Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Stone.
Hi Jordan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a third-generation Austin restaurateur. My mother’s stepfather, Harry Akin, founded The Night Hawk. That’s Old Austin, and goes back to the 1930s. It’s a long story. Much of it happened before I was born, and while I was young. Several of my family members worked there into the late 1980s. Around 1990, my father, Gerald, met Tony Villegas. Tony and his father, CJ, opened the original El Mercado on South First Street in 1985. It was a Mexican food market, hence the name. They started selling breakfast tacos, and it grew from there. In 1991, the Villegas Family partnered with my father to open El Mercado North on Burnet Road. We’ve been here ever since.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely not in the last three years. We’re fortunate enough to be run cost-effectively, and provide comfort food in a time of great uncertainty. Even before the pandemic, beloved local places were closing left and right all over the city. Hopefully, Austin will always enjoy eating chips and salsa while drinking margaritas. I, for sure, will. Our biggest challenge is in front of us. Wanting to maintain what made us what we are, while evolving in a rapidly changing city, is a major obstacle for long-time locals.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
El Mercado has been a neighborhood Tex-Mex place in Allandale/Crestview for over 30 years. We are fun, friendly, and quirky. I’m proud of a place doing its part to Keep Austin Weird. Our Pastor Pancho Nachos just got featured in The Infatuation. Rightly so; they are delicious. However, our salsa is the best I have ever had. Y’all can say I’m biased, but it’s the perfect consistency, with excellent flavor profiles, and just the right spice. Not too chunky, not too watery, and not so hot it overpowers your palate. We definitely seek balance.
Please talk to us about happiness and what makes you happy.
I’m a restaurateur through and through. I like different types of people, food, drinks, and music. I’m curious, so I’m always willing to try new things. Exploring makes me happy. I spent four years in Chicago, and a decade in Los Angeles. I’ve had a myriad of urban experiences. I love Austin. The Central Texas Hill Country is one of the most beautiful regions on Earth. I have an Australian Shepherd, so I’m always hiking, trail running, or paddle boarding with him. It’s been wonderful for me to reconnect with my homeland.
Contact Info:
- Website:www.elmercadorestaurant.com
- Instagram: elmercadonorth
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ELMERCADONORTH
Image Credits
Jordan Stone
