Reina Ramirez grew up running her parents’ food truck, El Gallo Hilo, and sold tacos on the streets of Springfield for about a decade, starting in 2003. Then she decided to pursue other paths.
After his father, Simon Rodriguez, died from COVID-19 complications three years ago, Ramirez dreamed of opening a restaurant that would retain the spirit of the old family food truck operation, keeping the same name and his parents’ recipes. El Gallo Hilo opened as a stand-alone restaurant at 2040 S. Glenstone Ave. in late June 2024.
Opening the family-run restaurant in memory of his father has brought a range of emotions for Ramirez and his mother, Maria Rodriguez, but Ramirez said there were also moments when the hard work was worth it.
“It’s emotional and exciting,” Ramirez said at El Gallo Hilo on July 26. “Seeing the look on my mom’s face when she first came here, seeing the (old food truck) logo, just looking around. Seeing the look on her face when she saw this place makes me happy.”
Ramirez said when her mother first saw El Gallo Hilo, it reminded her of the life she and her husband built together.
“She said, ‘Oh, your dad would be so proud of you,'” Ramirez said. “‘Your dad would be so happy to see this.'”
Recipe taken directly from Mom’s page, weekend special
El Gallo Hilo remains a family-owned business, with Reina Ramirez (left) giving her daughter Marcela (right) her first job opportunity. (Photo: Shannon Kaye)
El Gallo Hilo is planning a grand opening in the next two months, Ramirez said. The taqueria’s menu will focus on authentic Mexican flavors, with staples like carne asada and tortas. Ramirez’s carne asada will be made on a grill, just like he would make it at home.
“Everything we make here was made by my mom or dad,” Ramirez said.
The restaurant offers special weekend menus, including “birria de chivo,” made with goat meat and a “special sauce” full of spices, according to the restaurant owners, and “menudo,” a beef tripe soup.
The taqueria serves up a variety of authentic Mexican dishes with all kinds of proteins, including al pastor, beef tongue, Mexican sausage, ground beef, and carnitas. Ramirez says his goal is to make everything to order and use the freshest ingredients, so he can stay true to how his parents prepared their food.
Freshness is maintained throughout the menu and even in the “Aguas Frescas” flavored waters, which are made fresh daily in tamarind, Jamaica and horchata flavors.
All food will be “made to order,” Ramirez said, “and we’re trying to make everything fresher and more authentic. There will be no chips or salsa.”
El Gallo Giro: a logo made with love and featuring fighting roosters
Ramirez said the name El Gallo Hilo comes from a type of fighting cock with white feathers. Her father loved roosters, and Ramirez spent a lot of time and effort creating a perfect replica of the old food truck logo. The new logo, which features a sunset-like background and a long-tailed rooster, is actually a combination of her father’s old businesses.
Reyna Ramirez keeps a photo of her parents hanging above the door so she can see them before entering the kitchen at El Gallo Hilo. (Photo by Shannon Kaye)
The logo is displayed life-size on the wall and is the first thing you see when you walk in. Other walls are decorated with murals depicting life in Mexico, including one that shows the church from Ramirez’s husband’s hometown. Ramirez made sure to hang a photo of her parents overlooking the entire restaurant.
Ramirez said he is leasing the building and that the restaurant will move in and begin renovations in February 2024. The restaurant owners said they have invested more than $100,000 in the space, including new kitchen equipment and furniture ordered from Mexico. Ramirez declined to disclose the total amount invested in the restaurant or the financial terms of the lease.
According to records from the Greene County Assessor’s Office, the building that houses El Gallo Hilo is owned by Tan Brothers LLC. The 1,305-square-foot building is assessed at $196,000. Tan Brothers LLC is registered to Chi Tan, according to Missouri Secretary of State records. The building formerly housed Deli Mike’s.
Ramirez says she’s trying to keep it a family-run restaurant, just like her parents did nearly a decade ago. She’s the sole owner, but her 17-year-old daughter, Marcela, works for her. Her husband also helps out when he can, especially behind the scenes. El Gallo Hilo has several other employees, all of whom are like family to the owner.
“We’re all here for the same reason, we just want to provide for our families,” Ramirez said. “I’m trying to do the same thing my parents did, which was family. That’s what I’m trying to do.”
Ryan Collins
Ryan Collins is a business and economic development reporter for the Springfield Daily Citizen. Collins graduated from Glendale High School in 2011 and then studied journalism and economics at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He previously worked for Bloomberg News. He can be reached at (417) 849-2570 or rcollins@sgfcitizen.org. More articles by Ryan Collins
