During the month of December, customers at Oaxaca Restaurant on 27th Avenue are greeted with a colorful array of perforated papel picado lanterns and flags, mini Santa Claus figurines, and a group of ornate religious artifacts displayed on the back wall. The colorful shrine includes frames and sculptures of Jesus Christ, La Virgen de la Soledad, and La Virgen de la Juquila, to which many in Oaxaca and Phoenix pray and pay homage, especially in the days leading up to Christmas.
A statue of the restaurant's mascot, Pancho, stands prominently at the front of the small space. Framed Mexican national currency, photos depicting historical figures, and maps of owner Jorge Lopez's birth city and state hang on the colorfully painted walls.
"We try to make the restaurant like as if you're entering Mexico," Lopez says of his Oaxaca-inspired business, which doubles as a market that sells spices, herbs, bread, unique cooking ingredients, sculptures, and piggy banks imported from Mexico. "The older people say they feel at home and even start crying here because our restaurants remind them of home."
During the holidays, the restaurant transforms into something one might find during the Christmas season in Oaxaca, 1,700 miles south of Phoenix.
"During this time of the year back home, we usually serve mole, tamales, and pan de yema with atole blanco or champurrado," Lopez says. "In Mexico, when we celebrate, we don't usually give gifts like here in the U.S. Over there, we serve food to you, then you eat, then you go to another house, and you eat again."
Before emigrating to the U.S. from Oaxaca in the 1990s, Lopez worked at a restaurant and learned how to cook dishes native to the southernmost part of Mexico. Worldwide food connoisseurs frequent Oaxaca to experience the cuisine, especially the mole.
"There are seven types of mole," Lopez explains. "Here at the restaurant, we make two versions: mole negro con arroz or mole rojo con arroz."
The black and red variations are distinguished by the types of chiles used in the recipe. At Lopez's family-friendly eatery, platters are served with two pieces of chicken in mole sauce, Mexican rice garnished with parsley, and extra-thick corn tortillas that are made fresh to order. The platters sell for $12.99.
"Our mole has about 50 spices," says Marc Lopez, the restaurant owner's youngest son. He explains that the family sources their spices from Oaxaca. "The difference between the red and the black mole is the red one is spicier, and the black one's a little bit sweeter, and you'll taste more of the chocolate."
The dark brown-colored concoction is available for purchase at both restaurants. Packets cost $9.99 each.
When asked if he's concerned about other Mexican restaurants purchasing their mole packets to create an equally creamy and tangy sauce, the 54-year-old family patriarch initially nods his head. But then, with confidence, Lopez adds, "I'm not concerned because I add additional spices, which I mix and make on my own."
The back corner of the kitchen is adorned with industrial-grade stainless steel kitchen equipment. Here, a metal shelving unit is stacked with gallon-sized and smaller plastic containers filled with various spices. Each vessel is labeled with tape with hand-written reminders of what's inside.
"I make all these spice and herb mixtures from scratch," Lopez says. "And nobody can copy our flavors because they won't know the exact spices inside."
Herbs and spices are embedded in Lopez's roots. In 1995, after he moved from California to Phoenix, he sold spices and products imported from Oaxaca on the streets of metro Phoenix. He also worked at a Valley restaurant where he learned about the American way of business, including the laws, permit process, and inspection protocols a restaurant requires to thrive.
"One of the inspectors who taught me things ended up inspecting our first restaurant," he says. "When I was 32 years old, we opened our first Oaxaca Restaurant in 1999 on the corner of North Central Avenue and East Hatcher Road in Phoenix and stayed there until 2010."
After that, the family moved to another strip mall and opened another restaurant with the same name, menu, and prices.
Today, Lopez, his wife, and their three sons tend two locations of Oaxaca Restaurant. Marc runs the 27th Avenue eatery with his dad. The other Oaxaca Restaurant, run by Marc's two brothers and their mother, is located on West Bethany Home Road.
"We've been around for 23 years because I also learned from the best people in Oaxaca. Our menu here is the closest to authentic Oaxacan food you can get," Lopez touts.
Along with mole, the Lopez family sells other specialties from their home country, including tamales. In their recipe, corn dough, also called masa, is spread onto banana leaves, then filled with prepared shredded chicken, pork, or chicken mole, and wrapped. After the tamales are steamed and cooked in a large pot, they're ready to serve.
Once a tamale is unwrapped, like a Christmas gift, the broth, sauce, and oil from the meat seep into the dough, which stores the rich flavors.
"It's the authentic way we make tamales in Oaxaca," Lopez says. "And the banana leaves create a unique taste."
Sold for $3.50 each, the tamales are much larger than most others that are served throughout the Valley. Each measures about 6 inches long by 4 inches wide. Pan de yema, which translates to egg yolk bread, is also a popular treat served in Oaxaca and sold at the Lopez's restaurants during December.
"People buy [the bread] here and ship them to New York and Chicago," Marc says. "And even consulates from New York, California, and Arizona buy them."
The pieces of Oaxacan bread, which are baked at the Bethany Home location, sell for $7 a bag or $2.50 apiece.
"Back in Oaxaca, we eat these with champurrado or atole blanco, both warm drinks made of corn; the difference is champurrado has chocolate, cinnamon, and sugar cane," Marc says. Each drink costs $2.99.
Another great option during sub-50-degree weather is Caldo de Res. The giant serving of beef stew comes with a large chunk of meat with cabbage, carrots, corn, and chayote squash. It's $10.99, and the kitchen hooks up sides of tortillas, Mexican rice, diced onion, cilantro, chile peppers, and lime slices.
Whether you stop by to see the decorations, eat a platter of mole, or grab some pan de yema to enjoy on Christmas, the Lopez family will be ready this holiday season with plenty of Oaxacan hospitality.
602-395-0867
2316 West Bethany Home Road, #119, Phoenix
602-242-3840
A statue of the restaurant's mascot, Pancho, stands prominently at the front of the small space. Framed Mexican national currency, photos depicting historical figures, and maps of owner Jorge Lopez's birth city and state hang on the colorfully painted walls.
"We try to make the restaurant like as if you're entering Mexico," Lopez says of his Oaxaca-inspired business, which doubles as a market that sells spices, herbs, bread, unique cooking ingredients, sculptures, and piggy banks imported from Mexico. "The older people say they feel at home and even start crying here because our restaurants remind them of home."
During the holidays, the restaurant transforms into something one might find during the Christmas season in Oaxaca, 1,700 miles south of Phoenix.
Jorge Lopez shares some of the many Oaxacan treats available for sale at his restaurant.
Mike Madriaga
Before emigrating to the U.S. from Oaxaca in the 1990s, Lopez worked at a restaurant and learned how to cook dishes native to the southernmost part of Mexico. Worldwide food connoisseurs frequent Oaxaca to experience the cuisine, especially the mole.
"There are seven types of mole," Lopez explains. "Here at the restaurant, we make two versions: mole negro con arroz or mole rojo con arroz."
The black and red variations are distinguished by the types of chiles used in the recipe. At Lopez's family-friendly eatery, platters are served with two pieces of chicken in mole sauce, Mexican rice garnished with parsley, and extra-thick corn tortillas that are made fresh to order. The platters sell for $12.99.
"Our mole has about 50 spices," says Marc Lopez, the restaurant owner's youngest son. He explains that the family sources their spices from Oaxaca. "The difference between the red and the black mole is the red one is spicier, and the black one's a little bit sweeter, and you'll taste more of the chocolate."
The dark brown-colored concoction is available for purchase at both restaurants. Packets cost $9.99 each.
When asked if he's concerned about other Mexican restaurants purchasing their mole packets to create an equally creamy and tangy sauce, the 54-year-old family patriarch initially nods his head. But then, with confidence, Lopez adds, "I'm not concerned because I add additional spices, which I mix and make on my own."
The back corner of the kitchen is adorned with industrial-grade stainless steel kitchen equipment. Here, a metal shelving unit is stacked with gallon-sized and smaller plastic containers filled with various spices. Each vessel is labeled with tape with hand-written reminders of what's inside.
"I make all these spice and herb mixtures from scratch," Lopez says. "And nobody can copy our flavors because they won't know the exact spices inside."
Herbs and spices are embedded in Lopez's roots. In 1995, after he moved from California to Phoenix, he sold spices and products imported from Oaxaca on the streets of metro Phoenix. He also worked at a Valley restaurant where he learned about the American way of business, including the laws, permit process, and inspection protocols a restaurant requires to thrive.
"One of the inspectors who taught me things ended up inspecting our first restaurant," he says. "When I was 32 years old, we opened our first Oaxaca Restaurant in 1999 on the corner of North Central Avenue and East Hatcher Road in Phoenix and stayed there until 2010."
After that, the family moved to another strip mall and opened another restaurant with the same name, menu, and prices.
Today, Lopez, his wife, and their three sons tend two locations of Oaxaca Restaurant. Marc runs the 27th Avenue eatery with his dad. The other Oaxaca Restaurant, run by Marc's two brothers and their mother, is located on West Bethany Home Road.
"We've been around for 23 years because I also learned from the best people in Oaxaca. Our menu here is the closest to authentic Oaxacan food you can get," Lopez touts.
Along with mole, the Lopez family sells other specialties from their home country, including tamales. In their recipe, corn dough, also called masa, is spread onto banana leaves, then filled with prepared shredded chicken, pork, or chicken mole, and wrapped. After the tamales are steamed and cooked in a large pot, they're ready to serve.
Once a tamale is unwrapped, like a Christmas gift, the broth, sauce, and oil from the meat seep into the dough, which stores the rich flavors.
"It's the authentic way we make tamales in Oaxaca," Lopez says. "And the banana leaves create a unique taste."
Sold for $3.50 each, the tamales are much larger than most others that are served throughout the Valley. Each measures about 6 inches long by 4 inches wide. Pan de yema, which translates to egg yolk bread, is also a popular treat served in Oaxaca and sold at the Lopez's restaurants during December.
"People buy [the bread] here and ship them to New York and Chicago," Marc says. "And even consulates from New York, California, and Arizona buy them."
The pieces of Oaxacan bread, which are baked at the Bethany Home location, sell for $7 a bag or $2.50 apiece.
"Back in Oaxaca, we eat these with champurrado or atole blanco, both warm drinks made of corn; the difference is champurrado has chocolate, cinnamon, and sugar cane," Marc says. Each drink costs $2.99.
Another great option during sub-50-degree weather is Caldo de Res. The giant serving of beef stew comes with a large chunk of meat with cabbage, carrots, corn, and chayote squash. It's $10.99, and the kitchen hooks up sides of tortillas, Mexican rice, diced onion, cilantro, chile peppers, and lime slices.
Whether you stop by to see the decorations, eat a platter of mole, or grab some pan de yema to enjoy on Christmas, the Lopez family will be ready this holiday season with plenty of Oaxacan hospitality.
Oaxaca Restaurant
7816 North 27th Avenue, Phoenix602-395-0867
2316 West Bethany Home Road, #119, Phoenix
602-242-3840
