One could say that Hector Villarreal, founder, along with his Dad Moises Villarreal, of Amigo's Mexcian Restaurant has always been a cook at heart. While still an employee of McLouth Steel in Trenton Michigan, Hector's Chili found it's first following. As a personal favorite hot lunch and we do mean "HOT" others became attracted to the delicious, enticing aroma. At the request of many fellow workers, Hector found himself a chili vendor.
Meanwhile his Dad was meeting with success of his own when he tried his hand at selling tacos from his wife's Maria recipe in a small booth in the Trenton Street Fair. Armed with enough seasoned beef and shells for about 50 tacos, Moises found himself completely out of stock at the end of only 1 hour and headed home for a second larger batch.
At a low point in Michigan's economy, McLouth Steel was in dire straights and Hector a young family man became unemployed. Fortunately his love for cooking sparked an idea, "What if I could open a small restaurant where I could sell the foods I love to cook?"
Yet another problem loomed, "How do I go about getting the needed finances when I'm unemployed?" Humm-m-m.
For every problem there is a solution. Soon the small mobile home that he shared with his wife Sherry went up for sale and the couple moved in with his parents. With the profit from that sale and the second mortgage on his parent's home, the money needed for a new beginning was in place.
In 1983 an 800 square foot storefront was leased at the corner of Vreeland and Fort St. and converted into a small restaurant that seated 27 people at maximum capacity. The entire family (5 siblings, parents and grandma) took part in the venture at this time working together in various shifts.
So much pride went into the production of the food that the slogan on the menu read; "It takes a little longer to serve you because we make it fresh". The public responded to the high quality "Tex-Mex" recipes and soon the restaurant was a success. After only a few years the "Little Place" as it was affectionately named was too little to efficiently serve its customers. This success resulted in opening of a second restaurant in Taylor on the corner of Pennsylvania and Allen Road.
In Taylor on it's Grand opening Amigo's Mexican Restaurant found a new following and the next generation of loyal customers was born. At the request of so many customers for yet another Amigo's, a third location was opened on West Road in Woodhaven.
In August 2000 the Taylor store relocated from Pennsylvania and Allen Road to the corner of Eureka and Allen Road, due to the success it found in Taylor. The family style restaurant, which serves no alcohol and was one of the first in Michigan to adopt a non-smoking policy, serves some of the best family developed Tex-Mex recipes in the Downriver area at a price that's hard to beat. As always Amigo's makes it fresh!