La Hacienda & San Miguel Mexican Grill & Bar- Jesus Rodriguez

In this week’s edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast, we’re at San Miguel Mexican Grill and Bar in Fayetteville talking with Jesus Rodriguez... but FIRST?!?! FOOD NEWS! Wu Zhao finally opens in Bentonville. We’ll hear from owners Barry Furuseth and Vincent Lim. The 9th Downtown Springdale Street Dinner took place Saturday night. Fossil Cove Brewing became a teenager! It looks like a local Indian food chain has closed. If you have a tip or have heard any food or beverage news, feel free to shoot me a note. Just look for Flavors of Northwest Arkansas on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok. You can also shoot me an email at [email protected]. Jose Rodriguez emigrated from a small town outside of San Miguel in Mexico and made his way to Houston to get into the restaurant business. He started at the very bottom and made his way from absolutely nothing. He met the love of his life in Houston and now some 40+ years later, their kids have kids, and though he doesn’t know what the word “retire” means, his kids have taken over their 2 restaurants. La Hacienda, named after the restaurant in Houston where he learned the trade, and San Miguel, of course the resort town near his hometown (and there might be something new on the way). One of Jose’s sons, Jesus Rodriguez, grew up in Fayetteville as one of 6 kids, went to Brightwater, and now for the most part runs San Miguel... We hear from Jesus about how his family ended up in Arkansas from Houston... He’ll also tell us about growing up at La Hacienda, how and why he decided to go to Brightwater, and of course, we talk food. That’s next, here on the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas.