During Hispanic Heritage Month, it would be easy to talk about the influence of Hispanics on the Dallas-Fort Worth food scene in terms of tacos, fajitas and mom-and-pop restaurants.
But in recent years, chefs, restaurateurs, bakers, cooks and entrepreneurs from different countries have contributed to the growth of the region’s Latin culinary scene, even if they aren’t Hispanic.
Some have kept family recipes alive, others have brought local ingredients or traditions to high-end restaurants and still others have launched hospitality businesses. All have shown North Texas that Latin American cuisine can be different from what people are used to.
This list brings together some of these figures and aims to explore the Hispanic influence on the D-FW food scene. It is organized alphabetically.
Maria Argumedo and Tim Halls, Burnt BBQ & Tacos
Maria Argumedo built a bridge between two cultures that are increasingly coexisting in D-FW: barbecue and Venezuelan cuisine. Together with her husband, Tim Halls, she opened Burnt BBQ & Tacos in 2021, which combines traditional Texas barbecue with arepas, cachapas and other Venezuelan dishes.
In this 2004 file photo, Dunia Borga (left) and Taco Borga had opened La Duni Latin Cafe on McKinney Avenue in Dallas about three years prior. The restaurant closed in 2023. (EVANS CAGLAGE/156611)
Dunia and Espartaco Borga, La Duni
Dunia Borga is one of the pioneers of elevated Latin American cuisine in Dallas. Originally from Colombia, she opened La Duni in 2001 alongside her husband, Espartaco “Taco” Borga. The restaurant gained immediate popularity and was recognized nationally for its innovation in giving regional Latin American cuisine a place in the D-FW food scene. And she didn’t do it just through the dishes at her restaurant, but also through the bakery, which continues to be popular for its pastries and wedding cakes. The restaurant in Dallas closed in 2023, but the bakery in Irving still operates.
Owners Rogelio Cortez Sr, Patricia Cortez and Rogelio Cortez Jr., from left to right, of Birrieria y Taqueria Cortez restaurant in Fort Worth. (Steve Nurenberg / Special contributor)
Cortez Family, Birrieria y Taqueria Cortez
The Cortez family embodies one of the clearest examples of the rise of Mexican cuisine in the D-FW area. Rogelio Cortez Jr. took the initiative to start selling menudo and birria from his home, cooked by his mother, Patricia Cortez, and later from a food truck before opening the restaurant Birrieria y Taqueria Cortez with his family in Fort Worth. Their success was cemented in 2024, when they received a recommendation from the Michelin Guide, which they retained in 2025. The Cortez family’s new venture is Mariscos Cortez, a seafood restaurant that incorporates other family recipes.
Gloria and José Fuentes, Gloria’s Latin Cuisine
Gloria Fuentes and her husband, José Fuentes, founded Gloria’s Latin Cuisine in Oak Cliff in 1986 after arriving in Texas from El Salvador. What began as a small family restaurant grew into a company with 23 locations across Texas. The Fuentes helped bridge the gap between Salvadoran and Tex-Mex cuisines, a move that was innovative in the 1980s.
Miriam Jimenez is the namesake for Miriam Cocina Latina, a Latin American restaurant. (Allison David)
Miriam Jiménez, Miriam Cocina Latina
Miriam Jiménez opened Miriam Cocina Latina in 2019, in partnership with Shannon Wynne. Jiménez is originally from the Dominican Republic, but her restaurant focuses primarily on Mexican cuisine with dishes that feature a twist, making them more modern and diverse, though she also serves Dominican dishes. Jiménez’s journey began as a waitress in Dallas, and she held various kitchen positions before opening her restaurant.
Cristina Lara, El Carlos Elegante
Leading the culinary team at El Carlos Elegante, Cristina Lara has helped highlight the regional diversity of Mexican cuisine in Dallas with a menu that incorporates the cooking knowledge of the staff themselves, ensuring an authentic experience at one of Dallas’ top high-end Mexican restaurants. Her leadership in processes such as the nixtamalization of corn and traditional cooking techniques helps preserve Mexico’s authentic culinary heritage in the D-FW area.
Chef Olivia Lopez of Molino Oloyo (left) harvests various types of vegetables with her partner Jonathan Percival at Pequeño Farms, in Dallas. (Elías Valverde II/Staff Photographer)
Olivia López and Jonathan Percival, Oloyo
Olivia López represents a new generation of Mexican chefs who are changing the way Mexican food is understood in Dallas. Her restaurant, Oloyo, which she opened in East Dallas alongside Jonathan Percival, her partner in business and in life, focuses on seasonal Mexican cuisine where corn, masa and local produce take center stage. López and Percival were semifinalists for the James Beard Awards in 2023.
Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman in her home kitchen in 2025. (Angela Piazza/Staff Photographer)
Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman, Eledi and Oh Hi! Hospitality
Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman has established herself as one of Dallas’ most renowned chefs with Mexican roots. Her career includes stints at some of the city’s leading restaurants, and she has been a semifinalist for the James Beard Awards three times. Her creations honor Mexico’s culinary heritage using haute cuisine techniques. She now focuses her efforts on her own businesses: Eledi, a culinary venture, and Oh Hi! Hospitality, a consulting firm.
Iris Rojas and Anais Paniagua, Doña Maria Dominican Cuisine
Originally from Santo Domingo, the two founded Doña Maria Dominican Cuisine in 2018, serving traditional and classic dishes from the Dominican Republic. The restaurant gained prominence after both women were named semifinalists for the James Beard Awards in 2025.
Revolver Taco Lounge owner, Regino Rojas, in front of Jorge Gutierrez’s colorful mural.
Regino Rojas, Revolver Taco Lounge and Purepecha
Regino Rojas has explored various expressions of Mexican cuisine, guided by the principle that it can be both authentic and sophisticated. His roots in the state of Michoacán and the traditions of the Purépecha, the indigenous group that lives in the region, infuse his creations, which have helped introduce authentic Mexican food to diners in the D-FW area at Revolver Taco Lounge and Purépecha. Rojas has been nominated multiple times for the James Beard Awards and was a finalist in 2025.
Abraham Salum, head chef of Salum Restaurant, inside the restaurant in Dallas. (Shafkat Anowar/Staff Photographer)
Abraham Salum, Salum
Abraham Salum is part of the wave of Mexican chefs who arrived in Dallas several years ago. His career path led him to work in kitchens across France, Belgium, Mexico and the United States before settling in Dallas and opening Salum, his own restaurant, in 2005. His cuisine is not limited to a single tradition but instead reflects the cultural blend of his own history.
Owners Maricsa Trejo (left) and Alex Henderson pictured at La Casita Coffee at the Northwest Highway Half Price Books. (Elías Valverde II/Staff Photographer)
Maricsa Trejo and Alex Henderson, La Casita Bakeshop
Maricsa Trejo has elevated artisanal baking in the D-FW area, and since she launched La Casita Bakeshop in 2017 alongside her husband, Alex Henderson, it has continued to grow and gain recognition. Trejo trained at Dallas College and has developed different forms of fine European-style baking. Today, in addition to her store, she distributes her products to more than 175 businesses. She was a semifinalist in the 2022 and 2023 James Beard Awards and was nominated again in 2024.
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This article originally published at Hispanic leaders who shaped the Dallas-Fort Worth food scene.