Editor's note: The owner's home state has been corrected.

Berryhill Baja Grill co-owners Wendy Brooks and her son, Cole Brooks, said community support and adaptability have been essential to overcoming personal tragedy and business challenges.

Their husband and father, Jeff Brooks, died last June. Additionally, all 15 other restaurant locations have permanently shuttered since 2020, including the River Oaks flagship as recently as January. But the last location in Sugar Land remains.

“We're a family, like even the guys in the kitchen,” Wendy Brooks said. “They've been with us for so long, we just operate kind of like a family and take a lot of pride in what we do. We've got a lot of amazing regulars.”
Wendy Brooks and Cole Brooks, co-owners of the Sugar Land Berryhill Baja Grill, said their staff and their regulars are a part of their family. (Asia Armour/Community Impact)
Wendy and Cole Brooks, co-owners of the Sugar Land Berryhill Baja Grill, said their staff and regulars are a part of their family. (Asia Armour/Community Impact)
How we got here

The concept began as a tamale cart manned by Walter Berryhill in 1928, according to the brand’s original website. Jeff Brooks, alongside partners, began franchising locations in 1992, Wendy Brooks said.


Jeff Brooks, who was from California, suggested they introduce more Baja-style dishes, adding fish tacos and lighter fare to the existing menu. Wendy Brooks said her husband created most of the recipes at Berryhill.

“Nobody even did fish tacos way back then,” she said.

The Sugar Land location was the first and only franchise opened by Jeff Brooks in September 2002. Many of the same staff who started with the restaurant are still here in 2024, the Brookses said.
The late Jeff Brooks took influences from his Baja California upbringing and fused them with original Berryhill offerings, Wendy Brooks said. (Courtesy Berryhill Baja Grill Sugar Land)
The late Jeff Brooks took influences from his California upbringing and fused them with original Berryhill offerings, Wendy Brooks said. (Courtesy Berryhill Baja Grill Sugar Land)
What’s on the menu

Berryhill differs from other Tex-Mex restaurants with its emphasis on seafood and fresh vegetables as well as the restaurant's influence from Baja California, the Brookses said.


“It's a lighter, fresher take on Mexican food,” Cole Brooks said. “Instead of white or red meat, there’s a lot more seafood. Everything we fry is in a tempura batter, which is light and not greasy.”

Cole Brooks said standouts on the menu include the fish tacos, shrimp tacos and tamales, while Wendy Brooks described the Pollo Berryhill and Berryhill Del Mar specialty dishes as “fine dining.”
The Pollo Berryhill plate ($16.37) features grilled chicken with vegetables covered in a light cream sauce. (Courtesy Berryhill Baja Grill Sugar Land)
The Pollo Berryhill plate ($16.37) features grilled chicken with vegetables covered in a light cream sauce. (Courtesy Berryhill Baja Grill Sugar Land)


What’s next

In the fall, the Brookses plan to start shipping boxes of their spinach tamales, which were highlighted in an episode of Food Network's "Food Finds" years ago, Wendy Brooks said.


Marketing and business adjustments like these contribute to the continued survival of the restaurant, Cole Brooks said.

“Since the pandemic, that’s been the biggest thing that has led to our success is our adaptability,” Cole Brooks said. “Especially without having a big corporate office behind [us] to make those moves. It’s being quick to adapt and get with the new.”