de Mole has been a fixture of Sunnyside’s dining scene for over 20 years.
Photo credit: Jessica Militello
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De Mole has been a pillar in the Sunnyside dining scene for over 20 years, serving authentic Mexican recipes handed down through the family for generations, like their mole poblano, the signature dish, which the restaurant is named after, made with a three-generation-old family recipe, to their chicken enchiladas with green sauce.
Even the name of the restaurant, located at 45-02 48th Ave., is steeped in tradition, from its logo, inspired by Ramiro Mendez’ grandfather’s branding iron once used to mark cows, which rests along a wall on the restaurant to the name, that pays homage to Mexican traditions and Puebla’s iconic mole sauce, the town he hails from.
chicken enchiladas in the restaurant’s iconic mole sauce. Photo credit: de Mole
“There is a little piece of metal on the wall in the restaurant, and it’s the branding iron of my grandfather that he used to mark the cows,” said Mendez. “It has a little M, and so I was trying to think of a name that starts with an “m” and mole came up. I’m from Puebla originally, and mole is a big sauce which originates there, so that’s how the name came up.”
In 21 years, de Mole has grown from a small room to an expansive space in Sunnyside, before spreading to additional locations in Astoria and Brooklyn. The restaurant began with Mendez’s desire to offer delicious, authentic Mexican cuisine to the area, which felt lacking at the time, and has since attracted visitors from all over the world who come to experience dishes like tinga de Puebla and tampiquena, a savory skirt steak served with rice, beans, and tortillas dipped in mole sauce. Over the years, there have certainly been standout dishes that have captured customers’ hearts who, in some cases, have traveled from as far as Japan and France. Almost every dish tells a story, from their velvety, rich mole sauce, which takes five days to make, to their chicken enchiladas with green sauce, passed down from his wife’s family. Another popular dish, the tinga de Puebla, is prepared with brisket, offering an even more tender and flavorful version of the dish, typically made with chicken.
Tampiquena de mole, served with rice and beans. Photo credit: de Mole
“The braised chicken leg with mole is very popular, as well as our chicken enchiladas with green sauce,” said Mendez. “The green sauce is my wife’s recipe, and it comes from her grandmother’s recipe.”
Mendez was born in Puebla, Mexico, before moving to the U.S., where he began working in restaurants in Manhattan, getting a feel for the hospitality industry. He started at China Grill in Midtown, then at The Park in the Meatpacking District, where he handled the intense pressure of a massive, trendy opening, and then at El Tepayac, where he worked for 10 years. As he moved from sous chef to head chef and gained extensive experience handling high-volume kitchens, he knew it was time to expand to his own space. Inspired by the menu of El Tepayac, he sought to bring the same delicious flavors to Queens when he first opened de Mole in 2005 with his wife, Mireya Mendez. When he first opened, he also worked at Chino’s in Manhattan. As his own restaurant grew busier, he took it on full-time. He is also a business partner at the restaurant with Chef Jose Luis Flores, his brother-in-law, who also runs de Mole in Brooklyn and owns the popular Sunnyside bakery, Masa Madre.
The restaurant’s exterior is ornate with decor and flowers. Photo credit: Jessica Militello
The restaurant’s iconic mole sauce, used at all three locations, is prepared by Mendez and has been for the past 21 years, as only he has the recipe for the paste. The sauce’s rich flavor is the result of a meticulous process that takes over two hours in the kitchen, including continuously watching over and stirring the pot, a process that can be arduous in the hotter months. In light of this, Mendez aims to make at least 8 batches a week and freeze them to last through the hottest months at all locations, a process that offers just a glimpse of the restaurant’s level of care and detail in its cuisine. To keep flavors authentic, he imports ingredients like fresh tomatoes and peppers, which enhance the recipe’s authenticity.
“I’m the only one who makes the paste,” said Mendez. “Nobody else knows how to do it. And I’ve been doing the same paste for 21 years. It takes me two hours, just stirring, stirring-that’s how the taste comes out.”
The restaurant’s guacamole with tortilla chips. Photo credit: de Mole
With warmer weather finally among us, the restaurant will have outdoor seating open beginning in April and well into warm summer nights, perfect for enjoying ice-cold sangria and delicious dishes from chilaquiles for breakfast to pan-seared salmon for dinner. While the restaurant is bound to have plenty of happy hour and weekly specials, one of their next major events won’t be until the Fall, with Taste of Sunnyside, an event Mendez first pitched, inspired by Taste of Tribeca, which has since expanded to include over 60 local restaurants and cafes.
Whether you’re looking for a restaurant to celebrate a special occasion or simply enjoy a great meal, de Mole is definitely a place you want to add to your list of spaces to visit for delicious flavors and authentic dishes.
To learn more about de Mole or view their menu, visit their website. Follow them at @demole_sunnyside for more updates.