A fine example is Casa Juanico, a nearly 100-year-old establishment founded in 1929 that has won over practically every Zaragoza resident with its wide range of tapas. Among them, the jamón con chorreras stands out, particularly for the balance between its crisp exterior and juicy filling.
THE ORIGINS OF THE ESTABLISHMENT
Casa Juanico is located at 21 Calle de la Santa Cruz and is currently run by Inmensa Eventos, headed by manager Fran López. They took over the business in September 2024 as a way to expand their experience and brand in the hospitality sector.
Before that, the establishment was run for 25 years by Michel Velasco. Before him came the venue’s great pioneers: Rogelia Jaime, her husband Esteban and her father-in-law, Juan Pérez. The latter was Casa Juanico’s original founder, until Rogelia and Esteban took over. In fact, the bar’s name comes from Juan himself, as López explains: “Juanico” was the first person to set the bar on its journey, first on Calle Santiago and then here a few years later.
This establishment has won over its customers’ palates. Photos: Liberto Iglesias
Juan, Rogelia and Esteban together account for 70 years of management, along with countless tapas and visitors. And although Casa Juanico was popular from the outset, gaining fame through word of mouth at the time and even attracting some members of high society, its golden age would not arrive until 1967, with the creation of the jamón con chorreras, now the establishment’s signature tapa.
A TAPA BORN FROM A CRAVING
According to Fran López, the jamón con chorreras was born from “a pregnancy craving Rogelia had, which led her husband to prepare her a tapa with York ham, cheese and egg, all covered in a light fried batter. What began as a craving eventually ended up being served at the bar, and it was a success.”
The “chorreras” come from the trail left by the cheese as it melts with the ham and egg when the batter is coated and fried. As a result, when you bite into the tapa, it leaves that trail as a small surprise. And although it may seem simple to prepare, López says that one of the keys to Rogelia’s original recipe, which is still used today, lies in the batter—and, of course, that secret remains closely guarded. “This recipe carries a very great responsibility for us, so we have tried to preserve it and follow it as Rogelia instructed us. We have stayed in contact with her, so we make it almost exactly as she did,” says the Inmensa Eventos manager.
Casa Juanico is located on Calle de la Santa Cruz
A VERY POSITIVE RECEPTION
As Fran López points out, “alongside the tapas, we offer several portions, we are also a vermouth bar, and we have a weekday set menu and a tasting menu. So we want to make it clear that we offer something for practically every type of customer.”
Just as they offer a wide range of services, they also have an extensive selection of tapas in addition to the jamón con chorreras: the gilda, the Guardia Civil served on a skewer rather than on bread, stuffed eggs, cod tacos—the second-best-selling tapa—salt-cured cod loin, cod cheeks and raw cod marinated in oil, to name just a few.
This impact has led to a journey that, López explains affectionately, has left Rogelia Jaime “delighted that the bar is still open. In the end, she started when she was very young, and she is now 90 years old. She comes to see us from time to time with her walker. That said, she is now resting, without the stress of the kitchen.”
And what does the future hold for Casa Juanico? The Inmensa Eventos manager concludes by saying: “We are going to continue as we are, preserving the essence of the establishment and improving it whenever we can. I think this is the right approach.” In this way, with a history-filled past and a promising future, Casa Juanico remains a gastronomic landmark in Zaragoza, offering customers the finest culinary tradition in every bite.
