After a fair bit of research, we think we’ve got a scoop here: This humble corner joint, opened in 1916 in a residential neighborhood of Galveston, is the oldest continuously operating Mexican restaurant in America. While Tuscon’s El Charro is often awarded that crown by national media, El Charro actually opened in 1922, although it does have the unique distinction of having been continuously owned by the same family; the Original has changed hands four or five times over the past century.

But for the straight-out senior-Mexican-restaurant crown, this is still the winner, beating out such formidable competitors as El Fenix in Dallas (1918), El Cholo in Los Angeles (1923), and Casa Río in San Antonio (1946).

Humility, comfort, and good feelings dominate the Original’s Tex-Mex vibe, beginning with the canonical Tex-Mex dish: delicious beef enchiladas, with proper melted cheddar and good chili gravy—exactly as they should be. Picadillo in crispy tacos is well spiced, making the tacos above average; this is also due to the very thin, extremely crispy masa shell, which also informs the excellent tortilla chips that start off the meal with good kicked-up salsa). A queso puff also gets the job done, benefiting from that same crispiness, but it also has a short half-life.

There are also some things that might be improved upon after nearly a century of operation: the gobs of bland sour cream, for instance, that smother an already bad chalupa. (Sour cream has been mostly banished to the northeast United States, and it has no place in our ideal vision of Tex-Mex.) A tamal could also be better; it tastes mostly of the chili gravy, and it is not very moist. Guacamole comes mushy and underseasoned, and beans and rice underflavored because of lack of lard or distinguishable stock. Vegetables help the rice somewhat, but can’t rescue them. Why must so many of these classic Tex-Mex restaurants insist on not using lard, as they did historically? Health concerns be damned; it’s a terrible decision.

But props for the friendly if slightly goofy service (your iced tea will be refilled with verve), and for the cheery, brightly colored interior, which reminds us of Mardi Gras. It’s made even cheerier by the reliable crowd; both rooms are lively by 11:30am on a Tuesday. This restaurant should be on Galveston’s historic register.

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