Today we’d like to introduce you to Jorge Levy.
<Jorge> While I was working at another Mexican restaurant two guests approached me and asked me if I wanted to go in with them on a new restaurant venture. It was just down the street and the building had previously been a famous Italian restaurant and it was very charming. There were needed updates and being young and full of confidence we thought that we could do it ourselves. Well, the task at hand proved to be more difficult than we had originally anticipated and besides the work itself, we were running short of money.
At the same time, we were thinking of restaurant names and because we were getting to be a little desperate, the name just came to us. The two partners were to take care of the office/front of the house and I was in charge of the kitchen. My mother was a great cook. She and I worked tirelessly to come up with the first menu. I can still remember the aroma of her kitchen and the sound of her voice as we worked together.
I remember wanting to do something different, something that the people of Dallas had never experienced before. I think we did just that. Pushing the edge has been a driving force at Desperados. We were one of the first to ever serve ceviche and when my fellow restaurateurs heard that I was going to use fresh lime juice in my margaritas they thought I was “loco.” These are just a couple of examples of us pushing the status quo. Others would include chimichurri sauce on our menu and frying of flour tortillas for our world-famous Desperados Tacos.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
<Jorge> The business started off with a bang and we were swamped from the day we opened. That in itself is a blessing and a curse. Opening a restaurant requires so many moving parts I remember it was crazy right at the beginning. But as business sometimes does, it has had its ups and downs. When my partners decided to get out of the restaurant.
I remember that was a tough time. I was still so young and still new to this country with little book smarts but I always had the drive. I can remember a time when things were not going so well and the sales were really down. I had to get all of our employees together while passing out their paychecks on a Friday afternoon and tell them that they could not do anything with their checks until Monday when we were able to put the weekend’s money in the bank.
And everyone understood and waited till Monday. Needless to say, we have seen the best of times and the not so best of times in our history. And don’t even get me started on working with family. My sons are different and the challenge nowadays is getting everyone to agree. That is a challenge for sure. But I wouldn’t change that for the world.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
<Jake> Desperados is a proud family-owned and operated restaurant celebrating its 43rd anniversary. Most of the recipes are my still grandmothers and that makes me very proud. We are very traditional but we also like to play a bit with tradition. My brother and I are there almost every day and still run shifts to maintain the standards that our Dad has set for Desperados. Jorge, although no longer running shifts, is still there at one of the two stores almost every day as well just to make sure that Michael and I are on our toes.
We are known for our five-time award-winning La Margarita. This delicious elixir is made with Sauza Conmemorativo, Cointreau, fresh lime juice and a little something special. Our Desperados Tacos are world-famous (maybe not quite world) and are the most ordered entree since the beginning. These tacos are not the most authentic item on our menu but they are our namesake and oh so tasty. Flash fried flour tortillas lined with white cheese, beef or chicken fajita meat, fresh pico and a sliver of avocado make up these signature tacos.
<Michael> What I am most proud of is our love of family. I love working with my family although it can be a bit challenging at times. Celebrating the victories and successes of our business alongside my Dad and Brother is a great joy and I am very proud to have that opportunity. And our extended family (our employees) and how we experience life’s journey with them is another aspect that makes me proud. Our original chef Enrique is still with us and he works with me here at DOS and at UNO there are a few people that have been with us for 30+ years. And while both locations have that normal restaurant turnover there are quite a few that have been with us for five to ten years plus. I think that says a lot about what we are all about.
<Jake> Our Dad has always given back to the community and he has instilled that in us. For over 10 years in the 70’s and 80’s Jorge put on a Cinco de Mayo festival and raised money for local charities. We have been involved with the Dallas St. Patrick Parade on Greenville Ave. since it moved to upper Greenville in 1985. Jorge and I sit on the board and in 2009 we began a scholarship fund to help local high school kids further their education. We put on an annual golf tournament and raise money to help the police department. And as of late we have put on a culinary event named Savor Mexico where we highlight a different region of Mexico and we bring a celebrity chef from that region to serve traditional cuisine in a spirited evening all funding more scholarships. Giving back will always be a part of our business.
<Michael> We have also been involved in some really great events in our history. For 13 years we had a booth at the Great State Fair of Texas. We participated in their Big Tex Choice Awards a number of times and won in 2007 with the Deep Fried Latte. We were selected to represent our city when Superbowl XLV came to Dallas and we catered the VIP party. We even took our Desperados Tacos to the Coconut Grove Arts Festival in FLA. We have catered for the Texas Rangers and the Dallas Cowboys for years and we are a long-time Dallas Mavericks favorite. And we got the highest honor of catering to the Mavs when they won the championship. That was an awesome day.
What were you like growing up?
<Jorge> We were very poor when I was growing up in Mexico. My father passed when I was very young so my mother would make and repair clothes for people to earn money and I remember selling candy and gum to try to help her. When I was 16 we headed north to the United States in search of a better life. There were five of us including myself, my sister, two brothers, and my mom. I remember I wanted to be a drummer but real work was needed and I began my restaurant career at El Chico in Lakewood.
<Jake> Michael and I were just regular kids growing up in Dallas. We played lots of sports and wanted no part of the restaurant business.
Contact Info:
- Address: UNO – 4818 Greenville Ave Dallas Texas 75206
DOS – 3443 W. Campbell Rd Garland Texas 75044 - Website: www.DesperadosRestaurant.com
- Phone: UNO – 214.363.1850 DOS – 972.530.8886
- Email: desperadouno@sbcglobal.net
- Instagram: @DesperadosTacos
- Facebook: /DesperadosTacos
- Twitter: @DesperadosTacos
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