Name of business: Don Tito’s Bar and Grill

Type of business: Restaurant

Specialty: Mexican food

Location: 4701 Main Street, Denair

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday

History of business:

After over a decade of being vacant, the iconic building that housed the Delta National Bank and Earl’s BBQ  on the corner of Main Street and San Joaquin Avenue in Denair is once again full of life with the opening of a brand new Mexican restaurant, Don Tito’s Bar and Grill.

The restaurant officially opened their doors on June 11, nearly nine months after the lease was taken over by founder and owner Cesar Rodriguez of Turlock. 

Rodriguez may be a familiar name to many in the region thanks to the massive success of his food trucks that have operated under Tito’s Tacos & Grill since 2018. And while he loves the food truck and catering business and will continue to operate them, his dream has always been to have his own physical location.

“This has always been the ultimate goal,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve worked in the restaurant industry for 20 years, I’ve loved making food and being able to interact with people and make new friends. I’ve experienced the food trucks for a few years now, and I always thought that the next step would be a brick and mortar, a full restaurant, and now here we are.”

The name “Don Tito’s” is a tribute to his relationship to his father, Alfredo, who Rodriguez described as a lover of food, cooking and all things spicy.

“That’s why I incorporated the jalapeno in the logo. He loves making salsas, grows a lot of peppers, and just loves making people’s mouths burn,” Rodriguez joked. “And the ‘Don’ part just comes from me giving him a hard time by calling myself Don Tito’s. It’s all fun and giggles, but also ties back into my family who have supported me on this journey and helped put this together. I do it for them.”

In the nine months between acquiring the keys to the building and their grand opening last month, Rodriguez and his family completely transformed the interior space while maintaining the well-known exterior look. 

Inside, there are dozens of seats and tables surrounded by newly painted black and white walls complemented with wooden accents. On the walls are countless televisions bordered with vintage signage and pieces of farm equipment. On each side of the restaurant are bar areas — a beverage bar and a chip and salsa bar. Rodriguez explained that his goal for the restaurant is for it to be a place that has a little bit of everything for everyone, while prioritizing a family-friendly environment.

As for the food, Rodriguez is happy with how the reception has been in the short weeks he’s had the restaurant open for business. They offer appetizers like taquitos, nachos, loaded fries , multias and more. There are various types of tacos, burritos, fajitas, flautas, quesadillas and seafood dishes, as well. Meats available include asada (beef), al pastor (pork), chicken, tripa (intestines), lengua (tongue) and shrimp. On weekends, they serve up menudo. At the bar, Don Tito’s has a wide selection of domestic and international drinks on tap and in bottles, as well as cocktails.

Rodrguez explained that their menu will slowly expand and incorporate new meals and drinks as time goes by.

“To be honest, we needed to keep it simple to start out,” he said. “We’re all adjusting to running a restaurant for the first time, and we needed to set that foundation of just our main courses. But like I said, from what we’ve seen, people seem to like it and are excited for what’s to come.”

One thing that Rodriguez and staff are excited for is the beginning of football season. The restaurant is currently open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Come NFL and NCAA kickoff, weekend hours will expand to 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. To accommodate the crowds expected to file in early for the morning slate of games, Don Tito’s will have breakfast options available, including breakfast burritos, chorizo and eggs, ham and eggs and omelets.

Rodriguez encouraged anybody who happens to stop by to offer any suggestions as to what other dishes and drinks they’d like to see. He is also looking forward to helping community organization fundraise in the near future.

“Being from Turlock and having this operation just down the street in Denair, a nice building in a downtown with a lot of potential, it’s very exciting,” Rodriguez said. “I’m looking forward to meeting new people, serving our customers and helping grow this community.”

Don Tito’s can be found on social media at @DonTitosBarAndGrill on Instagram.