Dr. Ana‑Maria Jaramillo’s influence in DC extends well beyond her role as a restaurateur. As a bilingual pediatric speech‑language pathologist and founder of The Voz Institute, she supports families across the District while staying closely connected to her heritage. Her story represents the spirit of National Hispanic Heritage Month — highlighting identity, community, and the many ways culture shapes daily life.

One of those stories is La Tejana, her neighborhood restaurant in Mount Pleasant that has become one of DC’s most celebrated food spots. Known for authentic Tex‑Mex breakfast tacos, it reflects traditions Jaramillo grew up with. What began as a pandemic‑era side project has transformed into an award‑winning fast‑casual restaurant recognized with three Michelin Bib Gourmand awards and Favorite Fast‑Casual Restaurant at the 2025 RAMMYs.

Behind the tortillas and tacos is a much broader narrative — one shaped equally by heritage, community care, and the drive that Jaramillo says she’s had “since childhood.”

Roots on Both Sides of the Border
Jaramillo spent her earliest years in Monterrey, Mexico before her family immigrated to McAllen, Texas, a place where Tex‑Mex food was woven into daily life. “Breakfast tacos were just… normal for us,” she said. “They weren’t trendy; they were culture, memory, and comfort.”

Moving to DC in adulthood magnified that nostalgia. “You don’t realize how much places shape you until you leave,” she said. “I took breakfast tacos for granted until they weren’t everywhere.”

Building The Voz Institute: Serving DC’s Bilingual Families
Long before La Tejana, Jaramillo established The Voz Institute, her pediatric bilingual speech-language pathology clinic serving primarily Latino immigrant families and Medicaid patients.

“There are so few bilingual speech pathologists…only six percent nationwide,” she said. “I knew I couldn’t be the only one supporting DC’s bilingual children. I started hiring Latina clinicians, building a team, and expanding our services.”

Her clinic has since grown into a 3,200‑square‑foot center offering speech, occupational, physical, and feeding therapy. “We’re rocking and rolling,” she said. “We have a waitlist. The demand is high.”

As her family expanded, she learned to balance ambition with sustainability. “I realized I physically and emotionally couldn’t do it all,” she said. “I had to delegate — and that has been beautiful in its own way.”

La Tejana: A Story of Heritage and Heart
La Tejana began during the pandemic not with tacos, but tortillas.

“Everyone was making sourdough. We were making flour tortillas,” she said. “I told my family, ‘These are actually good. We should sell them.’”

Their apartment became a small-scale tortilla operation, selling 800 tortillas a weekend on Instagram.

Then came the tacos. “We did our first pop‑up and sold 500 tacos,” she said. “People were asking when we’d be back — so we came back the next weekend. And the next.”

Pop‑ups took them across DC — Adams Morgan, Ivy City, Northeast — wherever there was space. “Pop‑up life is not for the weak,” she said. “We woke up at 3 a.m. every Saturday, cooked off-site, and hoped for good weather. But the community kept showing up.”

Two years and hundreds of pop‑ups later, La Tejana opened a storefront in Mount Pleasant, the neighborhood Jaramillo’s family lived in and loved.

A Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration Rooted in Identity
For Jaramillo, Hispanic heritage is inseparable from La Tejana’s menu.

“My upbringing is woven into every taco,” she said. “Every recipe, every ingredient — it’s all connected to Northern Mexico and Texas.”

She encourages customers to engage with that history. “People ask why we don’t sell burritos or corn tortillas, and I explain the history — how northern Mexico was influenced by Arab pitas, how flour tortillas became our tradition. It’s cultural storytelling through food.”

Mount Pleasant, she says, made the dream possible. “This neighborhood embraced us early. It’s not just where we operate …it’s our community.”

A Place Built by Family, For Community
More than awards or expansion, Jaramillo’s priority is preserving the meaning behind the work.

“I want people to see that food is a vessel for community,” she said. “I want them to understand our immigrant story, our Texas roots, and what it means to lean on your people.”

From early‑morning pop‑ups to Michelin recognition, La Tejana remains grounded in authenticity, humility, and heart. “Food is how we show love,” she said. “It’s how we build community.”

And in Mount Pleasant, that community continues to grow — one warm tortilla at a time.