North Texas Daily

Adriana Rodriguez / Intern

Café Herrera, a family-owned, Tex-Mex restaurant based out of Dallas will be making its way up to north texas late this September.

Amelia Herrera opened up her first location in 1971 off of Maple Avenue in honor of her love for food and familia. The original café housed a total of nine tables, and the family still talks about the days when people stood in lines with six packs in hand, waiting for their turn to devour some dinner out of the Herrera kitchen.

More than 40 years and four new locations later, the Herreras have kept the restaurant in the family, and are still running all the locations, keeping Amelia’s legacy alive.

Jason Marques, Amelia’s great-great-grandson said the family is more than pleased to add a new location on the Square.

“We had been looking at Denton for a long time and when we finally saw the square itself and the location, it just seemed like the perfect spot,” Marques said. “I really love the old-fashioned feel that the town brings to itself. That’s the kind of stuff we love.”

With family comes traditions, and at Café Herrera meals begin with complementary chips and salsa and a steaming cup of meaty bean soup.

“For years we’ve been serving the bean soup. Sometimes people only come for the bean soup,” server Walter Balsells said.

Each café is personalized according to the neighborhood that it’s in by the family member running it. The Denton location will feature specialized elements, like the Green Room, in honor of the UNT’s Mean Green nickname.  The downstairs, couch-filled lounge waiting area will serve cocktails and appetizers.

Café Herrera will have student-oriented drink and appetizer specials and a separate, healthier menu with 12 dishes of less than 400 calories.

Marques said he has been searching for the best egg-cooking chefs that he can find to help with Herrera’s planned fun Sunday Brunch.

The restaurant will have the same intimate feel as Herrera’s other locations, including long community style tables and homemade tortillas.

Although Café Herrera will offer margaritas, its main function is as a restaurant.

“There’s no competition,” owner of the newly established Mulberry Street Cantina, Jeff Doyle said. “We offer two completely different things and anything that gets the people out to see us, I’m happy about.”

For more information, visit www.cafeherrera.com.

Feature photo by Adriana Rodriguez / Intern