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Feb 15, 2024

La Tejana's tacos and rotating specials have kept customers coming back for over a decade

The cabeza, goat, al pastor and lengua tacos at La Tejana. Antonio and Brenda Garcia of La Tejana have made Ian Froeb’s Top 100 List again, dazzling Froeb and St. Louis with their tacos, goat soup and

The cabeza, goat, al pastor and lengua tacos at La Tejana.

Antonio and Brenda Garcia of La Tejana have made Ian Froeb’s Top 100 List again, dazzling Froeb and St. Louis with their tacos, goat soup and rajas con crema. Originally, the Garcias just owned La Tejana Tienda, the grocery store in White Hall Plaza. They had one table in the store, with Brenda’s mother cooking tacos in the back. They had never planned on opening a restaurant, but felt compelled to serve their community; by 2010, the Garcias had opened La Tejana, the restaurant.

Antonio and Brenda Garcia, co-owners of La Tejana.

Like many Mexican restaurants, La Tejana serves chips and salsa with three different types of salsas: mild, spicy and salsa verde. Its tacos showcase a wide variety of preparations, from the traditional lengua (beef tongue) tacos to the American favorite tacos al pastor, made with chicken, pineapple and red sauce. All the tacos come with a generous portion of tender meat in double-wrapped tortillas.

The rajas con crema is La Tejana’s spin on the popular Tex-Mex queso dip. Brenda admits to loving the Americanized version, but La Tejana's is a distinctly Mexican preparation, using ingredients like roasted poblano pepper, corn, onion and Mexican cheeses for an earthy flavor with a hint of sweetness.

From time to time, La Tejana will run specials inspired by their employees' family recipes, some of whom are originally from Central America. In the past, specials have included albondigas (a soup with meatballs), green mole and pozole soup.

Popular nonalcoholic drinks include agua frescas, bottled soda and horchata, which is often available as a drink special. La Tejana offers domestic Budweiser beer and imported beers like Modelo, Tecate and Corona. The Michelada is a popular cocktail that resembles a Bloody Mary, but is made with tomato juice, soy sauce, Worcestershire and lime with Tajín on the rim and floated beer on top.

Goat soup.

Antonio is most proud of two menu items: the mole and the goat soap. The goat soup has a strong umami flavor and a broth that sticks to the bones, warming the senses. It is garnished with rice, garbanzo beans, cilantro, lime juice and chopped white onion. Santa Martinez, one of the long-time cooks at La Tejana, is the key to the goat soup’s success. She knows how to prepare goat meat so the texture and flavor are perfect for the dish. “Santa is our family,” Brenda says. “There’s nothing we wouldn’t do for her and her family. She’s been with us through all the ups and downs.”

After being in business for 15 years, the Garcias have been able to build relationships with the community they serve. The people who have been coming to their restaurant for years have no trouble making themselves comfortable in the space. “We want people to feel at home here, and most of our customers do,” Antonio says. “They know they can reach in the cooler and grab a beer and some of them will even clean off a table if they want.”

Tacos al pastor.

The 1,800-square-foot space has 17 tables with 68 seats and is named after the state of Texas, Brenda's home state. Antontio is from Matamoros, México and has experience working as a cook, waiter and banquet manager in Dallas. His family also owns a restaurant in Texas, so food and hospitality is in their blood.

“This is a family restaurant, and we have seen our customers’ children grow up, have babies and now the babies are around here. They know us and see us as a part of their family. It’s not just a way to make money. It’s about making friendships,” Antonio says. They've also been lucky enough to watch their own children grow up and follow in their footsteps: Antonio and Brenda’s son Tyler Garcia owns recently opened Locoz Tacoz in Maplewood, which started as a pop-up at Amsterdam Tavern, and son Kyle Garcia assists with Kiener Plaza’s Taco Fest on Cinco de Mayo.

La Tejana, 3149 N. Lindbergh Blvd., Bridgeton, Missouri, 314-291-8500, latejanastl.com

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