Authentic Mexican Food at La Juanita
With its affordable menu options, late-night snacks, and daily specials, the restaurant has unarguably become a favored eating spot among BVU students over the years.
La Juanita opened its doors in Storm Lake in 2002 and quickly became one of the most well-known, popular restaurants in the area.
“At La Juanita, customers are served authentic Mexican food that comes from family recipes and is made with the freshest ingredients available,” said Jennifer Calderon, who is the daughter of the restaurant’s owners, Victor and Christina Bautista.
With its affordable menu options, late-night snacks, and daily specials, the restaurant has unarguably become a favored eating spot among BVU students over the years.
“We love that BVU students consider La Juanita a top hangout,” said Calderon. “It’s really cool that people of all ages and cultures love our restaurant so much.”
Family-owned and operated, the restaurant was named after Christina Bautista’s older sister, Juanita, who started a food truck in California in the 1970s. After operating the food truck for more than 20 years, the Bautista family moved to Iowa in the mid-1990s and opened its first La Juanita restaurant in Sioux City. Several years later, the family established its Storm Lake restaurant, followed by locations in South Sioux City and Le Mars.
“We love that BVU students consider La Juanita a top hangout. It’s really cool that people of all ages and cultures love our restaurant so much.”
- Jennifer Calderon
Open seven days a week, La Juanita has built its reputation on fresh, made-to-order, authentic Mexican food. Top menu items include burritos, tacos, fajitas, chimichangas, quesadillas, and much more.
In fact, La Juanita has claimed several accolades over recent years. In a February 2013 readers’ poll released by Esquire Magazine, the restaurant came in fifth place for having “the most life-changing burrito in America.” The restaurant has also received top honors in the Sioux City Journal’s annual Siouxland’s Choice Awards listing, as well as KCAU’s yearly Siouxland’s Ultimate Awards lineup.
“Though we have several fan favorites, people can’t get enough of our burritos,” said Calderon, who is the restaurant’s morning manager.
The restaurant has served a handful of famous faces over the years, including Alton Brown, actor and host of Food Network’s Good Eats; and Katie Couric, television host and journalist. There’s also a photo of Victor Bautista with President Barack Obama hanging in two of the restaurant’s locations. The photo was taken back in 2012 when La Juanita catered for one of the president’s campaign pit stops in Sioux City.
“My family has put their heart and soul into this restaurant,” added Calderon. “Our workers, too, have put so much of their lives into making La Juanita what it is today.”