Stephen Montoya
Mary Perez Vasquez
Restaurateur Mary Perez Vasquez has come a long way since she made the decision to give up her corporate day job to sell enchilada sauce in person at several local grocery stores over a decade ago.
Today, the self-taught culinarian is prepping to open her third Enchiladas Olé restaurant.
The site formerly known as Boozie’s Brewery and Gourmet Sandwiches at 6473 Camp Bowie Blvd. is being converted for Vasquez’s Tex-Mex fare.
Vasquez, clearly excited about her newest store, said she expects to be open by the end of December.
“It's a very desirable location,” she said as she surveyed what will be her new dining room. “I think we're a great fit for this area.”
Enchiladas Olé first opened in 2013 at 901 N. Sylvania Ave. Vasquez moved the restaurant to 2418 Forest Park Blvd., which quickly expanded to another Enchiladas Olé at 9005 North Tarrant Parkway in North Richland Hills.
The revamp of the new location will not include sweeping changes of the inside. For example, the Nicolas Cage mural on the south wall will remain. In fact, Vasquez said she wants to do some promo with it, even going as far as tagging the “Raising Arizona” star’s Instagram to see if he will respond or even swing by the new eatery for a pic.
Just as long as he doesn’t bring Nathan Arizona Jr. with him.
The menu, she said, will be pretty much as it is at the other locations.
“We will have the same things, like enchiladas, and I think that we are adding some new things for this spot next year,” she said. “We'll have Papas Olé, which people can substitute their rice or beans for, made with cheesy potatoes and Hatch peppers. And I think we're going to bring back our ranchero sauce.”
Other offerings at this new spot will include the fan-favorite, Bud Kennedy-inspired Cowboy Philly, which consists of tender brisket topped with queso sauce, paired with grilled onions, placed in between two halves of torta bread.
Other popular items available will be Enchiladas Olé family meals. The family meals are still one of her restaurant’s biggest sellers, she said.
“I think that will be super popular here in this location. People can just walk in and pick up their order and go,” she said.
The bar will be full service.
Outside of the restaurant realm, Vasquez also said that she wants to go back next year to where it all began — retail. “We are looking at going back into in the Central Markets and the specialty stores just to grow our brand,” she said.
This will mark a full circle return for Vasquez who made a name for herself selling her specialty sauces at Central Market before ever opening up her first restaurant.
“After growing up and living in the kitchen, the last thing I ever wanted to do was this,” Vasquez said. “Believe it or not, I wanted to be a writer. But this was the skill and opportunity I was given, and I feel super blessed that I’ve made it this far just following my mother’s recipes.”