MIDWAY, Ky. (LEX 18) — Owning a restaurant has been a long-time dream for Juan Garcia.
Ever since he was a child.
He immigrated to the United States from Mexico.
“My father actually came from Mexico, Jalisco, when I was about four years old. He was actually working at a McDonald’s," Garcia said. "He’d walk six miles to work every day and then back home just to be able to save up enough money to bring my mother and I to the United States.”
Garcia got the passion for the food industry as honestly as his father's work ethic.
The Garcia's have multiple restaurants in the area, including Don Jockey in Midway.
A spot billed as the first authentic Mexican restaurant in the city, Garcia wanted to bring a mixture of traditional dishes with a unique twist on flavor.
“We have dishes all the way from Puebla, Mexico, to Jalisco. Some dishes from Mexico City," Garcia said. “We decided Midway was the kind of place we wanted to be in because of the community. Just all the locals know each other. Everyone’s looking out for each other.”
Those locals didn't take long to accept Don Jockey into the community.
Customers like Candie Hurst call the spot her favorite place to eat in town.
“I love this place. The service is great. We love coming here on our dates. Very homey but at the same time classy," Hurst said. “The shrimp tacos are amazing. Different, creative. The sauce they put on it. The way it’s set up and plated. It’s great.”
Are you wondering where the name Don Jockey came from?
You won't be asking for long once you walk through the doors.
The restaurant's walls are adorned with murals, sketches, and other art pieces paying homage to horse jockeys.
Garcia felt they can often go unappreciated in the industry.
“A lot of the artwork we have is for the jockeys that are usually from Central and South America. We’re trying to pay them tribute for what they do for the horse community," Garcia said. "That’s why we came up with the name Don Jockey. In English, it translates to Mr. Jockey.”
Jacob Proffit is one of many customers who appreciate the atmosphere of Don Jockey, calling it modern and authentic at the same time.
“I pretty much come at least once a week. Pretty much what we have is either a McDonald’s or a nice sit-down restaurant, and this is one of the ones I really enjoy," Proffit said.
It is safe to say the community enjoys the restaurant, but recently, that care went beyond stopping by for lunch.
Those loyal customers came together to support the Don Jockey team after they lost one of their own.
“A few months ago, we had an employee that passed away. All the establishments and all the neighborhoods, everyone came together, and we figured out what we needed to do to help out that family," Garcia said. "It made me realize, ‘Wow, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than Midway.’”
Don Jockey is located at 121 East Main Street in downtown Midway.
They're open every day starting at 11 a.m.
If you want to learn more about Don Jockey, click here.
