20 | HUNTSVILLE LIVING | JULY 2025
ALL-AROUND RESTAURANT
Rodeo Mexican Restaurant & Bar
A fire can destroy a life and business in a matter of minutes, but Delfina Perez didn’ t let it destroy her.
A fire at Rodeo Mexican Restaurant and Bar on the night of Jan. 17, 2012 destroyed the building, the contents and the livelihood of Delfina and Otilio“ Tilio” Perez at the original location on Highway 75 North. The business had been at the location for nearly 10 years.
The business was opened by Delfina’ s sister, Joba Jaimes, in 2003. Following the fire, Jaimes had no interest in rebuilding the business. Delfina, however, had a family to raise with her husband and making the restaurant work was their life.
“ It was the only thing I knew,” said Delfina in 2016.
It took Delfina and Otilio three weeks to find a new location and three months to get Rodeo up and running.
“ I wanted my kids to go to college and have a life to look forward to,” Delfina said, looking back at the years she has been in business.
20 | HUNTSVILLE LIVING | JULY 2025