El Guapo’s makes way for el papá

[Skipper]

After 12 years in business, downtown Denton staple El Guapo’s is now closed.

Monday was owner Michael Zampino’s last day, coordinated with his son’s birthday. Zampino’s gift to his son, the oldest of four siblings, was closing the restaurant.

“He’s 16 and hasn’t seen much of me,” he said Monday afternoon. “They are all young — the youngest is 2 years old — and it’s more important to be a father than to run a restaurant.”

Zampino told his 35 employees Monday afternoon, some who had been with the restaurant since it opened in 2004. Before he finds a new job for himself with better hours, his first priority is getting all of his employees working at other restaurants in the Denton area as soon as possible.

Before he opened El Guapo’s at 419 S. Elm St., Zampino operated Tia’s Tex-Mex at Lillian Miller Parkway and Interstate 35E for nine years. When the business’s managing partners left the company, he decided to start his own restaurant.

Since then, it has served as a focal point in the community, hosting fundraisers, meetings and celebrities. Customers have included Gov. Greg Abbott, former Gov. Rick Perry, country singer Blake Shelton and Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush.

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[Hunter Green]

NOOOOOOO!!!  Damn it!

[Ryan Munthe]

Wow, this is a bit unexpected. I always loved El Guapo, it was like some Houston style Tex Mex in Denton. Man, everything is closing up there. Ugh.

[southsideguy]

had dinner there Saturday night-said hello to the owner.  Sad that is closing.

[jtm0097]

This place was great.  They had a big ass burrito, $1 Tecates, and delicious queso.

[golfingomez]

they had good portions, the food was meh...

definitely felt like a staple. sad for the people losing their jobs

[oldguystudent]

I'm gonna stand alone in opining that I found the food huge, incredibly salty, and without much merit beyond instant food coma inducing.  But Tex-Mex has never been my thing.  People who worked there seemed nice enough. 

[MeanGreenTexan]

I put El Guapo's with Taco Bueno and such.   Cheap Tex-Mex.   We went there when we were hungry.
I believe El Guapo's was a sponsor of Mean Green football at some point.

[Eagle-96]

6 hours ago, Ryan Munthe said:

Wow, this is a bit unexpected. I always loved El Guapo, it was like some Houston style Tex Mex in Denton. Man, everything is closing up there. Ugh.

Serious question alert:

I'm not really sure what Houston Style Tex-Mex is. Can you enlighten me please.

[Ryan Munthe]

13 minutes ago, Eagle-96 said:

Serious question alert:

I'm not really sure what Houston Style Tex-Mex is. Can you enlighten me please.

Big huge fajita plates with flour tortillas, big margaritas, chintzy/awful Mexican decorations, etc.

It all started with Mama Ninfa's on Navigation (where fajitas were popularized).

The way fajitas are served at Tex mex spots stems back to Ninfa's on Navigation.

Edited July 26, 2016 by Ryan Munthe

[UNT 90 Grad]

11 minutes ago, Eagle-96 said:

Serious question alert:

I'm not really sure what Houston Style Tex-Mex is. Can you enlighten me please.

It's Mexican food that is genuinely on the right path to being top quality Mexican food, but unfortunately it thinks it's even better Mexican food than it actually is.  Oh, and it likes to go on message boards for other restaurants and brag about how great it thinks it is.

[Eagle-96]

5 minutes ago, Ryan Munthe said:

Big huge fajita plates with flour tortillas, big margaritas, chintzy/awful Mexican decorations, etc.

It all started with Mama Ninfa's on Navigation (where fajitas were popularized)

Thanks. Is that related to Ninfas? Are there any Houston chains in DFW that would be comparable to Houston style?

 

BTW: I think we are spoiled living in Texas when it comes to Mexican/ Tex-Mex food as what we consider meh, people from other parts of our fair land come in and think its the best they've ever had.

Edited July 26, 2016 by Eagle-96

[Ryan Munthe]

1 hour ago, Eagle-96 said:

Thanks. Is that related to Ninfas? Are there any Houston chains in DFW that would be comparable to Houston style?

 

BTW: I think we are spoiled living in Texas when it comes to Mexican/ Tex-Mex food as what we consider meh, people from other parts of our fair land come in and think its the best they've ever had.

No, the Ninfa's chain isn't part of Ninfa's anymore. It used to be, though, they sold it years ago. If you ever are in Houston, El Tiempo is owned by the original Ninfa's family. 

There's a ton of good Tex-Mex in DFW, though. Denton is kinda lacking, but it makes up for the incredible Mexican spots around.

1 hour ago, UNT 90 Grad said:

It's Mexican food that is genuinely on the right path to being top quality Mexican food, but unfortunately it thinks it's even better Mexican food than it actually is.  Oh, and it likes to go on message boards for other restaurants and brag about how great it thinks it is.

Not bragging at all, I'm just saying El Guapo was a pretty decent Tex-Mex restaurant considering it's really the only Denton one. Denton has incredible Mexican food though.

[MeanGreenMailbox aka TFLF]

El Matador.  Been there since I was a student, years and years ago,my friend!  Eat it...eat it, now!

[Ryan Munthe]

Just now, MeanGreenMailbox said:

El Matador.  Been there since I was a student, years and years ago,my friend!  Eat it...eat it, now!

The one by Kroger? Oh man I always forget about that place, amazing Tex-Mex.

[UNTcrazy727]

I was never impressed with El Guapos though it's prices were cheap. I don't think I ever went there after Chuy's opened. 

[Christopher Walker]

2 hours ago, golfingomez said:

they had good portions, the food was meh...

definitely felt like a staple. sad for the people losing their jobs

The article noted that Mike is presently focused on getting all of his employees new positions around town. Let's hope he keeps to that.

[EagleMBA]

[Aldo]

Appreciate them being MG sponsors, and it was a fun environment, but there were better options around town. Glad he will get to spend more time with his family.

Always sucks when a Denton business shuts it down.

[Harry]

[golfingomez]

from back in my day, give me 'La Milpa' or 'Mi Casita', both are solid entries... 

that place right before you go under the train tracks on Dallas used to make some good breakfast tacos too

[TreeFiddy]

[Cerebus]

Always found them to be pretty bland, then again plenty of people like thier tex-mex bland, based on how many bland texmex places I have run into the over the years.

Best place in town in La Sabrocita.  I have said that so many times at this point I should ask them for a sponsorship deal.  

[Green P1]

Worst restaurant in town.  People say it's gone down hill recently?? I can only imagine since there were already crickets in the food 8 years ago.  Great location for a new place tho. 

[Aldo]

13 minutes ago, Green P1 said:

Great location for a new place tho. 

UNT Welcome Center??