Deep in the brush country of South Texas, 58 miles southeast of Laredo, is Hebbronville, home of vaqueros (cowboys), ranches and Hillcrest Tortillas. This family- owned business began in 2001 as a backroom venture in a mom- and-pop grocery store. Hillcrest now produces 10,000 flour tortillas and 4,000 tamales per day, sold out of their retail location and distributed within a 150-mile radius to almost 100 customers, including school districts, restaurants, convenience stores, taquerias (taco stands) and grocery stores.
Patricia and Bryan Gonzalez Jr. had managed Hillcrest Grocery in Hebbronville for several years when, faced with having to pay for their children’s college educations, they decided to prepare breakfast for grocery store customers as well. They made homestyle flour tortillas from scratch and used a back room at the grocery store to produce them.
After serving their breakfast customers, the Gonzalezes found them- selves with extra tortillas. They put these extra tortillas in poly bags to sell. The tortillas flew off the shelves, and they realized they had more customers than extra packages. Soon they began producing more tortillas for retail than for breakfast tacos.
By 2003, Hillcrest Tortillas had outgrown the back room of the grocery store and relocated the production center to a small retail space in the center of town. Here they also began making tamales to further their quest to offer products reflecting a “dying art in the Hispanic culture.”
TEX-MEX What began as a side founded the Terlingua business has evolved into a major International Championship Chili investment for Hillcrest Tortillas, to the tune of 10,000 tortillas and 4,000 tamales per day.
Tamales originated in Mexico and Central America as early as 8000–5000 BC. The Aztec and Mayan civiliza- tions used tamales as a “portable” food for armies, hunters and travelers. The fillings included turkey, flamingo, frog and gopher. Tamales were introduced in the United States at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 — with more traditional fillings!
Today Hillcrest Tortillas is in a new 7,200-square- foot facility on Highway 16, just south of Hebbronville, that serves as both a production center and retail store. They have 18 employees and three delivery trucks and have expanded, once again, to offer fresh-baked goods. The production center has machines to create and cook the tortillas, a tamale room to prepare and combine the masa (corn-based dough) and fillings (meats, cheeses, beans, etc.) for wrapping in corn husks, and employs pastry chefs, including a panadero (a baker who specializes in Mexican pastries) to supply their baked goods each morning.
With the holiday season approaching, tama- les will be in high demand with Christmas Eve orders totaling 30,000 tamales. Christmas orders are shipped all over the world at a cost of $8-$9.50 per dozen plus shipping costs. Varieties include pork, chicken, pork/beef combo, cream cheese w/ jalapenos, bean, bean/cheese and bean/cheese/jalapenos. During the holiday season and, upon special request, raisins are included in the meat varieties to add a touch of sweetness. Phone orders are accepted.
Patricia Gonzales, an educator and administra- tor in Hebbronville for 28 years, retired in 2012 and now manages Hillcrest Tortillas. Bryan, meanwhile is also involved in the day-to-day operation of the company along with two other businesses, Hillcrest Grocery and Bryan’s Stop & Shop convenience store. They both serve on the Jim Hogg County Historical Commission and with the Hebbronville Museum Foundation.
