Don Leon is back on the Highlands food scene.
With the opening of his new restaurant on Dillard Road, in the former Magnolia Republic location, Leon has restarted his mission of serving quality food at a palatable price point.
“I want to be the place in Highlands where people can come and have a good lunch and afford to come back tomorrow,” Leon said. “We do a high-volume business, so we order a high volume of food and that helps us keep prices down. Nothing on our menu is over $15 and that’s how I’m going to keep it.”
Leon, whose birth name is Leon Hananel, has been a fixture in Highlands for 25 years – albeit with a brief break for an ill-fated retirement in between.
“We started Don Leon’s Deli (where Los Vaqueros is today) and it was a hit, people loved coming in and having lunch and we were very successful,” Leon said. “When we decided to retire it was a hard choice. We spent a few years driving across the country, going from place to place in our RV, but ultimately there was no place like Highlands and we decided to come back.”
“I love to cook and I love seeing the people, so retirement wasn’t for me.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Leon and his wife Susan Cox opened a food truck outside the High Dive on Carolina Way. Business grew quickly and Leon, who just celebrated his 81st birthday, got the itch to reopen a brick-and-mortar restaurant.
That’s when he connected with the former owner of Magnolia Republic and learned that the business was for sale.
“We negotiated a little bit and finally came to a price that made sense, so we bought it and began the renovations,” Leon said. “We wanted people to come in and feel at home, so there’s no fancy furnishings or pretentious things. Just a nice, classy place to have a good lunch.”
Don Leon’s menu features Greek classics like souvlaki, a fish pita, and of course a Greek salad, alongside American staples like a cheeseburger and a barbecue sandwich.
The restaurant, at 462 Dillard Road, is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Takeout orders can be placed by calling 828-482-1513.