‘Taste of the glory’: Wrestling-themed Mexican restaurant opening in Johnson County

A muralist’s hand swoops downward, a fuzz of orange paint outlining the emerging portrait of a masked man.

More lucha libre heroes cover the side of El Luchador, a soon-to-open restaurant named after the acrobatic, Spandex and mask-wearing Mexican wrestlers Manuel Oregel grew up watching.

His business, which will serve authentic Mexican food like street tacos and fried empanadas, will open on Sunday, Cinco de Mayo.

“If there’s any day you wanna open, what bigger day than Cinco de Mayo?” Oregel said. “Everyone’s looking for a Mexican restaurant.”

Oregel owns a granite and marble countertop business down the road in Gardner. Perhaps his eye for interior design has helped him put together his new restaurant at 219 Main St., which is enveloped in bright colors — much like wrestlers’ tights and capes.

“Have you seen ‘Nacho Libre?’” Oregel asked, referring to the 2006 movie starring Jack Black, in which a friar wrestles to earn extra money for his orphanage. While in the ring, he must keep his identity secret to avoid scandalizing parishioners.

“The wrestlers … never reveal who they are,” Oregel said. “Even in interviews, they leave the mask on.”

Luchadores often pass their masks onto their children, who will keep the character alive in the ring after their parents’ retirement. Much like in American wrestling, luchadores must pin their opponents to the mat.

(And by the way, Nacho Libre is based on a real luchador. Fray Tormenta wrestled from 1976 to 2000 to support his orphanage in Texcoco.)

Oregel hopes his food will pack a punch, too. He’ll be serving up scratch-made birria and tomatillo salsa.

His mother, Valentina, is the cook. She’ll craft Oregel’s favorite food from childhood — recipes popular in Jalisco, Mexico, where she’s from.

“All my recipes are from her,” Oregel said. “She’s the one that’s been teaching me.”

To convey the theme, Oregel has hired Isaac Tapia and Rodrigo Alvarez of IT-RA Icons to paint the business inside and out.

Famous luchadores like El Santo and Blue Demon stand tall in a caged arena, their sparkling capes rippling behind them.

“Our shirts say, ‘Taste of the glory,’” Oregel said. “That’s what I’m excited for. For people to enjoy the food we’re doing.”

Oregel’s restaurant is just down the road from Groundhouse and The Forge, a new speakeasy that opened in downtown Gardner in March.

For now, Oregel’s team is still trying to decide the hours. After opening day, tentatively, it’ll be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.