On occasion, good things can come from great tragedy.
Even great things.
A quarter-century ago, Maria Marroquin lost her husband, who died suddenly.
Out of sheer necessity, she started a small grocery in Steelton specializing in the food of her native Mexico. This way, she reasoned, she could support her three young children, while also caring for them when they were out of school.
So, she left her job as a cook for Marriott Corp. and opened Herby’s, which has grown to become one of the Harrisburg area’s favorite destinations for authentic Mexican cuisine.
“People ask me, ‘Why are you called Herby’s?'” said Marroquin. “I chose Herby’s because that was my husband’s name.”
A lot has changed since she first stocked the shelves with bags of tortillas and cans of black beans in her small store on Front Street.
In fact, Marroquin never intended to serve prepared food at all, but her customers, reveling in the odor of dishes she was preparing for her family, asked for a taste. Then they wanted to take some home. Then they wanted to sit there and eat it.
“I was cooking for the kids, and people came in and said, ‘Hey, what are you making?'” she said. “That’s how I got the idea.”
Almost by accident, a restaurant was born.
Soon, Herby’s had outgrown its cramped space with a few tables in the back of a store. So, in 1995, Marroquin moved up the hill, buying an old bar and grill in Bressler, a crossroads village now part of Swatara Township.
After a total renovation, Herby’s El Mexicano was born.
At first, leafy, residential Bressler may seem an unusual spot for a Mexican restaurant, and, approaching the location, one is struck by the sign and the exterior, both boldly, colorfully designed in Mexican style.
The interior decor continues the theme, transporting diners to another land—and then there’s the food.
Herby’s is authentically Mexican, which sets it apart from the many Tex-Mex franchises that have spread like locusts into suburban strip malls.
Marroquin is there every day, all day, supervising each operation and dish. It’s where the area’s large Latino community dines—and the place, increasingly, sought out by people demanding more sophisticated, authentic flavors.
Yes, Herby’s has what you might expect from a Mexican restaurant: burritos, enchiladas and fajitas—all made from scratch every day and superior to what you might find elsewhere.
But Marroquin urges her patrons to try what her Mexican customers like, dishes like sope (a thick tortilla with savory vegetable and meat toppings), carnitas (a heavily seasoned, slow-roasted, succulent pork dish), posole (an ages-old Mexican corn and meat soup) or even tacos made in true Mexican style (soft tortilla, meat, onions, cilantro and salsa).
If you’ve never been there before, you may want to start at Herby’s inexpensive lunch buffet. There, you can sample a variety of dishes—so you’ll know what to order when you return for a full dinner, perhaps over a top-shelf margarita or glass of sangria.
“I have many customers who say to me, ‘Why did it take me so long to try something different?'” said Marroquin. “And then they want that same dish, over and over again.”
Herby’s El Mexicano Restaurant
720 Main St., Harrisburg (Bressler)
717-939-0624
