Dallas Tex-Mex Restaurant Back Open After Surviving Pandemic and a Fire

It's been almost two years since Casita Tex-Mex Bar and Grill had to close its doors after a fire, but this week the well-known restaurant is open for business.

"I think all the emotions are running through me, like excitement, anxiety, nervousness and that we're here, I mean that we finally, we made it past the finish line to be to reopen again," said Norma Valles, owner of the restaurant, which is located near Northwest Highway and Central Express Way on Blackwell St.

To say the last two years have been a challenge would be an understatement. They've had to cross many hurdles, including 2020.

“We had to let go of our employees that had been with us forever because we had to close the restaurant because of COVID. Then we figured out different ways to do delivery, but our customers were very supportive," Valles said.

She said they survived the pandemic and once businesses were allowed to reopen, they were doing OK, but then the restaurant caught on fire Dec. 27, 2020.

"I think it was one of the worst days of my life, I felt like I had lost someone so close to me," described Valles.

She said they believe a chip warmer caused the electrical fire that ruined the building.

"You're running this marathon, and you're at mile 26 and you've got that .2 to get to the finish line and you you know you hurt yourself or you break a leg, it was devastating," explained Valles about bouncing back from he pandemic then experiencing the fire.

She said that was the most difficult year in business for their family since the restaurant was their main source of income. They had been operating it since 2007, but before that it was known as Casita Dominguez and had been around for decades.

Several other obstacles came in the way, like the freeze in 2021, issues with their storage unit and theft, but despite all of that, Valles didn't let the problems break her spirit.

"It was like you were trying to get out of quicksand and it wasn't fast enough, and so I mean It was just one thing or another," she said. "I finally said, 'OK, I have to take a deep breath and accept where we're at and keep moving forward. Just never give up.'"

Between material delays, increased costs, insurance, permits and the long list of items that come with rebuilding, Valles and her family worked through it.

While they rebuilt, they had a food truck to help bring in some revenue, but after 20 months, they are now back open and had a soft opening last Wednesday.

"People need people, and in order to be in business, you can't do it alone and you will have to have those people that support you as well," said Valles. "So never give up. Never give up no matter how difficult the challenge is, if your dream is bigger, then you will overcome."

She said it was her faith in God, along with the support of her family, friends and customers, that helped get the restaurant back up and running.

"The community gave me the strength. The community was very supportive, and that was another reason that I didn't give up because they all said, 'Hey, we want you back,'" Valles said.

Even though the building is new, it still holds old memories tied to to the former building. Including a mural they were able to save from the fire.

There are also photos on the wall of military veterans who used to frequent the restaurant and have since passed.

"Our veterans have been a vital and important part of Casita and so at one point I thought of getting their pictures on the walls in remembrance of them and we already had it before the fire. We lost some of our pictures but we have some of them still on our wall," she explained.

Valles, who said she has family who have served, said she had a tradition of having vets come in on the first Tuesday of the month.

She said the former landlord, David Albert, who passed away several years ago, was like a second father to her and always supportive of her family. She wanted to honor him as a veteran, which is where much of the motivation behind wall of photos came from.

Also on the wall is a picture of former President George W. Bush with former first lady Laura Bush along with Valles form when they visited the restaurant.

Next to all of that is a large photo of Valles singing the Star Spangled Banner at a Rangers game. Because when she is not busy running the restaurant, she's singing at the restaurant on Saturday nights or at events across town.

"I do a little bit of everything. I do Mariachi, Tejano, 80s, I do Ella Fitzgerald, Cole Porter style. You name it. I can do it. I can sing it," said Valles.

All pieces of charm which the business owner and mother hopes can be felt by customers when the come to sit down and eat.

"We're not just a regular place where you come to eat, we want you to come in and feel that you're not just another number," she said. "We want to make everybody feel that they’re special as they’re are coming in