This Mexican restaurant owner in Fresno won a national award for independent businesses
A popular little Mexican restaurant in central Fresno has won second place in a national award contest celebrating independent restaurant owners.
El Cochinito Contento owner Martha Ortega won the award, for Independent Mexican Restaurant Owner of the Year, sponsored by Jarritos, the Mexican soda brand, and el Restaurante, a national magazine focused on Mexican restaurant owners and others.
El Cochinito Contento translates to The Happy Pig and its logo is a smiling little pig with a meat cleaver. The restaurant is on the edge of the Tower District, just west of Palm Avenue on Olive Avenue and has brightly painted walls, posters on the walls and a red fenced-in patio.
The 30-year-old restaurant is a neighborhood favorite, with its carnitas, fried fish and sopes popular sellers, along with its posole and menudo.
“The carnitas are delicious. They’re No. 1,” Ortega said.
The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and is run by Ortega and her husband Roy.
“I didn’t even know about it,” Ortega said of the award. “I was surprised. I was very surprised. My daughter was telling me, ‘Mom, you won the second place nationwide.’”
The restaurant received 26 nominations from customers and others. A Facebook post by her daughter likely helped this along, but Ortega, who said she doesn’t spend much time on social media, didn’t know about it until she won.
“I’m not on my phone a lot,” she said. “My girls are the ones who are always putting up the pictures of the restaurant.”
The award comes with a $2,500 check.
And it’s not the first award she’s won. She’s often donating to various fundraisers for police department or the California Highway Patrol.
“Martha is the community mom or tia (aunt). She openly gives so much more than just food – she provides a sense of pride and love in a community,” customer Ivette Lopez said in her nomination, shared by el Restaurante.
You can read more about Ortega on el Restaurante’s web page.
The first place winner of the contest was the owner of Alta Baja Market in Santa Ana and the third-place winner is the owner of a restaurant in Chicago.
Details: El Cochinito Contento is at 88 E. Olive Ave. Hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. 559-486-2833
This story was originally published September 22, 2021 at 4:45 PM.
