Reynaldo Castillo and his daughter Naomi greet customers walking into Alamo Tex-Mex Grill as if they were family. The business owners said they see the restaurant as an extension of their own homes.

“We see people not just as customers to be served but as friendships to be developed,” Naomi said. “We’re also able to connect people to their neighbors as they develop relationships over good food.”

Popular dishes on the menu include breakfast tacos, handmade tamales, fajitas, fresh salsas and enchiladas. Reynaldo said he learned many of the recipes from helping his mother in the kitchen growing up, and he has worked to perfect them over time.

While other restaurants use frozen or canned ingredients to save time and money, Reynaldo said Alamo Tex-Mex Grill makes nearly everything from scratch and uses fresh ingredients to maintain consistency.

“Presentation, freshness and quality ingredients are very important,” he said. “If you wouldn’t serve it to your own son or daughter, we’re not going to serve it to our customers.”

Naomi, who has a business background, said her idea of the American dream is to create something important to share with her community.

Not long after the restaurant opened in summer 2017, she said they were serving breakfast to Hurricane Harvey victims at the MET Church. Alamo Tex-Mex Grill has also sponsored meals for local school groups, served tamales at churches during Christmastime and catered breakfast at area businesses. 

“We think it’s important to have a community presence,” Naomi said. “My grandmother was very philanthropic, so that’s another part of our family legacy that’s just been ingrained in me since childhood.”

Since opening, the eatery has expanded to offer table service, dinner, alcohol and catering. Within the next two years the Castillos said they would like to open a second location near Hwy. 290 in Cypress.

“We’re always looking for what’s next and pushing each other to make the business nicer and a better experience for customers,” Naomi said.

10130 Grant Road, Ste. 204, Houston 832-688-9617 www.facebook.com/alamotexmexgrill Hours: Mon.-Fri. 6 a.m.-9 p.m., Sat. 7 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun. 7 a.m.-2 p.m.