Mexican fare plus breakfast

WAUPACA – The beloved truck stop, a must-stop for late night shenanigans, breakfast food and, of course, a stop for a weary trucker looking for a quick bite to eat, has gotten a face lift and a new menu.
Completely gutted and renovated, the truck stop is barely recognizable as the Sandoval family has moved in to begin serving traditional Mexican fare, as well as breakfast.
Jefe’s by El Jaripeo is the third restaurant owned by the Sandoval family, with restaurants also located in Little Chute and Menasha.
Antonio, along with his sons Edgar and Christin, were approached to lease out the restaurant by the people that were renovating the space.
“Basically it was like, there’s this place in Waupaca, we’ll renovate it for you, lease it to you and we go from there,” Christin said.

The Sandoval family is originally from Guanajuato, Mexico and the youngest member of the family, Brandon, was born in Tennessee, where the family resided for about four years.
In Tennessee is where Antonio started in the restaurant business, working as a server for a family eatery.
They moved to Wisconsin to be closer to family, and for more opportunity, and they opened their first restaurant in 2006.
Christin said when they first moved to Wisconsin there was not a large Hispanic community, nor Hispanic products in grocery or big box stores like Wal-Mart.
The restaurant opened its doors just under two months ago, with big plans not only for the space but for the menu.
Part of the renovations included garage doors that will open up to allow for outdoor seating, with a space parceled off and lined with railing.
Serving starts at 6 a.m. goes until 11 a.m. They have a full breakfast menu, something that is new for the Sandoval family.
“We’re rebuilding the breakfast menu to get more into the breakfast concept to see how it works out,” Christin said. “Then, of course, our regular menu will stay the same.”
Christin said one of the more notable items on the menu is their molcajete bowl, which he said Mexican restaurants did not feature when they first came to Wisconsin in 2006.
“That was the first dish that became really popular in Appleton, and then from there everybody just kind of started doing their own molcajete plate,” Christin said. “I mean people would be coming down from Green Bay to get this.”
Edgar said the bacon smash burger is one of his favorites on the menu, along with the molcajete.
There is also a brand new bar in the restaurant, with two-for-one margaritas on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Christin said they are working on creating a drink menu, similar to what he has at La Patrona, the Mexican restaurant he owns with his wife in Oshkosh.
The drink menu will have classic cocktails, along with a variety of flavors of margarita.
Christin said they are working on getting a mixologist to work with to create a drink menu that people will enjoy.
Jefe’s by El Jaripeo is located at 1222 West Fulton St. They are open seven days a week.
They serve breakfast from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. and their lunch and dinner menu from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
You can find them on Facebook at Jefe’s by El Jaripeo or you can call them at 715-942-2144.