Anita's Tortilleria, a corn tortilla and masa shop on East Jefferson Street in downtown Brownsville, Texas, traces its start to the early 1950s, when Ester Limon began making corn tortillas by hand, according to the business's website (opens in new tab). The sources differ on the exact year: the Texas Historical Commission and one section of the shop's site give 1952, while the site's About page and the shop's Brownsville Chamber of Commerce listing give 1953. The Texas Historical Commission lists the shop, as Anita's Tortilleria y Comida, established in 1952, among the 2023 recipients (opens in new tab) of its Texas Treasure Business Award, which goes to Texas businesses that have operated continuously for at least 50 years (opens in new tab).
The tortillería has had three sets of owners, the shop says. Limon's daughter, Irema, and son-in-law, Beto Medrano, took it over in 1982. The current owners, who are not named on the site, acquired it in 2009 and renamed it Anita's Gourmet Tortilleria y Comida. Its listing with the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce (opens in new tab) describes it as the oldest tortillería in the city to operate without a break.
The shop says it still follows Limon's process, cooking dry whole-grain white corn with food-grade calcium lime and adding no preservatives. Besides corn tortillas, it lists taco-size tortillas, chips fried in canola oil and pure corn masa, which it sells to customers who make their own tamales. It also makes tamales, including a version made with olive oil instead of lard, and serves breakfast and lunch through a drive-thru and walk-up window.
According to the chamber listing, the shop sits in the Mitte Cultural District near the Gladys Porter Zoo and opens at 6 a.m. every day. The business says it also sells at a local farmers market on Saturdays and is licensed by the Texas Department of State Health Services as a food manufacturer.
Anita's Tortilleria