When Nestor Robles began working at Margaritas in 1984, the Pasadena restaurant was smaller. More than four decades later, Robles is still there.
A waiter and server at Margaritas, Robles said he officially started May 4, 1984, after working as a busboy at Acapulco. Hoping for an opportunity to become a server, he looked elsewhere when advancement there proved difficult. His father was working at Margaritas, so Robles approached the restaurant about a job.
He stayed.
Over the years, Robles worked other jobs during the daytime while continuing his evening shifts at Margaritas. He said the job helped him raise his family and that the restaurant accommodated his scheduling needs over the years.
“I always stayed at Margaritas,” Robles said. “I was happy there.”
Today, his children are grown and he has grandchildren.
His longevity has also given Robles a front-row seat to generations of Pasadena-area families.
“There were a lot of them that now their parents brought them as babies,” Robles recalled. “And now their grandkids. I’m serving their grandkids now.”
Some customers who moved away have made Margaritas a stop when they return to the area. Robles recalled one family that moved to Boston after their children grew up. When they later returned, he said, they “had to come here first.”
Another family has maintained such a long relationship with Robles that family members request him when they return for birthdays, he said.
Robles has also watched the restaurant itself change. When he started, he said, Margaritas was smaller, with the bar located where the main entrance is today. Subsequent remodeling expanded the restaurant and created additional dining space.
He remembers earlier years when customers waited outside and later in the parking lot for tables. Asked what has remained the same through the decades, Robles pointed to the food and the restaurant’s margaritas, which he said are made from scratch.
Perhaps the clearest measure of his tenure comes when an unfamiliar customer encounters him working outside his usual bar area.
“Are you new?” Robles said customers sometimes ask.
After more than 40 years at Margaritas, the question carries its own punchline.
Robles may not be new, but even after serving generations of families, he is still there to welcome the next one.
Margaritas Mexican Restaurant is located at 155 S. Rosemead Blvd., Pasadena. The restaurant serves Mexican food for lunch and dinner, with current listings showing operating hours beginning at 11 a.m. Parking is available on site, with street parking also available. For more information, call (626) 449-4193 or visit margaritaspasadena.com.
