El Nopal, a growing and popular chain of Mexican family restaurants, has opened along the Dixie Highway corridor in the City of Erlanger. El Nopal is located at 3218 Dixie Highway in the building that formerly housed Salvadore's restaurant.
When did El Nopal open?
Velasco's brothers, Javier and Ruben Velasco, are partners with him in the El Nopal restaurants. Their first business venture, the popular El Nopal restaurant at 8007 Indiana 311 in Sellersburg, opened in December 2005. At 6,000 square feet, the restaurant seats 225 people and employs about 12 to 14 workers.
What is El Nopal?
Nopal (from the Nahuatl word nohpalli [noʔˈpalːi] for the pads of the plant) is a common name in Spanish for Opuntia cacti (commonly referred to in English as prickly pear), as well as for its pads. Nopales are generally sold fresh in Mexico, cleaned of thorns, and sliced to the customer's desire on the spot.