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Alejandro Borquez pushes back from the dinner table and says to his beautiful young bride, Rosa, "You are such a good cook we should open a restaurant"
The Borquez family opens the Sonora Cafe in a small storefront on Broadway and Santa Barbara Ave. They begin an enduring relationship with the Ideal Tortilla Company.
El Cholo automobile and flapper
A guest wanders in for dinner and while waiting for his dinner draws a figure of a man on the menu and calls him "El Cholo". Alejandro likes the man and immediately changes Sonora Cafe to EL CHOLO CAFE
Three El Cholo Waiters
George Salisbury is eating dinner at EL CHOLO and meets Borquez's daughter, Aurelia. They court, decide to marry and open their own EL CHOLO
In a storefront at 11th and Western they open EL CHOLO, with 8 stools, 3 booths and a hot top stove on which they heat tortillas on the top, melt cheese and enchiladas underneath. That stove is still on display in the lobby of our building.
Opening day, 1927
EL CHOLO (against the advice of everyone) moves across the street to its present location, in an old Californian Bungalow. (Gary Cooper, Harold Lloyd, Bing Crosby and Loretta Young continue to come).
Joe Reina comes to work as a dishwasher. Shortly thereafter becomes head chef. A job that is to last 54 years and forever influence the Mexican restaurant industry.
The old gang outside the bungalow
EL CHOLO closes during World War II. Cannot get supplies to meet their quality standards.
El CHOLO re-opens. Reymundo Vicente is hired as the busboy. By 1996 he had reached his fiftieth year with EL CHOLO. Anna, Beatriz, Tille and Maria also hired and all work for at least thirty years after that. (In 1972 EL CHOLO doubles in size - 7 more busboys are hired to handle the work)
Some of our traditions never change
Carmen Rocha joins EL CHOLO. She starts making a dish called "Nachos" that she made in her home town of San Antonio. Again history is made
Carmen Rocha joins EL CHOLO. She starts making a dish called "Nachos" that she made in her home town of San Antonio. Again history is made
El Cholo in the 1970's
"Ensenada Nights" introduced. A fun filled evening for 100 in the patio featuring Mariachis, and an incredible South Western Buffet perfect for private parties.
5th generation begins working at the restaurant!
We sell enough tortillas that if laid end to end they would stretch 3 1/2 times around the world and would pile as high as 6,146 Empire State Buildings.
Blair Salisbury, grandson of George opens EL CHOLO Pasadena.
El Cholo opens on East Colorado Blvd., old town Pasadena.
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