Tag: Uncle Goyo's Mexican Restaurant

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Mexican Chef Israel Loyo Brings Authentic Hispanic Cuisine to Uncle Goyo’s

Chef Israel Loyo, Damaris Diaz, and Greg Diaz (Photo: Michael Donahue)

After working as head chef for the Mexican government and at numerous Mexico City restaurants, Israel Loyo is now executive chef at the new Uncle Goyo’s Mexican Restaurant.

Through an interpreter Damaris Diaz, Loyo talked about his life and cooking.

Born in Mexico City, Loyo was drawn to cooking as a child, being in the kitchen with his grandmother. Her Sopa de Fideo, or vermicelli soup, is on Uncle Goyo’s menu. “The heart of my cuisine is my connection to that soup,” he says.

Loyo began his cooking career at 16 “out of necessity” after his parents separated and he had to get a job to pay for his schooling.

He worked his way from dishwasher to chef at his first job at a French restaurant. “At first, they didn’t really care or pay attention, but I persisted, and they eventually started teaching me after I finished all my work.”

Loyo worked at 18 restaurants. “Every one has been a piece of the puzzle. They’re all unique in their characteristics and provided more experience to my expertise.

“I like to be organized,” he says. “I like to take a recipe and disassemble it and see where I can integrate my special touch, then bring it all together in an organized way where everyone in the kitchen is a part of it — it’s truly a product of a team effort.”

When he was 23, Loyo was invited to be a chef for the Mexican government. “I had no idea who I was going to serve. When I got there, I started doing what I normally do — organizing the kitchen and making my plates.”

He discovered he was cooking for Samuel del Villar, the chief of the government. “I made a plate called Angels al Caballo. It was shrimp and I would stuff them with cheese and wrap them with bacon.”

Loyo served it with soup. “Like a tomato cream. And it was perfumed with white wine. The guests absolutely loved it. They loved it so much they popped a bottle of champagne.”

Villar gave him a hug and kissed him. “He said that was the best they ever had. This was a big moment of honor.”

Loyo was executive chef for the Mexican government until his term finished eight years later. He was called back two more times to work for them.

He then helped restaurants stabilize their menus, but he missed working in the kitchen. “I wasn’t practicing my passion,” he says.

Through contacts, Loyo heard Greg Diaz wanted to open an authentic Mexican restaurant in Memphis, where Diaz’s TacoNganas food trucks already were popular.

Damaris Diaz says her father was impressed with Loyo, who “sold himself as someone who has been through all of Mexico City in different capacities in the kitchen.”

“What Greg Diaz had to offer was so appealing,” Loyo says. “It was a job where I could be the head chef. And it came with security and a three-year contract.”

Loyo, who moved to Memphis about two months ago, says, “I’d never left my country until now.”

Memphis “is calm,” he says. “The city is beautiful in its diversity. And I truly believe that what we’re bringing to the table with this cuisine is going to make an impact because it’s something people here have never experienced — a contemporary touch” to traditional Hispanic recipes.

As for experiencing the Bluff City, Loyo says, “I’m dedicating myself completely to the kitchen, which is why we’re able to have such a quick turnaround. I would love to get to know more of your gastronomy and your people — what makes Memphis unique.”

But, he says, “I love the barbecue ribs you guys prepare here.”

Loyo is ready for people to try his food. “When they get here, they’re going to find magic.”

Uncle Goyo’s Mexican Restaurant is at 1730 South Germantown Road in the Thornwood community.

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Uncle Goyo’s Mexican Restaurant Will Open March 5th

Uncle Goyo's Mexican Restaurant (Credit: Michael Donahue)

TacoNganas owner Greg Diaz, who is from Mexico City, and his wife, Daisy, are the parents of three children — Damaris, Aaron, and Caleb   — all raised in Memphis.

Diaz now has four TacoNganas locations and ten food trucks.

“Memphis is mi casa,” Diaz says.

He will open his newest venture, Uncle Goyo’s Mexican Restaurant, Saturday, March 5th, at 1730 South Germantown Road in the Thornwood community. “Goyo” is an endearment for “Gregorio,”which is his full name, Diaz says.

Diaz describes the food at his new restaurant as “very authentic Mexican” instead of chalupas and other items sold in many local “Tex-Mex” restaurants. Israel Loyo, also from Mexico City, is his executive chef. Ramiro Zapata is sous chef.

He will not be selling the same food that he does in his TacoNganas food trucks, but he will be selling some other tacos, which are “very similar.”

Uncle Goyo’s will open at 11 a.m. March 5th.

To whet your appetite, here are some sneak peek shots of the restaurant:

The bar at Uncle Goyo’s Mexican Restaurant. (Credit: Michael Donahue)
The bar at Uncle Goyo’s Mexican Restaurant. (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Seating in the dining room. (Credit: Michael Donahue)
The entrance at Uncle Goyo’s Mexican Restaurant. (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Ramiro Zapata and Israel Loyo at Uncle Goyo’s Mexican Restaurant. (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Uncle Goyo’s Mexican Restaurant. (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Uncle Goyo’s Mexican Restaurant. (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Uncle Goyo’s Mexican Restaurant. (Credit: Michael Donahue)

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Uncle Goyo’s Mexican Restaurant to Open in February

Greg Diaz, owner of the TacoNganas food trucks, is opening his first Memphis restaurant, Uncle Goyo’s Mexican Restaurant, in late February at 1730 South Germantown Road in the Thornwood community.

The high end restaurant will have “very authentic Mexican food,” says Diaz. Instead of the chalupas and other fare people find in many local “Tex Mex” restaurants, Diaz says, “They’re going to be able to find stuff made from scratch. Like mole. I’d say there are about 30 items on the menu.”

Greg Diaz and his wife, Daisy. (Credit: Greg Diaz)

Diaz will not be selling the same food at Uncle Goyo’s that he sells in his food trucks. “We’ll have some some other tacos. We’ll have something very similar.”

And, he says, “We have both an executive chef, a sub chef, and other chefs from Mexico City to be the teaching staff.” Israel Loyo is Uncle Goyo’s executive chef.

Israel Loyo is Uncle Goyo’s executive chef (Credit: Greg Diaz)

His restaurant is “literally next door to Moondance (Grill). You can pass in front of my door to get there. We’re remodeling. The upholstery people are making the booths, fixing up the bar. We’re right in the middle.”

The color scheme will be “talavera” colors, which Diaz described as vibrant blues and other colors. It’s the colors artists use in Mexico when making plates and other creations. “Vibrant Mexican art is what I’d call it.”

A large mural depicts a lady making tortillas, Diaz says. “I had it shipped in from Mexico.”

A large mural at Uncle Goyo’s Mexican Restaurant

Asked where the name “Uncle Goyo” comes from, Diaz says,  “‘Goyo’ is an endearment for ‘Gregorio.’ Gregorio is my name, my grandfather was Gregorio, my uncle — my mother’s brother — was Gregorio. My mother, after having nine children, decided to name her last one Gregorio.”

Diaz, who has four locations and eight food trucks, was born in Mexico City. He said in a recent Memphis Flyer interview, “I was raised by a single mother of 10 children. And she still managed to open a restaurant and then turn it into a chain of eight restaurants.”

He says he’s been cooking since he was born, but his main job is pastor of Nueva Direccion church. And, he says, he’s probably best known for being the executive director of Las Americas, a youth development center. 

As to how he got into the food business, Diaz says in the interview, “There’s always food around. We feed kids all the time. So, I thought, ‘I’m going to open up a taco truck to make some money to offset the cost of a lot of the food we served kids and youth.’”

The TacoNganas food truck was so well received, Diaz expanded to what are now four locations and 58 employees.

Asked why he felt he has come so far with his business, Diaz told the Memphis Flyer, “I think the hand of God is on top of us.”

“Uncle Goyo’s Mexican Restaurant” will be open for lunch and dinner and, eventually, breakfast, Diaz says.

And if you’re looking for Diaz at his many food locations, he says, “I’m going to be everywhere.”