Mijares Mexican Restaurant

Mijares is a family-run Mexican restaurant on Palmetto Drive in Pasadena whose roots go back to a home tortilla business started by Jesusita Mijares in 1920.

History

Jesusita Mijares, who came to Pasadena after fleeing the Mexican Revolution, started a small tortilla operation in her home in 1920, according to Pasadena Now. She moved the business to Palmetto Drive in 1940, using a metate grinding stone she had brought from Mexico for tortillas, tamales and sauces.

A fire destroyed the original restaurant in 1979. Her daughter, Alice Mijares Recendez, rebuilt it, and it reopened in 1984; during the rebuild Alice ran a second restaurant on Washington Boulevard that later closed. Jesusita died in 1988. In 2005 Congressman Adam Schiff recognized the family in the House of Representatives for the restaurant's 85th anniversary.

Today

Pasadena Now's September 2023 report on the anniversary said Alice, then 91, shared ownership with her children R-lene de Lang, who serves as general manager, Tina Jimenez and Tom Recendez. The family says it has changed the menu very little over the decades, aside from new drinks, and continues to serve traditional regional Mexican food, margaritas and patio dining at 145 Palmetto Drive. The article noted the pressures of the COVID-19 period, including dining restrictions and higher menu prices.

Reviews

See also

• Tacos dorados

References

1. "Iconic Pasadena Mexican Restaurant Retains Old Charm, Delicious Cuisine As It Celebrates 103rd Anniversary". Pasadena Now. Retrieved 2026-10-10.