New restaurant offers authentic Mexican food

Las Alteñitas Mexican Restaurant has opened its doors to share authentic dishes from south of the border with Wichita Falls.

You’ll find favorites like tacos, enchiladas, fajitas and flautas served with genuine Mexican flair. You can also have huaraches, oxtail, fruity aguas frescas drinks and more.

The food is cooked mainly by Maria Casillas, owner of the restaurant at 3004 Spur 325 near Sheppard Air Force Base. Las Alteñitas is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily except Wednesday.

Some of its dishes will be deliciously familiar to those who have frequented another Casillas’ enterprise, Taqueria Los Cuates food truck, which is open daily except Tuesday at 1105 Broad Street.

“Since we have moved here, everybody would be like, you should open up a restaurant,” said Irene Casillas, Maria’s daughter who works at Carneceria Los Cuates, the meat market where the food truck parks.

The Casillas family moved to Wichita Falls from Fort Worth.

Las Alteñitas manager Barbara Casillas said her mom Maria’s dream has always been to have a restaurant.

One day Maria saw the for-rent sign in front of a former Korean barbecue eatery.

“We used to come and eat here, and my mom would say, ‘If only they could give me that spot,’ ” Barbara said, gesturing toward seating in a side room of the restaurant.

Seeing possibilities within reach, Maria asked Barbara, “Do you want to do this with me? Don’t let me down.”

Barbara said yes, and they set about the hard work of remodeling the building with bright colors.

Las Alteñitas opened April 6. The Casillas family is hoping for feedback so they can perfect their dishes and give their customers just what they want.

Barbara enthusiastically described her favorite, oxtail.

“Once you bite it, it falls off that bone, and it is just spicy with some meat in it,” she said.

It comes with green sauce made from tomatillos and serrano chili peppers and is served on a big plate.

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Huaraches is a popular dish on the menu, featuring a thick tortilla dipped in sauce. It’s deep fried and covered with beef, lettuce, tomato and cheese.

Daughters Barbara and Irene interpreted their mom’s Spanish as she expressed her feelings about being in the food business.

Maria said she “is grateful for all the people that follow her everywhere she goes, the restaurant and the food truck . . . every single one of them.”

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Trish Choate, enterprise watchdog reporter for the Times Record News, covers education, courts, breaking news, politics and more. Contact Trish with news tips at [email protected]. Her Twitter handle is @Trishapedia.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Authentic Mexican food restaurant Las Alteñitas opens near Sheppard