Last Wednesday afternoon, the colorful balloon arches and a customary ribbon-cutting ceremony provided a joyous backdrop for the long-awaited grand opening of Carbondale’s newest restaurant, the Jalisco Grill.
Owned by Armando and Maria Vidrio, natives of Jalisco, Mexico, this marks their third restaurant venture in the Roaring Fork Valley, alongside establishments in Basalt and Rifle.
The restaurant, specializing in authentic Jaliscan cuisine, is located in La Fontana Plaza, in the corner space formerly occupied by 450 Teppanyaki.
The Vidrios were married in Washington state in 2007, where they also owned and operated a restaurant. After selling the business about 12 years ago, they came to the Roaring Fork and Colorado River Valley.
In May 2017, the Vidrios and a business partner launched Hacienda Jalisco in downtown Basalt. Following the sale of their stake, the restaurant closed during the pandemic. However, the Vidrios were offered the opportunity by the landlord to revive the business, leading to its reopening in 2020. Additionally, they expanded with a restaurant in Rifle in October 2019.
Formerly residents of Glenwood Springs, the couple now resides in Silt with their 16-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son, who continue to attend Glenwood Springs schools.
“They like the Glenwood schools — they’d made friends and felt at home there,” Maria explained.
“When we bought a house in Silt, the kids still wanted to come to Glenwood for school, so my wife drives them every morning,” Armando added.
The Carbondale location is the largest among the three restaurants and has a staff of approximately 20 people, including both part-time and full-time employees.
Jalisco, the Mexican state bordering the Pacific Ocean to the west, is widely recognized as the birthplace of tequila, and you will see that reflected in the drink menu with top-shelf tequilas for signature margaritas and mojitos.
Or you can choose the traditional caballito shot glass of tequila topped with a lime wedge. Armando estimated that on a busy day, they will go through anywhere from 150 to 200 limes for freshly squeezed juice.
Jalisco is a full-service sit-down dining experience with tortilla chips, guacamole, salsa, corn and flour tortillas made on-site. Maria said they use only fresh ingredients, never frozen or canned, to ensure the most flavorful results.
Every day, they boil two batches of beans for refried beans, while the rice is delicately fluffed with fresh tomatoes, garlic and spices. Grilled meats and vegetables are marinated in citrus juices and herbs before being cooked to tender perfection.
Maria had a couple of opening day thank-yous: To Tutty Frutti, the ice cream shop next door, for providing the festive balloon arches and to the Town of Carbondale staff members who came by for lunch to offer their support to our community’s newest business.
“We have many friends in Carbondale and are excited to be here. It’s a challenge because this restaurant is bigger than the other two, but we have learned a lot from those experiences. We are happy to be open,” Maria shared, with a big smile, that this day was finally here.
In the future, they plan to open at 7am, offering a complete breakfast menu, including breakfast burritos and tacos, various egg dishes, French toast, pancakes, oatmeal and their version of the classic Mexican breakfast, renamed Sopris Rancheros.
Jalisco Grill offers dine-in and takeout options and is open from 11am to 9pm on Sundays through Thursdays and from 11am to 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays.