A Family Table That Keeps Growing
Xelas by El Sazon started with a simple truth: everything tastes better with family. Chef Cristian De León built this restaurant on that belief — from a gas station kitchen in Eagan to Mayan cuisine in Stillwater.
Xelas by El Sazon | Our Story
The Meal That Started It All
In 2020, Cristian and Karen De León found themselves back around the dinner table with their five kids — and remembered something simple. Porque en familia todo sabe mejor.
Cooking as a Calling
Cristian grew up in Guatemala where cooking started as survival — until the right mentors revealed what the craft could be. He met Karen in a restaurant kitchen seventeen years ago, and together they made food the center of family life.
The Gas Station That Defied Everyone
In March 2022, Cristian opened Tacos & More out of a BP station in Eagan. Reviewers compared the tacos to the best in Los Angeles — proof that extraordinary food doesn't need a fancy address.
Xelas: Honoring Mayan Roots
In January 2025, Cristian opened Xelas by El Sazon in Stillwater — Mayan cuisine rarely found anywhere in the Twin Cities. Step inside and the quetzal mural reminds you: this place honors where we come from.
Four Locations, One Family
Today El Sazon spans four Twin Cities locations, each built on the same culture: scratch cooking, seasonal ingredients, and mentoring the next generation the way Cristian's own mentors invested in him.
