El Cholo, a Mexican restaurant chain, is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2023. The first El Cholo restaurant was established in 1923 by Alejandro and Rosa Borquez, who opened the Sonora Café in Downtown LA. The restaurant was named after their home state of Sonora, Mexico, and it served early California plates that included the green corn tamales that remain a highlight of the restaurant to this day.
The Sonora Café was a favorite among local workers, and it was visited by a guest who doodled the figure of a man on the menu while waiting for dinner. The man captioned the doodle “El Cholo,” which was the name given to field hands of the Spanish settlers in California at the time. Alejandro was so drawn to the man’s artwork that he decided to rename his restaurant to El Cholo. This was in 1927 and the restaurant quickly expanded to a bungalow located in 11th Street and Western Avenue. This was the start of El Cholo’s success in Los Angeles. Ron Salisbury, the 90-year-old grandson of the founders, has been in the family business for 68 years, and it has grown to six El Cholos and two fine dining restaurants in Newport Beach and The Cannery. This summer, they will be opening a seventh El Cholo in Salt Lake City, Utah, where Salisbury spends his winters skiing. He fondly remembers his past experiences in the business, such as washing dishes and making coffee. He even made his own children make green corn tamales during the summer as a rite of passage.
El Cholo has been visited by many celebrities over the years, including actress Michelle Phillips, who sent the restaurant a thank-you letter with her own story. In the 60s, Phillips was driving on a date with Jack Nicholson, who asked her if she liked Mexican food. She replied that she didn’t know what it was, and Nicholson said he would take her to the best Mexican restaurant there is, which turned out to be El Cholo.
The oldest El Cholo restaurant, located at the intersection of Western Avenue and 11th Street, was renamed Alejandro and Rosa Borquez Square on March 30 by the City of Los Angeles, in honor of the original founders. Salisbury says that when they named the street corner, it was really a time for him to go back and contemplate. He thought of his grandparents, who were just humble people trying to create a living and chasing the American dream. He says that he can’t imagine what they would think if they knew the city of LA put up a plaque remembering them.
The restaurant El Cholo is particularly renowned for its enchiladas, yet Salisbury has been offering green corn tamales on the menu for a century. He says that the tamales are made from corn that used to have worms in it, and farmers would cut that part off and throw it away. But in those days, people didn’t waste anything, so they would make tamales out of it. El Cholo’s tamales are made using a machine that they tracked down in China and go through 30 cases of corn a week, mainly from Central America, which contain 48 fresh cobs that they end up shucking from May to October.
The majority of the menu has stayed the same for years, and this was done intentionally. There are sometimes unique dishes like the spicy camarones diablo and other minor modifications, like adding some spice to the chili sauce, but these changes are not made to follow the current trends. The most beloved dish is still the number one combo plate (consisting of a cheese enchilada, signature crispy rolled beef taco, Spanish rice, and refried beans). As part of the 100th anniversary festivities, El Cholo is offering a special promotion – anyone who is at least 100 years old will be able to enjoy free meals in 2023. There is also a special $100 Margarita, which is served in a hand-blown, collectible glass. For those who want a free order of nachos, they can request to sit at the worst table in the house at the Western Avenue location, known as the El Cholo Famous Nacho Table.
Salisbury, who still regularly zips from his home in Newport Beach to the various El Cholo locations in his frisky little electric Porsche sports car, has no plans to retire. He recently lost a good friend and contemporary, Richard Riordan, former mayor of Los Angeles. Despite the difficult circumstances the restaurant industry is currently facing, he carries on.
Salisbury says that this is the best age of all the different decades, because at this point, he can sit back and not worry if he’s making enough money. He reflects on how everything worked out and the lessons learned. He thinks about the people who have impacted his life and the experiences that molded him. He has nothing left to prove and wants to enjoy what he has.
As he looks back at what got them here and what the trip was like, he can’t believe how good it turned out. Not in his wildest dreams did he think it would turn out this good. The celebration of El Cholo’s 100th anniversary is a testament to the hard work and dedication of his family and staff over the years.
