He was born and raised in Galveston and has spent most of his life in the food industry.After spending time in California as a teenager, Gonzalez learned about many different cuisines, such as Asian- and Mexican-style foods.
“I learned a lot [about] Japanese cuisine,” he said. “I got really familiar with all the different styles. I learned discipline, and that’s what progressed me.”
Shortly after he moved back to Texas in 2015, he began cooking $1 tacos at his dad’s mechanic shop with a grill on wheels.
“I still have customers ... that would follow me from over there,” he said. “They still say it tastes the same.”
In April 2018, he introduced his Lean Sauce to the world: a purple sauce made with a secret recipe from dairy products. The product is sold in a bottle that can be purchased at both Gordo Niños locations in Kemah and Clear Lake.
Inspired by pop culture and music, many of the menu items have brought people from all over the world to the restaurant, Gonzalez said.
“Lean Sauce put me on the map with my pastor tacos,” Gonzalez said.
In April 2021, he hosted the grand opening of the first Gordo Niños location inside the Motu NASA gas station off NASA Parkway. After a year and a half at that location, he opened a second location in September 2022 in Kemah near the boardwalk.
His restaurants’ menus offer many different options, including burritos, tacos, quesadillas and rolled fried tacos. Gordo Niños also has weekly specials on Thursdays, which can include unique fusion foods, such as fried “Mexican sushi” topped with blue Takis chips.
“Each location has vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian and keto options,” Gonzalez said. “We are a scratch kitchen; everything is the [highest] quality.”
A third location offering breakfast is expected to open this year in the Dickinson and Bay Colony area, and Gonzalez said he hopes to begin franchising by the end of 2023, including opening a location in Atlanta.
“I want food to bring people together,” Gonzalez said. “There are a lot of cultures out there of all walks of life, and I’ve brought people together to try this food, and that feels good.”
