the re-opening on St. Patrick’s Day 1984 and thousands of people came, “my mother danced all night and she was so happy,” says Alice.

When it comes to the restaurant’s longevity and continued success, R-lene says “To run a successful family business, and our business will be 90 years old next year, I think the major part is good communication and for each member of the family to know his or her part, because we all have our strengths and weaknesses – for example my brother Tom overseas public relations and marketing, my little sister Tina is in our office and then of course my mom is the boss.”

Today, Mijares is going strong and one of its best sellers is “Sunday Brunch. My chef does a really good job and we have all these entrees with different food every Sunday. We never remove the enchiladas because it has that special sauce, my mother’s sauce. And then we have a nice taco bar, we have a lady making tortillas and then we have salads and we have an omelet bar and then I come in with my pastry,” says Alice.

Family and tradition is strong in Mijares Restaurant, and these in turn breed loyalty from customers and staff alike. “Our chef has been here 25 years. One of our managers has been here 24 years, our other bookkeeper 22 years, so we don’t have a big turnover in employees. We treat them as family members too,” says R-lene.

Alice says that more than just being the oldest Mexican restaurant inPasadena, Mijares is also the oldest business.

R-lene adds, “We are very fortunate to have very dedicated, loyal, long-time customers. We are kind of like an institution, a landmark.” As for why the restaurant is so popular,Alicesays it’s because “We maintain a friendly atmosphere here.”

Aside from the original Mijares at145 Palmetto Dr., there is also another smaller restaurant at 1806 E. Washington Blvd..

“We call this Mijares number one and our little restaurant, Mijares number two. Here at the original large restaurant, we seat 650. We’re kind of like a little hacienda, we’re spread out. We’ve got four patios, the banquet room and the dining room, and that’s exactly how my grandmother Jesucita wanted it.”

For more information about Mijares, visit http://www.mijaresrestaurant.com or call (626) 792-2763. You can also email atinfo@mijaresrestaurant.com.