TEX MEX HAPPY

Escondido brings a resort feel to our neighborhood’s newest Tex-Mex joint

Story by ALYSSA HIGH |

THERE’S NOTHING MORE TEXAN THAN A SKILLET FILLED with sizzling beef, colorful peppers, cheese, fresh tortillas and a variety of toppings. The sizzle of a fajita is our culinary version of white noise.

At least, that’s what Jon Alexis, the owner of Escondido, says.

Otomi embroidery with chickens and donkeys fills frames on the walls, and the farm animal motif continues in the coasters and napkins. The chandeliers are metal cactuses, and the bright whites and intricate tiling resemble a Mexican resort. The Preston Royal restaurant is a bit like a Cabo swim-up bar, Alexis says.

He discovered Tex-Mex when he moved to Texas from Virginia in 1989.

“When we first came here, eating in Tex-Mex restaurants was like being on vacation,” Alexis says. “It was this amazing cuisine. I had never experienced anything like it.”

Restaurant veteran Alexis and his wife Natalie are no strangers to the area. The pair owns TJ’s Seafood across the street, which Alexis bought from his parents in 2009. When the 2019 tornado closed Cantina Laredo across the street, Alexis saw it as an opportunity to venture into the Tex-Mex world.

“I love Tex-Mex. It’s really happy,” Alexis says. “Having a frozen margarita and some chips and salsa makes life better.”