Casa Molina Stands the Test of Time, Taste

Monday, 25 January 2010 21:11

The business opened its doors in 1947 when the late Gilbert Molina Sr., a rancher turned restaurateur, decided to build a restaurant for his sister, Maria Molina, who loved to cook traditional Sonoran food.

Today, Molina's daughter-in-law, Lupita Molina, and three of his grandchildren run the original family-owned restaurant, said Angie Molina Lord, Molina's granddaughter.

Gilbert Molina Jr., Lord's uncle, owns and manages the other two Casa Molina locations in Tucson with his family.

The Molina family has not only increased the number of Casa Molina restaurants in Tucson, but the original location has expanded in size since it first opened, Lord said.

"My grandfather, my father and my uncles kept adding on to the building over the years," Lord said. "In the 1950s and 1960s they added the bar and the adobe patio. We've expanded quite a bit, but the main dining area is still the original building."

The restaurant that once served only up to 16 customers at once with Maria Molina's traditional Sonoran recipes now comfortably accommodates more than 300 diners.

"When my grandfather opened in 1947 it was just him, my grandmother and Maria in the kitchen, and maybe a few other helpers," Lord said. "Now, we have a butcher, a main chef and at least 15 cooks who work in the kitchen."

The three-page menu still offers all of Maria's original recipes, Lord said, but they have added many dishes to the list.

"We are best known for our margaritas and the carne seca," Lord said. "People come from all over for the margaritas, which just have tequila, triple sec and lime juice, but people love them," she exclaimed.

After eating at the restaurant at least once a day for many years, Lord admitted to getting tired of the food but promises that they offer great food that keeps many long-time customers coming back for more.

"Customers come in who knew me from when I was a little girl," said Lord, who started working in the restaurant as a cashier at age 14. "I was born into this. I've never known anything different. I've always done this and we always knew we would take over because [my father] would say, 'When we're gone, it's yours.'"

Lord has watched the restaurant evolve and she has also witnessed many new Mexican restaurants open in Tucson, but she believes Casa Molina stands out.

"A lot of people think of [Casa Molina] as a landmark and we have a lot of regulars, a lot of families who have been coming consistently for years," Lord said. "The bull statue outside is also something people remember us for."

Though the official symbol of the restaurant is the sun, many of the decorations include paintings or statues of bulls. The restaurant also has custom-made furniture, hand painted cooking tools, light fixtures imported from Mexico and an elaborate stone fountain on the patio. The décor provides an authentic Mexican ambiance for the diners.

The extended Molina family owns a total of seven restaurants in Tucson, including the three Casa Molina locations, three El Molinito restaurants and La Casita de Molina. 

Written by Jackie Smith You are reading Casa Molina Stands the Test of Time, Taste articles