SAN ANTONIO — Some employees are close to their fellow coworkers but at Luna Rosa the workers are literally family.
Iris Ornelas opened Luna Rosa in 2015 in Brooks City Base but moved to the old Rosario's building – just south of downtown almost two years ago.
Iris' had always wanted to open her own restaurant and share the dishes she learned from grandmother but operating a restaurant came with some struggles.
Her son and Head Chef Amadeus Ornelas went to culinary school a few years after they opened in the hopes to help his family and strengthen the business.
“It was really tough for my family. I was working two jobs. I promised myself to help out my family and do whatever I can to make this work," Amadeus said.
Amadeus originally learned to cook from his family and the workers in the restaurant. He then gradually realized he wanted to devote his career to making good food.
“[Iris] She started teaching me all of her recipes and I started twisting them up a little bit,” Amadeus said.
Currently, Luna Rosa is run by Iris, her two sons and her devoted husband.
“It's a whole family effort definitely. And we never stopped since 2015. We just, all of us just kept going," Amadeus said.
Now, when customers first glace at the menu it can be intimidating but Amadeus believes they have set up the restaurant in a way where they can relieve people's fears and get them to try new things.
“My brother and I, we decided to come up with a menu that kind of like catches the eyes of San Antonians and at the same time we can dish out like the traditional part of Puerto Rico," Amadeus said.
One of their most iconic dishes is ordered several times a day and is by all accounts huge. It's called La Chuleta Kan Kan, which is an extra large pork chop fried with chicharron edges. The dish is typically served with two different types of sauces: their garlic aioli sauce (usually sent with tostones) and their sweet guava sauce.
“People come in from all over the world to come try it," Amadeus said.
But if you want something you can easily recognize Amadeus suggest ordering the Ay Bendito which is his favorite. The dish is a churrasco steak served with mofongo (a type of yuca root that's smashed) and shrimp. Amadeus calls it a Puerto Rican take on surf and turf.
“For some reason it’s the steak to eat in Puerto Rico," Iris said.
And if you're looking for something comforting you should try La Canoa. It's a sweet plantain stuffed with savory ground beef, olives, bell peppers and topped with cheddar cheese. Amadeus describes it as a glizzy with some Puerto Rican flare.
Many of their entrée dishes are served with tostones - which are fried plantains and Arroz con Gandules which is a very traditional type of rice from Puerto Rico.
“You need to have Arroz con Gandules if you're going to be a Puerto Rican restaurant. And I feel very honored to be as young as I am and being able to make all of this," Amadeus said.
And as your finishing your food you can't forget about their Pudin - a Puerto Rican style bread pudding topped with rum caramel and vanilla ice cream. It's honestly one of their most asked for desserts.
“People actually get mad if we don’t have it. We’ve had to make more batches during the week," Amadeus said.
Amadeus said they also offer burgers, other steak options and pasta dishes, and recently opened a coffee shop within the restaurant.
Luna Rosa is located at 910 S Alamo St, San Antonio, TX 78205
