Family-Owned and Cooked with Love – And People are Taking Notice

When asked what she most loves to cook, Adriana Faudoa modestly replies, “Well, everyone says my Mexican rice is really good – I love rice too, so that’s probably why … my tacos are pretty good too.” But if you go to Faudoa’s Mexican Food’s Facebook Page, you’ll get the real story in reviews from her ecstatic customers: “Super amazing food. We’ll be back very soon!”; “Fast service and food was delicious!”; “Amazing food!!! So glad they are here!!!!”; “The food is amazing! I am in love!!”; “Food was fresh, serving sizes generous, and staff super nice and friendly.” And one recurring theme (over and over) is, “We’ll definitely be coming back.” That’s really good news for Adriana Faudoa. She couldn’t be happier – serving this community of under 200 residents where there is a 15 to 20-minute drive for any kind of service.

Although Adriana Huerta Garcia was born in the City of Guadalajara, State of Jalisco, Mexico, she’s only been there once in her lifetime. At the age of four years, she moved with her family to San Francisco, Calif., where she grew up and eventually met her husband, Jesus (better known as “Chuy” – the loving nickname often used for those named Jesus in Mexico). The Faudoas moved to Colorado (near one of Chuy’s sisters) and lived there for 14 years. Then, five years ago, they moved to Eureka, Kan., where one of Chuy’s cousins, Alberta, lives. The proprietor of Eureka’s “La Taqueria B&B” restaurant, Alberta felt that Chuy and his family would like Eureka. She was right. Adriana says of their first visit to Eureka, “We’ve always liked small towns better than the bigger cities, so we loved it. We found a place to live and my husband found a job right away. So, that’s how we came here, and we definitely want to stay.”

Chuy and Adriana have three children – two sons, Yaromin and Marlon who are 10 months apart and high school juniors, and a fourth-grade daughter, Jaden. About three years ago, Adriana began working at Eureka High School as one of their main cooks and then also found herself helping Alberta at La Taqueria B&B in the evenings. Laughing, Adriana relates, “One day I was lying down, and I thought to myself, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve spent my entire day in the kitchen,’ because I cooked at the school, then I went and helped her (Alberta), and then I came home and fixed supper – so it was like all ‘day in the kitchen!’ And I guess from there it just felt like I had to be cooking something!”

Fast forward to February 20, 2021 – the grand opening of Faudoa’s Mexican Food in Rosalia, Kan. Adriana says of Alberta, “She was the one who actually motivated us to start our own business – our own restaurant – because she had already been offered this place but couldn’t be at both places at the same time.” Providentially, Chuy was already acquainted with the seller of the former “Old Hat” restaurant building in Rosalia. “We bought the place,” declares Adriana. In a little under two months, the Faudoas repaired plumbing issues, did some repainting by simply matching the original colors, put in new flooring, and took out the old appliances, replacing them with new ones. Most importantly, they replaced the electric griddle that was already there with a gas one, as that is Adriana’s preferred method of cooking. “I love cooking,” she exclaims.

The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. They are closed on Sundays. Her most popular menu items so far are the Monterrey and the Cheesy Burrito. Her busiest times are Wednesday through Saturday evenings – especially Fridays when there’s a game or any type of event at Rosalia High School. She gets a lot of take-out orders, but customers enjoy dining in too. Even though she’s only advertised by word-of-mouth and posts her daily specials on Faudoa’s Mexican Food Facebook Page, Adriana is very pleased with the number of customers she is receiving. She says, “I’m glad the people are responding in a good way for us being here and I know that there are some people who come every day and show their support. They don’t want us to leave!” She’s had customers from near and far, including Prospect (between Rosalia and El Dorado), Eureka, Cassoday, El Dorado, and even Emporia.

Quality internet and phone service is essential for any business, and SKT is the provider for Faudoa’s. “I definitely needed phone and internet services to even open my restaurant. I get phone calls for to-go orders and receive payments using the Square system via the internet,” Adriana says, adding, “I think SKT has excellent service; I like it – I’m happy with it.” She sources some of her meat supplies from a company in Missouri by calling them every Sunday evening with her order, which is then delivered on Mondays. She also gets meat supplies from Indian Hills Meat and Poultry in Wichita and gets her paper supplies from Sam’s Club.

Adriana especially likes to cook pozole (stews) and menudo (soups) but admits that those are things Americans aren’t as familiar with, so she doesn’t currently have them on the menu. One of her favorite ingredients is lime. She explains, “I love it! So, like with soups, I put lime in all my soups so that’s why I like to cook them. But that’s mainly when it’s wintertime or when it’s cold – so maybe I’ll put something like that on the menu when it gets cold again. “We do have sopapillas some days – when I have time,” she adds.

It’s a family endeavor. Adriana’s husband, Chuy, works for a construction company. When he gets off his job in Wichita, he stops in Rosalia and helps her out throughout the evenings and on Saturdays. Their three children help out too.  Adriana says, “I just want to say thank you to all the people who come and try my food and keep on coming back. It’s just great to have them here and knowing that they did come back because they actually like my food. So, I’m just trying my best.”

To get a visual of some of Adriana’s fantastic dishes or see the special of the day, go to  Faudoa’s Mexican Food Facebook Page.

Faudoa’s Mexican Food
578 SE Rosalia Rd.
Rosalia, KS  67132

620.476.2025

Dine-In, Carry-Out or Delivery

Open 11:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday
Closed Sunday