“Mex without the Tex,” Jalapenos Grill Opens Bellingham Location

Many Franklin residents already know that Jalapenos Grill in Walpole is the place to get authentic Mexican food, true to their tag line, “Mex without the Tex.” But folks in Franklin may not realize that Jalapenos recently opened a second restaurant at 15 N. Main Street (across from the Bellingham Town Common in the Bellingham Commons shopping center) in Bellingham with same menu, same great authentic Mexican recipes, and the same insistence on fresh ingredients. Ricardo Dorronsoro, owner of both restaurants, noticed that many of their customers were driving from Franklin to Walpole to enjoy Jalapeno’s authentic Mexican food. When choosing a second location, he decided to provide a place that was five minutes from home for people in the Franklin area who already love Jalapenos in Walpole.
We met recently with Peter Gumas, General Manager of the Bellingham branch of Jalapenos, to chat about their newest restaurant. Gumas emphasized, “Everything is fresh. When we moved into our Bellingham location the first thing we did was install a huge, 15x15x10 foot refrigerator.”He continued, “The first thing each morning, we start prepping. We buy fresh food; none of it is frozen.”
Gumas explained, “All the recipes we use here are Ricardo’s. His mother and grandmother shared them with him. If you go to Mexico, you’ll get the same dishes. They’ll look the same and taste similar. There are regional differences, but they will be very similar.” Gumas described one of their signature dishes, Puerco En Salsa Verde—pork with potatoes and homemade green sauce. “It’s very spicy, and is made from owner Ricardo Dorronsoro’s mother’s and grandmother’s recipe.” He continued, “At Jalapenos, every sauce is handmade. The chile rellenos are made with fresh poblanos, and the tamales are hand-rolled. It’s a lot of work!”
The restaurant has a full liquor license, and is family-friendly. “Come in here, you’ll see families with kids,” Gumas said. Jalapenos has some American food on the menu for kids, but has Mexican options for children as well. “We have tacos, but no ground beef—that’s not authentic—instead, we have steak tacos, he said. “People ask for ground beef tacos, but when they try our steak tacos they say, ‘Wow!’ We also have quesadillas—chicken and cheese or just cheese.”
The earth tones on the walls, the authentic pictures and posters from Mexico all foster the sense that you’ve just taken a trip south of the border. The tiles on the bar were made in Mexico, the stunningly beautiful starlights hanging over the tables were all handcrafted in Mexico. “Everyone loves the starlights,” Gumas smiled. The mural of a village woman facing a window is a real work of art, created by owner Dorronsoro’s daughter Vanessa.
The function room seats 100 and has a stage, a full bar and a dance floor. “We’ve had private parties here, functions for the Bellingham Business Association, and fundraising events for the Bellingham Educational Foundation [BEF] and Corey’s Crusaders,” Gumas said. There is ample parking, and Jalapenos is open 11:30-11 weekdays, and 11:30-1AM Fridays and Saturdays. The kitchen closes at 10 weekdays, 11 on weekends.
Gumas noted that the Walpole restaurant has won all sorts of awards and gotten great reviews. “You’ll get the same dishes here in Bellingham,” he said. “Same management, were using the same recipes. Come see for yourself!”