Since 1924, the Luna family has been selling chips, tortillas, tamales and such through The Luna Tortilla Factory. And now, almost 86 years later, they have finally opened a family restaurant. And, guess what? They've been holding out on us. Shame, shame.
It all started back in 1923 when María Luna, who at 23 was a widowed mother of two, acquired a corn grinder and learned to make tortillas. This eventually led to the inception of The Luna Tortilla Factory in Dallas, which now flattens more 1,500 tortillas an hour for locals.
Today they are opening the doors to their very own restaurant, appropriately named Luna's, located right next to their tortilla factory at the corner of Harry Hines and Regal Row.
Having weaseled my way into their soft opening earlier this week, I got to try it out already. My date and I started out with queso, salsa and fried jalapeños stuffed with chicken and cheese. Then we had the Steak Mexicano, which is prime beef tips sautéed in a ranchera sauce. All of it was wonderful. But the brisket tacos, which we also tried, were...brace yourself...the best I've ever had. The best.
With a mouth full of brisket, I insisted, "Why now? Why not 20 years ago?" Fernando Luna Jr., son of the owners, said something about location and the timing finally being right.
Holdouts.
Fortunately, owner Fernando Luna, who is María's grandson, and his wife, Margie, made all my bitterness melt away. They are gracious and genuinely excited about having their own place now. They, along with Fernando Jr., were working the tables themselves.
And the menu was a labor of love. Pulling from their own history, the "Family Recipes" section was carefully considered. As Fernando Jr. explained, "We were back in the kitchen testing recipes one day and my cousin got tears in her eyes because a dish reminded her of her mother."
Included in the offerings are things you don't typically see like "Tacos Dorados," which are home-style and pan-fried, as well as "Guiso de Puerco con Calabacitas," or pork stew. There are other items that make the menu unique and separate it from the pack, highlighting the fact that the Lunas have been cooking for a good eight decades among themselves (and not sharing with us).
But, I'm over it now. Promise.
Check them out. They're located at 8524 Harry Hines Blvd. Tell them I sent you (that will get you absolutely nowhere, but it's fun to say).
