Rita Baca of Rita's Mexican Food remembered as Pueblo culinary icon

Rita Baca was skeptical when her husband Ruben first pitched the idea of opening a restaurant, but her culinary talents soon made her a household name revered by Pueblo residents and visitors alike.

The namesake and head chef of Rita's Mexican Food, 302 N. Grand Ave., died on Thursday, Dec. 7 at the age of 77. Rita worked at the restaurant for 14 hours, six days each week. When she wasn't in the kitchen preparing some of Pueblo's favorite dishes, she could be seen visiting with restaurant patrons.

Despite her busy schedule, Rita was "always there" for her five children, 14 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, according to her eldest daughter Carla Romero.

"(Rita was) all of our best friends... If it wasn't for her helping with our kids, I don't know what we would have done," Romero said. "She helped us with everything."

Rita before 'Rita's'

Rita, a 1964 graduate of Central High School, was born on July 7, 1946, and grew up in the Harlem area of Pueblo — a close-knit community on Colorado Fuel and Iron Company grounds.

She learned to make tamales with her grandmother Isabel and often cooked for her brothers Carlos, Louie and Toby while her parents Carlos and Theresa Sisneros were at work. In 1965, Rita met Ruben Baca, a 1961 graduate of East High School, at the Anchor Inn tavern. The two married on July 13, 1968.

In May 1975, Rita, Ruben and their 4-year-old son Joseph were photographed by the Chieftain. The family is seen holding rosaries at a shrine inside their East Side home.

"The parents recite the Rosary every day," according to the photo's caption. "Joseph says prayers and attends Mass with his parents as does their daughter, Carla Marie, 7 months old."

Before becoming culinary royalty in Pueblo, Rita was an office worker at the Colorado Laundry. She helped start St. John Neumann Catholic School and began serving on its 10-member board of directors in 1977.

When Rita had spare time, she helped out with her mother-in-law Lola's catering business. Once Lola retired, Rita and Ruben took over. In a February 1984 Chieftain story, Ruben recalled a day when Rita shared her green chile recipe with Lola.

"My mother looked at her and said, 'You know, you are a better cook than I am,'" Ruben said. "So I knew there was some potential there, because my mother was considered a very good cook."

By 1978, Ruben had worked with the City of Pueblo Housing Authority for over a decade and decided it was time for a change. He pitched the idea of starting a restaurant to his wife while the two were stopped at a traffic light.

"I didn’t want to (open a restaurant)," Rita told the Chieftain in January 2020. “My husband thought we could do it.”

'Everything she cooked was amazing'

Rita's Mexican Food opened at 1917 Northern Ave. in August 1978. After less than a year on Northern Avenue, Rita's Mexican Food was moved to its current Downtown location — the site of a former gas station.

From the beginning, the restaurant was a family-friendly establishment that never served alcohol. Instead, early clientele was built with deals like morning doughnuts and coffee for 27 cents. The restaurant continues to offer complimentary donuts each morning while coffee is $1.80 plus tax.

Then there's the main menu — a selection of tacos, enchiladas, burritos, tostadas, breakfast items, house specials and more that have kept customers coming back for decades.

"These are my mom’s and my grandmother’s recipes and now some of my recipes," Rita told the Chieftain in 2020.

Outside the restaurant, Rita made Christmas Eve Pozole and sweet rice for her family. She also made excellent fried chicken and spaghetti.

"Everything she cooked was amazing," Carla said.

Over the course of 45 years, all of Rita's children have worked at the restaurant. Most of the grandchildren have worked there too. Ruben helped manage the restaurant and was often seen behind the counter before his January 2005 death.

Tom Flores, a Super Bowl-winning head coach and pro football's first Hispanic starting quarterback, has eaten at Rita's Mexican Food. James Edward Olmos, an actor who stared in "Miami Vice," "Stand and Deliver," and "Selena" also has dined there.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis' affinity for the enchiladas, tacos and menudo at Rita's Mexican Food has been documented by the Chieftain. The governor has made several visits to the restaurant and even called Rita days before her death.

"(Polis) actually called her just this week to check and see how she was," Carla said on Dec. 8.

Up until last year, Rita was still in the kitchen as head chef of Rita's Mexican Food. With 15 years of experience cooking alongside her, Carla and Rita's son Michael have since taken over cooking duties.

A lifelong Catholic, Rita was a eucharistic minister and a member of the Council of Catholic Women at St. Joseph Catholic Church, according to her obituary by Angelus Chapel Mortuaries. She also earned the title of board member emeritus at St. John Neumann Catholic School.

Rita also enjoyed visiting the Fraternal Order of Eagles aerie at 704 Elmhurst Place with family. A funeral mass for Rita will be held at 2 p.m. on Dec. 14 at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. A rosary recitation before the service will be held at 1:30 p.m.

Instead of flowers, donations in Rita's name may be made to St. John Neumann Catholic School and Sangre de Cristo Hospice, according to her obituary. Rita's Mexican Food will be closed until Monday, Dec. 18.

Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached at JBartolo@gannett.com. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Rita Baca, namesake of Rita's Mexican Food in Pueblo, dies at 77