Comal 864 is the creation of Brownsville, Texas native Dayna Lee Márquez, who wanted to bring South Texas food to this region.  It started in July 2019 as a pop-up operation and in Nov. 2022  opened a storefront operation that also offers catering.  Chef Márquez was nominated in 2023 for a James Beard Best Chef Southeast Award.  The little house has parking on either side and picnic tables out front.  Inside a long counter with stools runs in front of the kitchen and order area and the rest is filled with tables and chairs.  You order at the counter and they’ll bring it to your table. Chef Márquez was in the kitchen and you could see her preparing plates along with her helpers.  For 2:00 in the afternoon, it was surprisingly busy but they are open all day.  The counter person was helpful in choosing what to order and the portions are very generous.  While the dishes may be novel to this area I found them very lacking in spice, but I admit I am surrounded by and love spicy Tex-Mex.   If I were closer I’d try the place again because the ‘bones’ of it were great but for me, the end result missed the mark. Continue reading →