Try Our Delicious, Authentic Mexican food
El Modelo
is known for our handmade tamales. Our tamales are huge and sure to satisfy your taste buds. All our ingredients are fresh and locally bought daily. Dine in our patio area. Come by and enjoy breakfast, lunch, or call in your order for pickup. Last orders are taken at 6:30 pm.
Check out our menu
and Call 505-242-1843
Breakfast Anytime of the Day!
It doesn't matter if you're craving breakfast in the afternoon, come to El Modelo and enjoy our huevos rancheros or a breakfast burrito. Try our fresh stuffed sopaipillas!
Quench Your Thirst
Soft drinks in bottles, cans, or direct from our soda fountain.
Our History
El Modelo began in a three-room home at 1715 2nd Street in April 1929.
One room of the house became the “factory” where Mrs. Carmen Garcia made tortillas by hand. She would get up every morning at 2:00 am and have them ready to sell for breakfast.
The tortilla business proved to be successful so Mrs. Garcia hired Petra Vargas to make tamales. Eventually, Petra taught the whole family to make tamales.
In 1945, Leo Garcia, Mrs. Garcia’s son, returned from World War II and went into business with his mother. By 1947, Mrs. Garcia had outgrown her one-room operation. She purchased two other homes, moved her family and built the present day El Modelo where the three-room house once stood. Mrs. Garcia’s eldest son, Salvador Garcia assisted his mother with his expansion and construction of the new building. He joined the business and oversaw the day to day operation until 1985.
El Modelo was sold in 1985 to Virginia Chittim and Hector Mendoza.
They jointly ran El Modelo until April 2003.
Virginia Chittim now owns and operates The El Modelo Mexican Foods Restaurant