On the eve of Mexican Independence Day in 1918, Mexican immigrant Miguel “Mike” Martinez and his wife, Faustina “Mama Cha-Cha” Martinez decided to turn their original modest cafe into a true dining experience, El Fenix. What once started off as a restaurant serving American food soon turned into a chain with menus full of combination plates that married Mexican and American flavors, eventually setting off what we know today as Tex-Mex. Generations of locals can still remember having their first enchilada at El Fenix, and to this day, the restaurant honors this legacy by hosting an Enchilada dinner special every Wednesday.