Don Juan’s
Mexican Kitchen

The legend that would eventually inspire the opening of Don Juan’s Mexican Kitchen in Tenino, was born in 1934 in the small town of Salvatierra in Guanajuato, Mexico.

Maria De La Luz, or Lucha as her family affectionately called her, grew up in a home filled with tantalizing aromas where she quickly developed a deep passion for cooking.

She made it her mission to refine and preserve the authentic Mexican cuisine recipes of her family, while sharing them at her table with loved ones and friends.

Her son Juan married Eva, who shared Señora Lucha’s passion for beautiful food and quickly became her understudy. Spending evening after evening to learn Mexican cuisine magic from the legend herself.

From the art of blending spices and peppers to make a unique salsa to understanding the science behind a perfect Mole… and how to make the world’s best flan, Eva slowly mastered the art Señora Lucha was lovingly teaching her.

In 2012, the Martinez family decided to open the original Don Juan’s Mexican Kitchen in Tenino and share Señora Lucha’s beautiful recipes with all of you… and the rest is history!

This new website is dedicated to the loving memory of Maria De La Luz “Lucha” Moreno De Martinez, who passed on this year and is most likely smiling down on us while cooking up a storm.