Long before the Astrodome or NASA came to town, Walter Berryhill was making tamales. In 1928, Walter started selling his tasty, homemade fare from a pushcart that he parked on street corners in Houston’s River Oaks neighborhood. Walter and his tamales were a hit and he continued to delight Houstonians with his recipes for more than 30 years. But, as the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end. And so it was for Walter and his tamales. He retired in the 1960s, parking his famous pushcart and storing away his tamale press and recipes.That wouldn’t be the end for Walter and his tamales. Nearly 30 years later, his recipes were resurrected for a new generation of Houstonians. A little taqueria named Berryhill Tamales and Tacos opened in 1993 and locals were once again experiencing Walter’s original creations. Today, Berryhill Baja Grill has eleven Houston-area locations. And the restaurant that brought Baja to the Bayou City now has franchises in Cancun, Mexico, Austin and Dallas with plans to expand nationwide.While we may have outgrown the pushcart, the casual atmosphere at Berryhill Baja Grill still makes you feel like you’ve stepped into a tiny taco stand nestled next to the Pacific Ocean. After all, nobody does Baja like Berryhill.
