LAS CAZUELITAS – ONE OF THE OLDEST FAMILY-OWNED CAFES IN TOWN – IN A GESTURE OF GRATITUDE TO ITS LOYAL CUSTOMERS OF 45 YEARS, IS FEEDING KIDS FOR FREE

By Juan Montoya

For the past 45 years, a family-owned business in the heart of downtown Brownsville has thrived in good times, weathered bad times, emerged from the COVID pandemic, and navigated the turbulent ups and downs of a border economy.

Throughout it all, its loyal customer base has supported it and allowed it to grow from the original restaurant located at the corner of Adams and 12th streets (952 Adams, across 10th Street from the central Fire Station) and add two more locations, one on 220 Palm Blvd., and another at 1453 E Jefferson St., directly across from the city bus station.

And those customers – like the generations before them – vow that its caldo de res is the best in the city and its traditional Tex-Mex border cuisine second to none.

Now, as a gesture of gratitude for its loyal following, brothers Robert and Thomas and their spouses are offering a summer special of free meals for kids under eight for every meal bought by an adult at regular price.

"It is a summer special that is offered to our customers every Tuesday and Thursday," said a waitress at the Adams location. "We know the kids are on vacation from school and we want to show our appreciation to our customers for choosing to eat with us throughout all these years."

The story of Las Cazuelitas is a model of free enterprise in Brownsville. It is not the recipient of downtown development grant monies or government handouts, old money, or a sudden cash windfall. Instead, it is a story of personal investment and risk, hard work, perseverance, and an appreciation for its employees and its customer base.

The restaurant has been in the same family since 1981, when Gregoria (Goyita) Ferrera Thibodeaux, whose photo graces the wall in all three restaurants, started it with her husband Terry, a Louisiana native from Houma, La., who just happened to be an excellent Cajun cook. The couple bought the cafe from Rene Cardenas, who sold it to them when he retired.

The purchase was itself a response to bad times; the decline of the shrimping industry where Terry, the captain of a shrimp boat, sought a way to support his family.

But it was Goyita's caldo de res recipe that attracted the customers to Las Cazuelitas since the restaurant's inception and has kept them there. Word of the caldo has now spread far and wide, with fans in social media giving it high praises.

"The caldo lives up to its fame," wrote one diner from Ft. Worth. "And the prices are very reasonable."

The recipe for its success after all those years is simple: Good food. Good service. Reasonable prices.

After 30 years, Goyita wanted to retire and handed over the business to Robert, one of her sons who had worked in the restaurant as a dish washer when he was attending Texas Southmost College. Robert returned with his wife Lisa to take over the day-to-day operations when she died in in 2010. 

Unfortunately, she passed away before she had written down her recipe, and Robert had to learn it from the cooks who had worked under his mother. His wife Lisa now trains new cooks to remain faithful to the original recipe. Brother Thomas does the shopping to supply all three restaurants and wife Jacqueline, a teacher, helps with the menus and correspondence.

The restaurants have provided a source of employment to hundred of employees over the years and allowed them to raise their families. Their employment allows them to support their families, patronize local car dealerships and businesses, buy their homes, pay their rent and contribute to the local economy. 

To this day, Robert recognizes many of his mother's frequent customers who still come to dine at the restaurant she started. Now, second and third generations have become customers.

On a cold day, the caldo is ready by 11 a.m. and gone by noon if you don't hurry.

"The free children's meal summer special is our way of thanking our customers for supporting Goyita's dream," said the waitress at the Adams Street location. "We thank them for their support."