Evan Woods
Not very many restaurants in Fort Worth can brag that they are one of the favorite spots of a former first lady. But Laura Bush isn’t the only one raving about the authentic Mexican cuisine at Los Asaderos, located at 1535 N. Main. According to the current restaurant manager and founder’s son, Carlos Villareal, many a celebrity has graced the humble dining atmosphere of this family-run restaurant over its nearly 40 years of business.
However, Villareal says it has nothing to do with advertising or any promotional gimmicks. Instead, he says it has everything to do with word of mouth and staying consistent with his late mother, Norma Angelica Villarreal’s, original recipes, which still make up most of the menu. In fact, Villareal himself has only been the captain’s chair for just under half a year. His mother passed away in December of 2022, in essence leaving the future, of this now legendary establishment, for him to run.
“She was one of five sisters and she was the best cook out of all of them,” Villareal says while sitting under his mother’s picture located in the main dining room of the restaurant.
Los Asaderos’ inception began when Villareal says his mom and dad opened two restaurants in Del Rio Texas in the late 70s early 80s. But with little to no access to a lot of resources, Villareal says his parents moved him and his siblings to Fort Worth in 1983.
“When we got here, it was a whole different ball game,” Villareal says. “We came from a small town and a whole bunch of family to not knowing many people. It was a big transition.”
What ended up grounding Villareal and his family would be what the Los Asaderos’ menu represents today — culinary tradition.
Evan Woods
“That’s been the focal point of our restaurant from the get-go,” he explains. “If you came thirty-three years ago and had the guisada and you come today and ordered the same thing, the flavors will be the same.”
Villareal says what sets his family’s restaurant apart from many others, is the fact that he and his staff do everything the traditional way. Whether it’s grating their own cheese, or taking the time to slice onions from scratch, Villareal verifies no corners are cut when it comes to food prep.
“We still do it all the old-fashioned way,” he says. “It does take more time, but when you order the enchiladas here, we make them fresh for you. We don’t have pans or trays in a warmer prepped ahead of time to serve you. We roll it from scratch, made to order.”
But the food isn’t the only tradition this establishment is known for. The name of this restaurant comes from a traditional northern Mexican term meaning barbecue pit and or grill. But if you look it up you’ll probably see it this name is associated with a Mexican cheese, a definition Villareal says is accurate only to an extent.
“Yes, it is a Mexican cheese, but we use the term to mean a place where you cook on a pit,” he says. “That’s how we interpret it because we have a lot of charbroiled meats. We have chicken, fish, shrimp, and beef all charbroiled.”
With these simple ingredients, Villareal says his mom laid the groundwork for a menu that has pretty much stayed the same for nearly forty years; a time frame that Villareal and his family view as a blessing.
“We’ve been able to survive in one of the most difficult businesses there is in the country,” Villareal says clearly thinking of the recent pandemic. “For us to survive 39 years here, it’s proof that we are doing something right.”
