El Pescador’s unique history began in Mexico with the marriage of Carlos and Isidra Ortiz. The pair quickly began to grow their family, and welcomed eleven sons over the course of twenty years: Manuel, Raul, Jesus, Carlos, Abel, Gustavo, Vicente, Horacio, Victor and Alejandro. Carlos and Isidra gave their children a humble upbringing that highlighted the importance of family unity, hard work, and tenacity.
In the early 80s their eldest son, Manuel, immigrated to Los Angeles, California with little more than a dream to bring authentic Mexican food to the area. By 1983 the Ortiz family was reunited, and together they opened the doors to a modest restaurant in Bell Gardens, California they called El Pescador. The community embraced the restaurant—and the brothers.
Over the years the number of El Pescador locations grew, as did the Ortiz family. The virtues of family unity and hard work that Carlos and Isidra instilled in their sons were passed on to the next generation. Today, El Pescador restaurants are operated by the Ortiz brothers and their children.