AG Jeff Sessions has breakfast at Houston mainstay La Mexicana before speech

United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks about violent crime, immigration and support for police officers during a press conference at the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas, Friday, Aug. 10, 2018, in Houston.

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Immediately before railing against the dangers of unfettered immigration, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions partook in a bit of immigrant culture himself.

He started his morning Friday with a helping of huevos rancheros and bacon at La Mexicana, a decades-old Montrose mainstay that touts its Mexican authenticity.

Zulema Gonzales, La Mexicana's general manager, said law enforcement first approached the restaurant days ago with questions about security.

The restaurant was happy to accommodate officials' security concerns but didn't know until today who would be eating there, she said.

"I don't know why they picked this place," she said, adding that other high-profile politicians and luminaries have visited the restaurant previously, including U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Sessions and his entourage arrived around 8 a.m. in advance of a news conference at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas, and had breakfast with Police Chief Art Acevedo and U.S. Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston.

Related: Attorney General Jeff Sessions in Houston, touts crackdown on immigrants suspected in crimes

The irony wasn't lost on local Houstonians, including one who noticed a swarm of law enforcement officers in suits standing vigil in the hot morning sun.

"Did Jeff Sessions actually go get breakfast tacos before talking about a nonexistent brown immigrant crime wave," redditor Ubermonkey posted on the page's Houston page, after spotting Sessions' motorcade parked at the restaurant during the morning commute. "I mean, DAMN, bro."

Gonzales said Sessions wasn't sure what to eat -- and picked the huevos rancheros at the suggestion of Acevedo, a naturalized citizen born in Cuba who spent his early career in Los Angeles and then served as chief of police in Austin -- two cities known for their array of great Mexican food.

Though Sessions' hard-line stance on immigration has sparked controversy of civil rights advocates, Gonzales said the 90-minute-long breakfast was a quiet affair.

"We treat everybody the same," she said.

Acevedo, who has frequently criticized President Donald Trump's crackdowns on immigration, said he and Sessions had a "great discussion," with "many points of agreement and disagreement."

"We will never apologize for working with Homeland Security Investigations going after violent gang members," he said, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's investigative arm focused on investigations of dangerous criminals. "But if they're going to ask us to help round up day laborers or kitchen help, we're not interested in that, and he understands that."

Staff writer Gabrielle Banks contributed to this report.

St. John Barned-Smith covers public safety and major breaking news for the Houston Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Send tips to st.john.smith@chron.com.