An authentic Mexican restaurant in Fort Worth is spreading its wings: Called El Minero, it's a family-owned restaurant that debuted in Fort Worth in 2018, and has now opened a second location in the former Los Jimadores space at 8216 Bedford Euless Rd., in the Crossroads Centre.
El Minero is from chef Daniel Rios, who's been cooking since he was 14, using family recipes from Pachuca, Hidalgo in Mexico.
The menu is a mix-up of classics like quesadillas and flautas, with creative dishes such as grilled salmon and pollo a la plancha — chicken breast cooked on a flat grill, served with steamed vegetables.
There are tacos with traditional fillings ranging from al pastor to lengua (beef tongue), and gorditas — corn pockets stuffed with fillings such as potato & chorizo, beef picadillo, and cactus leaves.
House specialties
The biggest draw is mole, the rich sauce made with spices, dried chiles, and chocolate. El Minero does both a red and green mole, as well as dishes like enmoladas, featuring corn tortillas filled with shredded chicken and covered with mole sauce.
There is also a category called pastes — similar to empanadas, and available in both sweet and savory options such as the Hawaiano, filled with ham, pineapple, cheese, and jalapenos; and the arroz con leche, filled with rice pudding.
El Minero now open in NRHEl Minero
They also serve a big breakfast daily with more creative options such as huevos estrellados, consisting of eggs with beans, cream, plantains, and tortillas; and "Mexican-style eggs" featuring scrambled eggs with tomatoes, onions, and jalapeños.
Prices are cheap: $2.25 for tacos and topping out at $14 for the most expensive entrees.
“My grandma is the one who passed on the recipes and had us working in the industry since we were little,” Rios says. “I worked my way up to being a chef. I also worked for Tim Love for a few years in the catering department."
The original Fort Worth location is at the La Gran Plaza mall. Rios says the vibe at North Richland Hills is a little different, with a more lively atmosphere.
“We don’t have a full bar yet, but it’s coming into place, and we’ll have a margarita machine,” Rios says. “There are quite a few TVs hanging up to show the games on the wall and once we get the ball rolling, we’ll have some live music. It’s not just an authentic Mexican restaurant, you can also have fun and even come sing and dance.”
