The Mijares roadside sign.
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| Industry | Mexican food restaurant |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1920 |
| Founder | Jesucita Mijares |
| Headquarters | 145 Palmetto Dr., California, U.S. |
| Owner | Mijares Family descendants |
| Website | www.mijaresrestaurant.com |
Mijares Mexican Restaurant is Pasadena, California's oldest Mexican food restaurant. Located at 145 Palmetto Dr., it was founded in 1920.
History
Jesucita Mijares moved to the United States in the early 1900s, taking in and feeding boarders at her home, which started her "Mexicatessen," Mijares Restaurant;[1] she founded the small tortilla and tamale factory in a complex of four houses on Palmetto Drive in 1920.[2][3] The largest house served as a restaurant, though it burned in a fire in 1979.[3] However, one of the other houses became the new restaurant's current banquet room.[3] Jesucita died in 1988, but the restaurant stayed in the family; as of 2022, six Mijares family members run the restaurant, including Jesucita's daughter, Alice Mijares Recendez, born in 1932. It seats 600 people and retains 40 employees.[2]
Awards and honors
In 2020, the Pasadena Mexican American History Association honored Mijares with a centennial plaque.[1]
Gallery
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Chicken taco plate at Mijares. -
The bar at Mijares. -
Patio at Mijares. -
Centennial plaque at Mijares.
External links
References
- ^ a b "Local Mexican-American History Group Honors Longtime Historian, Local Family Restaurant – Pasadena Now". pasadenanow.com. Retrieved July 28, 2025.
- ^ a b "Mijares Mexican Restaurant, Thriving Through 102 Years, Celebrates Anniversary Thursday With "A Night in Tequila"". Pasadena Now. Retrieved July 28, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Mijares Mexican Restaurant in Pasadena celebrates 103 years in business". ABC7 Los Angeles. September 17, 2023. Retrieved July 28, 2025.