A Culinary Journey With Barrio Queen Exec. Chef Julio Mata
The Heart and Soul of the Barrio Queen Menu with Executive Chef, Julio Mata
Are you considering investing in a unique and vibrant restaurant franchise? Look no further than Barrio Queen, where authentic Mexican cuisine meets modern innovation. In this exclusive interview, we sit down with Executive Chef Julio Mata, the culinary mastermind behind Barrio Queen for the past decade.
Chef Mata, hailing from Sonora, Mexico, brings a wealth of experience, passion, and family traditions to the Barrio Queen kitchen. His approach to Mexican cuisine goes beyond the typical, exploring the rich diversity of Mexico’s 32 states and showcasing dishes that many diners may not have encountered before.
In this interview, Chef Mata shares insights into his culinary philosophy, the signature dishes that define Barrio Queen, and the commitment to quality and authenticity that sets Barrio Queen franchise apart. Chef Mata’s pride in his work and his connection to both staff and customers paint a picture of a franchise that’s not just a business, but a culinary family.
What is your culinary philosophy, and how has it influenced your menu at Barrio Queen?
Mata: There are 32 states in Mexico, and each state has its own character and own way of doing things that we take inspiration from. I was in the kitchen as early as 17 years old. Cooking was something I decided I was going to do for life; it is my passion. I had the chance to go to culinary school, where I learned all kinds of cuisine, Spanish, French, Italian, Asian and others, but I always wanted to stick to my roots, to my Mexican roots.
I find Mexican food to have a lot of variety. I feel very comfortable with this cuisine. I remember growing up and going to my grandma’s house, and it was all about food. It was all about getting together, for whatever reason, and deciding on a menu. That’s what I saw.
The best chef for me is my mom, and my grandma before her. Anytime I need to go back to the base of a recipe, I always look to her for help. We cook together, and I find inspiration from that. Our Birria short rib and our rice recipes both directly come from my mom. Those two recipes are so good, they had to go on the Barrio Queen menu. Thankfully, my mom gave us her blessing. Whenever she comes to visit me, I take her to one of our restaurants, and she always checks in on her short rib recipe. So my culinary philosophy is rooted in family recipes, and the things my family has shown me, as well as exploring the wonderful country of Mexico and all its diversifying regions.
What other signature dishes represent the Barrio Queen brand?
Mata: There are three dishes that I think actually make Barrio Queen what it is. One of them is the guacamole. People are still talking about our guacamole. I do cooking classes, interviews, and news segments, and they always ask, what is your secret with the guacamole? Our secret is that we do our guacamole table side at our restaurant. It’s made to order. You get a fresh avocado cut right in front of you. We mix all the ingredients right in front of you. We season it well with salt and pepper. And that’s pretty much it. We give it a nice touch with some pomegranate seeds on top. It’s definitely a great touch.
Another dish is our Cochinita, which is slow roasted pork. That is from the state of Merida, Yucatan. It’s a delicious signature dish that we serve with black beans, our amazing Mexican rice, and a fresh, homemade tortilla.
The last dish I think makes us stand out is Chiles en Nogada, which is a stuffed poblano pepper with a chicken filling, and an almond cream sauce, with some pomegranate, queso fresco, and cilantro symbolizing the colors of the Mexican flag. It’s a very symbolic dish.
A lot of people don’t know about some of these dishes. They may think Mexican food is just tacos and enchiladas. We have that, of course, but we also showcase other real cuisine of Mexico, and those are the dishes I think really shows how Barrio Queen sticks out.
How do you select your ingredients for Barrio Queen menu dishes?
Mata: There’s a lot of ingredients at the restaurants, and we love a combination of textures, flavors, spiciness, levels of spiciness if I’m using chilies, etc. I always want to keep that authenticity. We source from local farmers here in Arizona, and I do work with a couple of companies that get us fresh ingredients from Mexico. Our shrimp comes from the Sea of Cortez, which is where I’m from. I make sure our seafood is always fresh and never frozen.
We use the best quality of fresh produce. We make roasted molcajete salsa for your chips. We’re roasting tomatoes and jalapeno peppers and onions, corn, poblano peppers, and I think that makes all the difference. We don’t open cans and just throw it in a pot, and then heat it up, and that’s your sauce. We cook from scratch, we buy real masa, and make our own tortillas for each taco and each enchilada. So I’m really careful about choosing the ingredients and making sure it’s nothing but the best. And it shows in the food. It definitely shows in the results.
As the executive chef with Barrio Queen, what do you think is your biggest challenge?
Mata: The biggest challenge is being consistent. You have to be consistent. I work very close with my kitchen managers to be consistent. I can give them a lot of training and seminars and anything I think they may need to get started, but at the end of the day, you gotta have people that share the same passion as you. Every time I do a training session or work in any of our restaurants, I always tell the new employees that I want to share my passion with them, and hopefully I do, and hopefully they’re as passionate as I am when it comes to making the food. You have to have a love for food, especially Mexican food.
What is your very favorite menu item at Barrio Queen?
Mata: Wow, I have a few, but I think one of the best recipes we have is our Molcajete, which is pork chile verde, it’s something that you just have to try. Every time I’m in a restaurant, that sells a lot. That’s one of our biggest sellers, actually.
What do you love about the Barrio Queen brand?
Mata: When I go into a Barrio Queen restaurant, it feels like I’m going to my house. I don’t feel like I’m going to work. I just enjoy everything. The people are fun. We always want to make sure that our employees are doing well, but I also like to talk to our customers that come in, and listen to what they enjoy, and that makes me really happy. It’s just a lot of satisfaction to see happy guests all around. They’re coming back to our restaurants, supporting us, because they love our food, our atmosphere, our decor, our everything. So to me, it’s a combination of everything. No matter which restaurant I’m working at, I just love coming in to work.
What are you most proud of?
Mata: What makes me most proud is to see people try our recipes, the recipes I create, and the recipes that came from exploring the different states of Mexico, and my own family recipes, and to see them accept it well and really love it. I see people enjoying our food and I think, wow, they’re trying my mom’s cooking, they’re having a lot of fun trying new things, and they’re not only liking it, they’re loving it! To me, that makes me really, really proud.
What do you think makes the Barrio Queen concept stand out?
Mata: Our concept is fun. Anyone thinking about investing in a Barrio Queen franchise won’t be disappointed. We have a very unique concept. We’re not just another Mexican restaurant, we’re something unique. We’re something special. I had a big part in the making of Barrio Queen and what it has become. So I feel really, really proud of what we have done so far and how the community has received us, and I’m sure anybody that’s thinking about opening a Barrio Queen will not be disappointed for sure.
Join the Barrio Queen Culinary Adventure
Chef Mata’s passion, expertise, and commitment to authentic Mexican cuisine have been instrumental in shaping Barrio Queen into the unique dining experience it is today. If you’re inspired by his vision and excited by the prospect of bringing this culinary adventure to your community, we invite you to take the next step. Visit the Barrio Queen research pages here to explore franchise opportunities and learn more about owning a restaurant that truly values and showcases the rich culinary heritage Chef Mata has cultivated, or fill out our form here to start a conversation with our franchise team today!