Who owns Locos Bar & Cocina?

Locos Bar & Cocina is owned by Jesse and Lisa Marquez. Jesse was born in Mexico and Lisa was born in Los Angeles. They met and started their family at age 18, and after Jesse retired as a roofing contractor, they followed their dream of opening a Mexican restaurant in April 2021.

When did Locos Bar & Cocina open?

Locos Bar & Cocina opened in April 2021 when the opportunity came to Jesse and Lisa Marquez to follow their passion and dream of owning a Mexican restaurant.

Why did Jesse and Lisa open Locos Bar & Cocina?

Jesse and Lisa wanted to share their love for Mexican culture through delicious recipes passed down for generations. After Jesse retired as a roofing contractor and having built over 30 years of memories in Lake Havasu, they decided to follow their passion and dream of owning a Mexican restaurant.

How long have Jesse and Lisa been in Lake Havasu?

Jesse and Lisa have been visiting and building memories in Lake Havasu for over 30 years since discovering it in the late 1980s through Jesse's passion for fishing.

What does the Locos slogan 'Where being a little crazy is OK' mean?

The slogan reflects Jesse and Lisa's journey and philosophy. From their humble beginnings riding a Goodwill bike to prenatal visits with Lisa 8 months pregnant on the handlebars, to opening their dream restaurant, they embrace that sometimes you have to be a little 'loco' (crazy) to achieve your dreams.

How can I contact the owners of Locos Bar & Cocina?

You can reach Jesse Marquez directly at 714-795-7352 to share your dining experience or provide feedback. You can also email Lisa at lisa@locosbarandcocina.com.

Where are Locos Bar & Cocina restaurants located?

Locos has two locations in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. The Swanson location is at 150 Swanson Ave (open daily 11AM-9PM) and the Northside location is at 3620 London Bridge Rd (open Tuesday-Sunday 11AM-9PM, closed Mondays).

How Our Journey Began

Our fireworks begin the day we met on 4th of July in 1986

A man and woman in swimwear smile at the camera at a crowded outdoor lakeside event, with boats, people, and a lively Mexican restaurant scene in the background. — Photo taken at Sandbar, Lake Havasu city 1986

Our journey began with humble beginnings.
Jesse, born in Mexico, and Lisa, born in Los Angeles, met and started our family at the young age of 18.

We had a baby before we even owned a vehicle.

But that didn’t stop us from getting our first mode of transportation — a ten-speed bike from Goodwill.

Lisa was 8 months pregnant, riding on the handlebars while Jesse pedaled us to her prenatal visits.

Our beginnings leave us constantly in shock and proud at the same time of how far we have come as a pair.

We are proud parents of three children.

Krystal, our firstborn and the child that survived those early bumps in the road with us, is now a School Counselor.

She and our son-in-law, John, have blessed us with three beautiful grandchildren: Johnny, Jesse, and Jack.

Our son, Andrew, serves our Country as a Maritime Enforcement Specialist 1st Class for the US Coast Guard and lives in Georgia with his wife Courtney.

Our youngest, Brooke, graduated from Northwestern University in Communications and Marketing.

As we grew, Jesse found a passion for fishing which introduced us to the beautiful Lake Havasu in the late 80’s.

We’ve built core memories for the past 30+ years here in Havasu.
From fishing tournaments to family reunions, partying in Copper Canyon to the Sand Bar and the good ole Hussongs — when it was still around.

We have seen the changes over the decades and have built lifelong friendships in Havasu.

When Jesse retired as a roofing contractor, we decided to follow a passion and dream about owning a Mexican Restaurant.

We wanted to show our love for our Mexican culture through delicious recipes brought down by generations.

When this opportunity came our way in April of 2021, we knew it was meant to be and went full force on living that dream.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story.

We truly appreciate you stopping in to dine at our home away from home and hope that your experience was a great one.

All of us here at Locos continually strive to make your dining experience a memorable one.

If you’d like to share your great experience or help Locos achieve additional success, we ask that you reach out to Jesse himself at 714-795-7352 and share your story.

Thank you,
Jesse & Lisa Marquez
Where being a little crazy is OK!