Modesto has great Mexican food heritage. So many places in so many neighborhoods. During the 60s and 70s, places like Carmen’s in McHenry Village were the place to go. Some of these families originally came from Burge’s Drive In and through Carmen’s, went on to start Marcella’s, Rick’s, Familia Juarez, Rosita’s, Familia Garcia and others Alfonso Lara was part of the Carmen’s team, learning from “Cip” Duran and Joe Gomez, and today, the Lara family owns Alfonso’s in Ceres, now in the hands of Alfonso’s daughter Sally Lara and her brother Al, who has the family taste buds.
The recipes here are legit and you will immediately love the big red booths, old school bar and the smell of great food that will make you really hungry.
If you are a first timer, a couple of things you need to know. The Al’s Special Burrito is a must, and my friend Steve Perry says the shredded beef is 100% essential. So with that out of the way, we dove in. The shredded beef tacos are amazing and the Al’s special with the shredded chicken and the green sauce is worthy of Alfonso’s name…