The Mexican restaurant opened in the historic downtown district on Halloween in 2019 with aspirations of serving both authentic Mexican cuisine and American mainstay dishes. Art from the family of owner Oscar “Lalo” Zamora adorns the inside of the decades-old building that can seat 300 and includes an upstairs mezzanine.
Jeudy, who is in charge of all operations and maintaining the restaurant, said El Mejor specializes in a wide range of delicacies.
“It’s like a little bit of Tex-Mex, a little bit of Aztec, and we even have cheeseburgers and a chicken sandwich,” Jeudy said.
He said customer favorites include chile relleno—otherwise known as stuffed poblano peppers—empanadas and handmade tamales, especially around the holidays. In addition, guests now have a six-page food menu and a four-page drink menu.
Jeudy, a North Texan himself, said the rich history and constant activity of downtown McKinney has kept El Mejor busy, even as the restaurant had to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time the restaurant expanded its delivery efforts.
“It didn’t matter where they called from,” Jeudy said. “We delivered.”
Now, as more in-person events have returned to the city, Jeudy said he only expects demand to grow as shoppers find their way into El Mejor.
“McKinney is its own community, especially the historical downtown community,” he said. “Whenever the town does something, it really jumps up business.”
El Mejor Mexican Kitchen + Cantina
119 W. Virginia St., Ste. 100, McKinney
214-548-4258
www.elmejormckinney.com
Hours: Mon.-Thu. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.,
Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
