Sometime in the mid 1960s, David and Leticia Cardenas snuck across the border from Mexico to the United States. They were frightened, but filled with hopes and dreams of honest work, a paycheck and, in their wildest imagination, perhaps even a home for the family they planned to have. They hoped their children could get a good education, start a business and successfully cut their slice from the American pie. In short, they had the same aspirations as most immigrants.

I’m happy to report, all their reverie came true.

David and Celso Cardenas were born in the Los Angeles area, thus securing their U.S. citizenship before the family returned to Mexico. They moved to the Enumclaw region when they were 15 and 12 years old, respectively. They already had an older brother here.

The first job David ever had was washing dishes and swabbing tables in the Mazatlan restaurant. He went to Enumclaw High School and planned to become a state patrolman but, while waiting to attend the police academy, he started working construction and this proved so rewarding he gave up his law enforcement ambitions.

Eight years ago, Dave and Celso opened their own business, D and C Roofing. The operation proved quite successful. They serve the Bonney Lake/Enumclaw area and handle all kinds of projects, whether composition, cedar shakes, skylights or flat roofs.

Then, five years ago the brothers bought the El Camino restaurant from Leon Hernandez. This was a rather risky investment because, counting Taco Time, there were already four Mexican restaurants in town. Furthermore, they knew absolutely nothing about the restaurant business.

Today, Dave and Celso know everything about it. They learned quite a lot from their loyal and knowledgeable staff, both full-time and part-time, and they want to extend a heartfelt thanks to all these employees because the enterprise never would have survived without their help.

In the last few years, the brothers have extensively remodeled the place, especially the lounge. It has a fully-stocked bar with 35 kinds of tequila. Yeah, you read that correctly, 35 kinds of tequila. If the ol’ cactus juice is one of your personal favorites, this place is the mother lode!