By Karen McBride
Don Julio’s has won the Best Mexican Restaurant and Best Taco in Tampa Bay, presented by 92.5 Maxima! Each year, the Latin radio station honors a fan favorite restaurant for their quality food, atmosphere, and friendly service. Don Julio’s uses only the freshest ingredients for its authentic Mexican cuisine.
The restaurant, owned by Julio Rodriquez, is family owned and operated. His wife is the general manager, and other family members work in the restaurant thatwas inspired by his mother’s recipes. His parents, Julio and Esther Rodriguez, came from Mexico in the early 1970’s. Doña Esther loved to cook and made her special dishes for relatives and friends to support the family after her husband, Julio, passed away at a young age. Now the family can share her delicious recipes with the Tampa Bay area.
“My family’s dream of sharing my mom’s authentic Mexican dishes came true,” said Julio.
In 2019, Julio was honored by Prospera at the 2019 Success Stories Luncheon in the West Coast of Florida. Watch this video to hear more of the family’s story. https://youtu.be/cHzTJSVAEDc
Taco lovers can choose from a variety of the award-winning delights, including Carnitas (slow cooked fried pork), Carne Asada (grilled steak), Al Pastor (pork with pineapple), Pescado (fish) and more. Vegetarians can enjoy the authentic Mexican flavor, too, as veggie tacos are also available.
Upon customers’ requests, more specialties have been added to the menu, including Chile Rellenos (Poblano pepper stuffed with melted Oaxaca cheese or ground beef) and Chimichangas (fried flour tortilla wrapped around a filling of choice of meat, beans, melted cheese, and Mexican rice).
Other house specialties include Carnitas Don Julio (slow cooked and fried pork) and fajitas (vegetarian, beef, chicken, or shrimp). Handmade tortillas are made fresh daily and add to the flavor and authenticity of the meals. The family-friendly restaurant offers kids meals including quesadillas, tacos, soup, and a kid-sized burrito (Burrito Jr).
Don Julio’s is located at 2808 E Bearss Avenue, Tampa, FL 33613. It is open Sunday through Thursday 11am – 9pm and Friday and Saturday 11am – 10pm. For more information, call 813-898-2860 or visit http://www.donjuliosmexican.com. Reservations can be made for dine-in and curbside pickup, and takeout and delivery are also available.