EL Tio Nachos II open in Worthington

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WORTHINGTON — What do you get when you take one donkey statue, homemade tortilla chips and a Mexican entrepreneur who duplicated his business north of the (Iowa) border?

El Tio Nachos II.

Restauranteur Ignacio Romero opened his first Mexican Restaurant, El Tio Nachos, in Sibley, Iowa, nearly six years ago. In September, he brought his south of the border taste farther north, opening a second Tio Nachos on East Avenue in the former A&W building.

“People liked it over in Sibley, and I hope they like it here,” he said. “Right now (business) is kind of slow, but we pick them up little by little,” he said.

The décor in his new restaurant is simple. Statues of a donkey and a sombrero-wearing man greet customers. A few maroon sombreros and small colorful blankets called zarapes adorn the wall, along with some spray-painted scenes from a previous tenant.

It’s a familiar sight to some. Many of Romero’s regulars at the Sibley location actually live in Worthington.

One such customer is Worthington resident Mike Burns. He began eating at the Sibley location during his travels as a member of the Southwest Minnesota Street Rodders Club. Now he’s happy to enjoy his favorite — beef burritos — close to home.

“I like the beef, it has good flavor,” he said after a meal with his wife and daughter Thursday. “It’s a good full hot meal. And the chips and salsa. The mild salsa,” he added with a laugh.

Romero said many customers are concerned the food may be spicy, but the food isn’t cooked picante — unless requested.

El Tio Nachos II offers many of the same favorites as its predecessor, Mexican soft drinks and beers, flan (a custard dessert), and several dishes and dinner combinations. Romero said Mexican restaurants in Worthington are not all the same.

“They do it different than the way we do. It can be Mexican, but we don’t cook the same. Some places they have only tacos, but here we have enchiladas, burritos, Chili Colorado. We marinate the chicken and beef in our fajitas,” he said, adding the Camarones Rancheros (sautéed shrimp), chimichangas and Enchiladas California are customer favorites, along with the homemade tortilla chips.

To help with the task of running two businesses in two states, Romero looks to his wife, Adelina, who runs the Sibley restaurant and his cook at the Worthington location, Cesar Fuentes.

“It’s a lot of work. I’ve got to be here sometimes, I’ve got to be there sometimes,” Romero said. He lives in Sibley and begins each morning by ordering food and beverages for both restaurants before making the trip to Worthington.

For Romero, the expansion of his business has been a lifetime in the making. Growing up in the state of Jalisco, Mexico, he learned to cook by watching his mother. He later worked at a Mexican restaurant in California before moving to Iowa.

“I worked for somebody else for nine years, and then I decided to start my own restaurant because I can cook,” he said simply.

El Tio Nachos II is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and again from 5 to 8 p.m.

Tags: news, business, worthington, eltionachosii, mexican, restaurant, ignacioromero, ignacio, romero