Manny’s Uptown Tex-Mex restaurant opens in Heath

Manny’s Uptown Tex-Mex restaurant opens in Heath

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Residents of Heath recently welcomed a new Tex-Mex restaurant to the neighborhood.

Manny’s Uptown Tex-Mex Restaurante held a grand opening for its new location adjacent to the Tom Thumb and Gianni’s Italian Bistro on Jan. 9. The restaurant was founded by Manuel “Manny” Rios, a retired Army veteran.

The restaurant business has always been a big part of life for Manuel Rios and family. Manuel’s sister, Ana Enriquez, and her husband, Butch Enriquez, are the owners of Mia’s Tex-Mex on Lemmon Avenue in Dallas, which opened in 1981. The restaurant has been a destination location for celebrities, TV stars, and the Dallas Cowboys. It was a favorite of Cowboys legend Tom Landry, and was the site of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ meeting with Jimmy Johnson to sign his coaching contract. In fact, Manuel was a waiter for the Jones-Johnson table at the time of the contract signing.

Once he learned the ropes from his sister, Manuel decided to open up his own restaurant, Manny’s Uptown Tex-Mex, on Oak Grove in Dallas in 2005. The restaurant was a big hit, and spawned several other locations throughout the metroplex. The new location in Heath is run by all of the dedicated staff from the Oak Grove restaurant, which tragically suffered a fire on Christmas Eve 2019 and was forced to close down for repairs for the next several months.

Manuel’s daughter, Stacie Rios Biles, said the staff are all thrilled to be a part of the new location, and make the drive out to Heath every day to eagerly serve the community some hot and fresh Tex-Mex.

“They had been without work for a couple of weeks but wanted to get this place up and running, and they are all very excited to be here,” Stacie said.

Stacie and her family have lived in Heath for the past 13 years. She said opening Manny’s here in her community has been a dream come true.

“I’ve been trying since The Harbor opened to get a Manny’s out here. The fact that we opened out here is astronomical. I am just so thrilled, and we are just beyond happy to have a Manny’s in Heath,” Stacie said.

To learn more about Manny’s and to check out their menu, visit mannysuptowntexmex.com.

Story by Austin Wells, Blue Ribbon News. Photos courtesy of Stacie Rios Biles.

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