One of Houston’s oldest restaurants and a Tex-Mex staple off Highway 290 made a big announcement Saturday. After more than 50 years, Don José Mexican Restaurant was closing its doors for good.
“To our beloved community: It is with a heavy heart that we announce the permanent closure of Don José’s,” read a message posted Saturday to Facebook. “Unfortunately the rising costs of doing business—including commercial rent—have made it impossible for us to keep our doors open. Thank you for the memories.”
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The restaurant’s last day of operation will be July 13, continued the message
The response was swift, with customers and fans asking the restaurant to simply move to another area. Then, just around 8 p.m. Saturday, Don Jose notified customers that they sold out of food for the day, no doubt due in part to the announcement earlier in the day and the response it engendered
E.J. Clark opened Don José in 1974 at 5305 Antoine Dr., at the intersection with Pinemont Drive just a few blocks from the Northwest Freeway. HE sold the restaurant in 2003 to Luis Hermosillo, who started as a bus boy at Don José in 1974. Hermosillo’s nephew Carlos Garcia joined him in ownership and took on the role of general manager.
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Tragedy struck the restaurant in 2020, when Garcia and Hermosillo both died within three days of one another from complications due to COVID-19. Don José closed briefly later that year, but Garcia’s son Bernardo, along with family members Fernando and Jorge Anaya, took over the restaurant and brought it back
Don José has a robust menu of Tex-Mex and Mexican favorites, from enchilada dinners to tamales, chimichangas and taco plates. You can also get plenty of seafood plates, including spicy shrimp served with bean soup, and a whole fried tilapia with French fries and charro beans. As of last year the restaurant was selling house margaritas for $8, $13.50 for a jumbo.
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