Hacienda Mexican Restaurant in Anchorage and Wasilla, Alaska

Making authentic Mexican food has been Basilio Gallo’s life story and passion. Raised by cattle and corn farmers in Mexico, he came to the United States in 1973 and worked his way from dishwasher to line cook.

In 1986, Basilio visited family in Anchorage and found a place to call home. Hacienda grew from a one-man operation into an Alaska institution — and today the family tradition lives on in two kitchens, Anchorage and Wasilla.