Joe T. Garcia's Mexican Restaurant Interview Part Four
- [BEGIN PART 4] [00:00:00] [Still in the front lobby]. LL: [Unintelligible]. Actually, the opening we put in in 1970, because, ah, before then, if you came in to eat, you'd have to go through the kitchen to get to the back dining room. That was the only way you could get back there. So then after so many years and then after of course the building codes and everything finally said okay you've got to get a way through there without taking people through the kitchen, we opened that in 1970. And so we opened that-because that was also going outside too. And that's about-
- SS: Um, the no credit card policy? How did you all come to that policy?
- LL: We've never had it, and then I've been kind of, um, that's actually-I'm the only one that says no, and everybody else wants to-yeah, but then, I just-like I said, I only know one way. One enchilada, and no credit cards, and cash only. And, you know, I'm the one that don't change, really [Laughs].
- SS: Can you tell us about the James Beard Award?
- LL: Yeah, we got that in-Ezzy, when did we get that? In seventy, eighty-five or something like that?
- JL1: Ninety-five?
- KR: Ninety-eight?
- LL: [Laughs]. Yeah, that was a good party up in New York [Laughs]. Yeah, they contacted us and wanted to give us one for longevity of the restaurant for being in the United States, and it's a great honor to be gotten to do that. I think we were the first ones-the first one in Texas-
- JL1: [Nods] The first one in Texas-
- LL: -ever to receive that award. Yeah. So ah, that's how we got that. And ah, like I said, I didn't even know-they called me and they said 'This is the James Beard Award,' and of course me, I was going 'Sure, okay, bye. Call you later, okay?' And finally when someone told me, he goes 'Lanny, you don't know who that is?' I said 'No?' 'Call them back!' I said 'okay' [Laughs].
- And yeah, that's like the Academy Awards of the restaurant business. I mean, it's fantastic. And I-of course now, knowing what it is and going to the thing, I know it's an amazing amazing award. I mean, we're very honored to get it. Yeah, so it was fun. So, that's about-
- ZL: And that's the article right there, that they published about the James Beard award, and that's my mom-our mom-there on top, and there's the stuff about it. I thought there was more that they talked about, more on that-
- KR: Yeah, I think there is-that's awesome.
- LL: And who did the tie? Who did the tie? What's her name?
- JL1: Nicole?
- LL: Anna Nicole? No, not Anna Nicole.
- JL1: No, I'm sorry, Nicole Miller.
- LL: [Laughs] Nicole Miller.
- KR: You're a mess.
- LL: I know. And that's our mother up there. And that's the barbecue pit that I showed you rick there, and I also have the pick also-the pick's in the house though too. And then here's the side of the restaurant again, which I love that picture, that's a great picture. And she did that one, she put that thing right there in her ties.
- JL1: That's when they did the, uh, library downtown.
- LL: Mmhmm, there was a benefit in the library.
- JL1: And a free advertisement! Wasn't that great? They put us right in the middle.
- KR: Yeah, that's pretty awesome.
- [END OF PART 4] [02:51]