“I remember the first time when I went into a restaurant to look for a job, I saw everyone with the white hats and white uniforms, and I said, ‘Yeah, that’s what I want to do,’” Valdez said.
Valdez said he spent 15 years working in the restaurant industry before opening his own restaurant, Angie’s Mexican Restaurant, in 2017.
The restaurant is named after Valdez’s wife, he said. Family is what drives much of how the restaurant operates, from the reason Valdez opened it to the environment he wants to provide guests, he said.
“When I opened my restaurant, I opened it for them—for my daughter and my wife,” Valdez said. “People that come here to eat, they feel like we are their family.”
In addition, Valdez’s mom cooked for a living when they lived in Mexico, and he said many of his dishes are inspired by her.
“A lot of this food comes from what she taught me,” Valdez said.
Valdez said the most important part of his restaurant is serving fresh food. Although the restaurant does not open until 10 a.m., he said he or his staff get to the eatery at 7 a.m. to start preparing food.
“You have to make sure that what you’re giving to people is the best thing you can give them,” he said. “It’s better to tell one of your customers that we’re out of rice than serve it if it’s not 100% quality.”
Valdez said he stepped away from the restaurant for a while to start his own construction company. However, he said he managed to find his way back to the kitchen.
“I can’t get out of the restaurant. My passion is to cook,” Valdez said.
Angie’s Mexican Restaurant
1647 N. Frazier St., Conroe
936-788-1647
www.angiesmexicanrestaurant.com
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., closed Sun.
