Exclusive | 2 new places to get Tri-Cities favorite. Cheesesteak maker opens restaurant
Over the past four years Mario Quintero has poured his heart and soul into building success for his family business, Brother’s Cheese Steaks, and now that hard work is paying off.
In just a few weeks they’ll be moving from the Pasco Specialty Kitchen into not just a place of their own, but a permanent Tri-Cities storefront, as well as a secondary spot in downtown Kennewick.
“It’s amazing, finally after four years here in the kitchen to have our own sit-down, that was the dream the whole way,” Quintero told the Tri-City Herald. “I’m finally here, I finally did it. It wasn’t easy, but we’re super excited to give Tri-Cities what I’ve been wanting to give them for four years.”
The Pasco Specialty Kitchen serves as an incubator for small businesses, offering space to launch and grow food-related companies. It often serves as a jumping off point until they can make the leap to a space of their own. Brother’s started at the kitchen in 2018 with just Quintero and a few family members.
The main location for their own restaurant will be at 8524 W. Gage Blvd., the old home of Indian Cuisine Express, next to the UPS Store across the street from Costco.
The second outlet will be in the Public Market at Columbia River Warehouse, in downtown Kennewick. The indoor market is open Thursday through Sunday weekly, and soon also will be home to Ice Harbor Brewing when it moves down the street this fall.
Quintero said they’ll prep their food at the Gage location for the market to start with, much like they currently do in the Pasco kitchen. Once the market launches its second phase, they’ll have access to a commercial kitchen there and will cook on site.
The public market is at 10 E. Bruneau Ave., but the entrance and parking is closer to the corner of Bruneau and North Beech Street.
Sandwich menu
A lot goes into making a good cheese steak, and even more goes into crafting their special twists on the traditional sandwich.
For years they’ve been having to prep and cook out of the kitchen, and then assemble sandwiches as customers arrived.
Quintero is especially excited to be able to offer made-to-order cheese steaks.
They’ll even have room for some dine-in options at the main restaurant, and he hopes to create a counter-type area where customers can eat at the public market.
One thing that’s not going to change though is his dedication to creating a cheese steak you can’t find anywhere else.
Brotherly love
“People love Brother’s for what we do on social media and our cheese steaks,” he said. “They’re a resemblance of ourselves and you ain’t gonna find cheese steaks like we serve up in Philly, but we can make anything you’d get there.”
They offer traditional Philadelphia-style cheese steaks, along with their own spin on the classic — from chili verde to a rib eye melt or chicken with barbecue sauce and habanero spicy onions, and even a steak, broccoli and cheese. Prices range from $12 to $13.50.
Anyone who follows Brother’s on social media knows how passionate Quintero is about his sandwiches, often traveling far and wide looking for the best of the best so he can bring that inspiration home to Tri-Cities.
“We couldn’t have made it this far without the love from the community,” Quintero said. “We look forward to the continued support and we’ll continue to make bomb cheese steaks.”
They hope to be open at the new locations soon, pending their county health inspection.
Quintero said they got their equipment and began setup before making the announcement, so he’s hopeful they’ll be able to launch the first full week of September. The market location may open the same weekend.
That also means if you have a craving for a cheese steak, you’ll want to get it now because they’ll be leaving the Pasco Specialty Kitchen around Aug. 24 to prepare for their restaurant launch.
This story was originally published August 12, 2022 at 11:37 AM.
