The restaurant was founded by Refugio and Carmen Garcia in 1929, as El Modelo Tortilla Factory.[5] Carmen would get up at two in the morning to prepare tortillas to sell for breakfast. She hired Petra Vargas to make tamales. Vargas then taught Garcia's family how to make tamales. When Carmen's son, Leo Garcia, came home from World War II, in 1945, he went into business with his mother. In 1947, Salvador Garcia, the eldest son, helped build the current building in the former location of the family's three room house.[6] The location has not changed since it was established in 1929. In 1985, Hector Mendoza and Virginia Chittim purchased the restaurant, and they ran it together until 2003. At which point, Virginia Chittim took full ownership of the restaurant.[7]
The restaurant was also ranked as the 4th best Mexican restaurant in Albuquerque by USAToday's 2012 10Best.[11] In 2013, El Modelo was voted one of the "Best Mexican Restaurants in the U.S." by Travel + Leisure magazine, which described the food as "rave-worthy".[12]
^"El Modelo Tortilla factory". Albuquerque Journal. September 12, 1947. p. 15. Specializing in Tortillas for difference purposes, large, delicious, hand made tamales, enchiladas, tacos, sopapillas, posole, red chile, carne adovada.
