March 27, 2019

The founder of Abelardo’s Mexican Fresh wants everyone in Sioux Falls to try his food, so the entire menu is half-price today for opening day.

And it’s a big menu with 24 combination plates, 24 burrito options, enchiladas, tortas, tostadas, tacos, taquitos, quesadillas and nachos. There’s also a breakfast menu, which is served all day.

“We have a lot of family recipes,” Abelardo Gonzalez said. “We grew up doing this.”

Gonzalez opened the first restaurant with his name in Omaha in 2001, but he’s been in the business since he was a 14-year-old growing up in Arizona. Connections between relatives and friends led to learning that the former Jim’s Burgers building at 1200 S. Minnesota Ave. needed a tenant.

This is the 18th Abelardo’s to open, and the first in South Dakota. The other restaurants are in the Omaha and Des Moines areas, and three more will open in those metros soon.

Gonzalez’ siblings own some of those restaurants, but “I’ve run out of family now,” so he turned to Filadelfo and Melissa Quiroz and Ramon and Alejandra Gutierrez to serve as owners and operators in Sioux Falls.

Eventually, Abelardo’s will be open 24 hours a day, but for now hours will likely be 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. or a little later or weekend nights.

Gonzalez said his restaurants are known for the quality of the ingredients that go into each dish. The breakfast burritos are popular, and he likes to recommend two burritos: the Arizona with diced steak, potatoes, grilled pico and cheese, and the Spicy Diablo with diced steak, shrimp, lettuce, French fries, rice and sour cream.

Customers will find specials, including five tacos for $5 on Tuesdays.

Co-owner Melissa Quiroz said they are looking forward to putting the finishing touches on the restaurant, including the decor inside.

“The money goes fast,” she said of opening a restaurant.