The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) is renowned for its culinary culture, rich in Mexican flavor and influence. This includes the prevalence of taco shops, making ventures into the local food industry competitive endeavors. Nonetheless, that has not stopped chef Ana Liz Pulido from standing out and bringing a unique flavor to the region.
Originally from San Juan, Texas, Pulido grew up around the restaurant industry. Her father owned various taco shops in Tamaulipas, Mexico.
“My parents used to have taquerias in Mexico when I was young, so I always wanted to open my own,” said Pulido.
From a young age, Pulido has demonstrated an entrepreneurial spirit. During her high school years, she sold snacks and treats out of her car, such as elotes. She also operated a snack bar her father gave her besides his shops.
Pulido attained a formal education as a chef at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in San Antonio, Texas, where she graduated in 2019. Before that, she attended another culinary program in Olmito, Texas. Following her graduation, she spent two years working as a chef before she decided it was time to open her own business. In 2021, Ana Liz Taqueria was founded in Mission, Texas.
Ana Liz Taqueria prides itself on its commitment to quality, flavor, and distinctiveness, built upon Pulido’s care and expertise. It offers a traditional array of tortilla-based Mexican dishes, mainly tacos, espadas, and vampiros.
“There’s a lot of taquerias here in the Valley and I always wanted to have a taqueria but make something different. For example, the base of a taco is a tortilla so we make everything from scratch, we grind the corn daily, nixtamalize it and use yellow and blue corn. The meats and fajitas are charcoal-grilled every morning. We put a lot of labor into everything we do so the dishes come out great,” said Pulido.
For Pulido, though, making food is more than just a business endeavor; it is the continuation of a deep-rooted family tradition.
“I learned to love cooking just like my grandmother because I grew up in my parent’s taqueria. In our home, you’d think it’s my mom who likes cooking but it’s actually my dad. Cooking has brought us closer together as a family.”
Pulido states that her restaurant’s flavor comes from her unique experience traveling throughout Mexico and being exposed to the cuisines of different regions.
“I like to travel a lot to Mexico, so there’s influence from different parts of Mexico like Tijuana, Mexico City and Monterrey.”
In 2024, Pulido received the James Beard Foundation for Best Chef in Texas. This highly regarded award is given to restaurants and chefs who have demonstrated exceptionality in the practice of food making. In 2023, she was a semi-finalist for the same recognition.
Despite her success, Pulido’s undertaking of creating her own business has not been easy. She started her shop alone from the ground up, having to retrofit the shop with new kitchen and restaurant equipment and raise a team to work beside her. She states that this initial phase of getting started was the most difficult.
“It took me a little bit over a year to actually have employees, my first employee, I got in six to eight months. My first two years and a half, it was a really small team, maybe two people working, and I was there twenty-four-seven.”
Pulido seeks to expand her restaurant in the future. Her Mission location is currently being expanded.
Pulido states to aspiring chefs and entrepreneurs seeking their establishments:
“If you like what you do just keep doing it and don’t be scared. Even if you don’t have a lot to invest you can always start with something small and with time in the future it can grow. Having your own restaurant can be very demanding but it all pays off in the long run.”
