ALAMOSA — It’s 8 o’clock on a Wednesday night, a typically slow time for many restaurants in Alamosa. But at Lindo Jalisco? Not so much. 

Even with the restaurant closing in just a few minutes, a large party that’s gathered for a birthday celebration has just brought things to a close while, across the dining room, several tables are finishing a meal as they watch a basketball game on the screen hung in the corner, and a few last-minute customers are picking up their take-out order. 

Meanwhile, the wait staff are as friendly and energetic and welcoming as if they had just opened their doors for the day instead of it being the end of a shift.  

Family owned and operated isn’t just a marketing phrase at Lindo Jalisco in Alamosa. The restaurant has a strong family vibe, including those servers who aren’t related. More than even that, it’s the way the Lopez family does business and their dedication to excellence, from the moment a customer walks in the door to the meal that is put on their table to the time the customer walks back out.  

These things show the restaurant business is not new to Los Lopez. They’ve been involved in restaurants for years, including at Dos Rios where both the father and mother of the family worked often alongside their children.  

“I’ve been doing this since I was a little girl,” says Cassandra Lopez, one of the restaurant managers and sister to Jose Lopez who owns Lindo Jalisco. “Even when I was little, I just wanted to help out, so I guess you could say I grew up in a restaurant.” 

In 2019, the family struck out on their own, opening a “smaller place” called Taqueria y Antojitos Los Lopez in Monte Vista. Almost six years later, Taqueria y Antojitos continues to be a favorite stopping off place for local clientele and others drawn in by the promise of “fun, quick and amazing food at your fingertips” and their welcoming, bright yellow exterior.  

Then, in 2022, Jose Lopez — a second-generation Lopez — set his sights on opening a larger restaurant in Alamosa, landing on a vacant building along Sixth Street. 

“He remodeled the whole building,” says Cassandra. “Everything. And he took extra care because he really wanted to make it come to life.” 

Even now, work still continues. Those driving down Sixth Street will see significant stonework being put in place as a patio is added for those who would prefer to sit outside. 

Opening a business in 2022 was risky, given the situation with the pandemic. But when asked how things are going, Cassandra doesn’t hesitate.  

“Things are going really well,” she says. “Our business has been really blessed by God and by the community, too.” 

But the restaurant also does its part to deserve the patronage, starting with abiding by certain standards and a priority on fresh food.  

“All of our food is fresh,” Cassandra says, “never frozen.”  Much of the produce they use is bought locally, she says, especially dishes with potatoes bought from Metz Potatoes, a high-quality farming operation in the San Luis Valley.  

The menu is extensive, offering both the standard fare along with a variety of authentic Mexican dishes made from traditional recipes.  And the person in the kitchen is masterful at what she does as, according to Cassandra, Lopez continues to do the cooking at both the restaurant in Monte Vista and the one in Alamosa, adding her special touch that includes a combination of seasonings that are the family secret.  

When asked about Lindo Jalisco’s specialty, Cassandra says it has to be their “birria”, shredded beef that is slow cooked to tenderness in a Mexican consommé that is unlike any other. It’s the birria that has made Lindo Jalisco famous for, among other things, their tacos. 

In addition to offering a dining menu that features authentic, flavorful Mexican cuisine, Lindo Jalisco has also developed a reputation for their catering business, which has the capacity to serve smaller crowds like what might be found at weddings up to school district functions with hundreds of people on hand. As anyone who has been to a school function catered by Lindo Jalisco can confirm, the restaurant staff show up on-site with their grills ready to cook, for example, tacos that will be just as fresh as that ordered at the restaurant. 

When Cassandra describes the origin of Lindo Jalisco, she says the family’s faith was instrumental in getting things started. Looking at things roughly three years in, it’s likely that same gratitude to God and commitment to community will keep them going long into the future. 

Lindo Jalisco is at 1019 Sixth St., Alamosa. The hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day but Tuesday. The menu prices for dinners range from $12 to $16 with higher priced items on the menu also available. For more information or to place an order, call 719-937-2292.