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Gas station ceviche, anyone? How convenience stores became part of Houston's famous food scene

G rowing up, Isai Romero says, he liked fishing, and during the pandemic he decided to turn his hobby into a side hustle. Along with his friend Sam Gilchrest, he began selling ceviche at pop-up stands in Pasadena, using ice from the nearby gas station and a tent from Academy. 

Eventually, the two were asked if they'd be interested in setting up shop in the kitchen of the gas station.  

"I never thought I would put ceviche in a gas station," Romero recalled this week. But so he has. 

In Houston, famous for both its entrepreneurial spirit and its diverse food scene, a number of restaurateurs are to be found in gas stations, drawn by the chance to launch and grow their businesses with relatively low overhead and a steady stream of customers from surrounding neighborhoods. 

"We did not have the financial backing to start a restaurant right at the beginning," explained Gilchrest, sauteeing chunks of fresh Maine lobster in butter. "So this was a great way to get our feet wet." 

The restaurant they launched, Captain Ceviche, just celebrated its third anniversary inside the Motu at 4900 Space Center Blvd. Serving seafood favorites such as lobster rolls and shrimp tacos, as well as several types of ceviche, has become a full-time job for Romero, 24, and Gilchrest, 28. It does about $20,000-25,000 in monthly sales, the duo say, and fans have propelled the young business to a 4.8 rating on Google Reviews.

MOTU: Houston gas station chain named after a dog is expanding

Plenty of gas stations in Texas offer some prepared food — hot dogs and taquitos, twirling away the day; personal pizzas, waiting somberly in their boxes as they hope to be chosen. Some chains present more extensive food options as key attractions. Buc-ee's, headquartered in Lake Jackson, touts its barbecue and kolaches on billboards; most Stripes stores include an outpost of the Laredo Taco Co. And many Houston-area gas stations have food trucks in their parking lots. 

But the phenomenon of individual gas station restaurants in the Houston area is a notable one. Options range from newcomers such as Brisket & Rice , which opened in 2022 in a gas station on FM 529 in northwest Houston, to the venerable Ekko's in a petite Valero in the Galleria area and widely considered to serve some of the best Greek food in the city. 

"This place is a Houston staple," wrote one recent Yelp reviewer, giving Ekko's five stars. "Yes, it's in a gas station. Yes, it's a dive. YES, it's the best gyros in town."

It's hard to tally how many restaurants are tucked into gas stations across the Houston area, but anecdotally, industry experts say, their numbers seem to be increasing as inflation has made opening a brick-and-mortar location a more daunting prospect.

While individual arrangements vary, gas-station restaurants generally carry their own insurance, maintain their own equipment and pay rent to the gas station, meaning fewer up-front outlays for the entrepreneurs. 

Chef Trinidad "Machete" Gonzalez, for example, began selling tacos outside a mechanic shop upon returning to the Houston area after years of cooking in southern California and on cruise ships. As his pop-ups became more popular, he began looking for a long-term location. 

"I actually had a restaurant location in mind because we were just doing pop-ups," Gonzalez said. "And then COVID happened." 

He ended up opening his restaurant, Gordo Nino's, inside the Motu at 1419 NASA Road. The gas station chain has been growing in the Houston area .

Gordo Nino's serves up tacos, burritos and Killa-Dillas — the restaurant's take on quesadillas — all drizzled with Gonzalez' signature purple Lean Sauce.

His customers, he said, most often live and work in the neighborhood, including astronauts, as well as curious foodies. Newcomers, drawn by rave reviews and posts on social media, are sometimes perplexed by Gordo Nino's location. 

"People will call for reservations," Gonzalez said with a laugh. "Some people just can't comprehend it." 

TEXAS SIZED: Buc-ee's has turned convenience stores into Texas-sized destinations

Some gas station restaurateurs aspire to open their own brick and mortar location, perhaps inspired by examples such as that of Chef Benchawan Jabthong Painter. Painter originally opened her Thai restaurant, Street to Kitchen, in a former Church's Chicken location attached to an East End convenience store. In 2023, she won a James Beard award ; several months later, Street to Kitchen moved to a new East End location.

Others are happy where they are. Gonzalez, for example, has plans to grow his business, including opening another gas-station location of Gordo Nino's. 

"We're a made-from-scratch kitchen. I know the farms the meat comes from," he said. "My whole vision is like, let's make gas stations a luxury thing. I believe in it."