Discover the Culinary Excellence
of EL CAMINO
How Richard Lomax’s Vision Brought Authentic Tex-Mex to Corpus Christi
Richard Lomax, President of Water Street Restaurants, is a second-generation restaurant owner overseeing a family of five restaurants, each with a distinct concept but unified by a shared philosophy. Firmly embedded in Corpus Christi, Richard and his team have crafted unique dining experiences that offer locals and visitors a taste of this Gulf-side city. Among his ventures, El Camino stands out as a testament to innovation, resilience, and quality.
El Camino restaurant occupies a special location on a property owned by Lomax. This site has a storied history, having housed a Mexican food restaurant in the 1980s, followed by a successful seafood restaurant that operated for 25 years before Hurricane Harvey rendered the building vacant. The devastation from Harvey left the building unused for years, until post-COVID opportunities and other restaurant projects allowed Lomax to reimagine the space. Officially opened in January 2024, El Camino has been thriving, maintaining strong sales and quickly becoming a community favorite.
“We racked our brains trying to figure out what it should be next,” Richard recalls. “We thought of a steakhouse, or maybe seafood again. But my mind kept returning to Tex-Mex. Despite the abundance of excellent Tex-Mex in the area, it felt like the right fit. It’s part of our culture, and we knew we could do it well.”
El Camino’s opening was met with immediate success, surpassing expectations.
Richard explains, “Every place downtown needs a great spot for groups to enjoy pitchers of margaritas and celebrate. Tex-Mex felt like a piece of our commitment to the community—it’s authentic to us, something we understand and can execute well. It completed our neighborhood of restaurants perfectly.”
El Camino joins the other establishments under Water Street Restaurants, including:
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Water Street Oyster Bar - a classic Gulf Coast seafood house known for its oysters and classic, mesquite grilled, Gulf Coast seafood
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Executive Surf Club – a live music venue famous for its burgers, beer, and live music
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Central Kitchen – a nostalgic, Americana pastry bake shop with French influence
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Water Street Sushi Room – an extension of the Oyster Bar serving poke bowls and classic sushi rolls
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Elizabeth’s at the Art Museum - a place to enjoy views of the water and Mediterranean cuisine after touring the stunning art in the museum
Each restaurant brings its own unique offering to the table while harmonizing under the same overarching philosophy.
At El Camino, the mantra "All Roads Lead to El Camino" rings true. The restaurant features mesquite-grilled fajitas and freshly squeezed margaritas in a nostalgic South Texas dining room with a large, sunny patio. The menu, though seemingly simple, is rich with hand-prepped ingredients and fresh food.
With so many beloved Tex-Mex dishes out there, narrowing down their selection and designing the menu proved to be a challenge.
Together with General Manager Louis Contreras and a chef that helped them design the menu, Richard explored various Tex-Mex concepts across San Antonio, Houston, and Austin, refining their offerings to perfection for the Gulf Coast Capital. Their collaborative efforts resulted in a menu featuring innovative yet authentic dishes.
“Our menu is a tribute to the classics,” explains Richard.
“From enchiladas to chile rellenos alongside a seafood selection that includes raw bar delights like campechanas and tuna tostadas.”
In order to keep true to high quality cuisine that Water Street Restaurants are known for, they opted for the best quality meats, like outside skirt steak for fajitas, Bandera Quail, and house-smoked pork ribs, sourced from Texas farms. They also developed recipes for flour and corn tortillas and perfected the legendary charro beans, blending family traditions with Water Street’s Creole influence.
Customers have praised the taco menu, especially the Asada made from outside skirt steak and the fish tacos. Late-night favorites like Choriqueso—queso flameado with homemade tortillas—are also a hit. Another standout dish is the Tuna Tostadas, made with sushi-grade tuna, jalapeño ponzu, chipotle sour cream, and garnished with fried garlic and green onions—a dish that transports diners to a beach in Mexico.
General Manager Louis Contreras has also been instrumental in shaping El Camino. Previously the General Manager of the Executive Surf Club, Louis brings his exceptional customer service and over 27 years of expertise in the bar industry to this new venture.
Together with bar lead, Katie Brandt, Louis was able to create a bar menu with creative cocktails and aquas frescas, with each drink crafted to complement the Tex-Mex cuisine perfectly.
“We have a bunch of aguas frescas that we rotate on the menu with some that we haven’t even unveiled yet,” explains Louis. “For each agua fresca, we have 1-3 cocktails that are based on those flavors.”
Since then, he and Katie have been able to design an extensive cocktail drink menu that they are pleased with and continue experimenting with new flavors.
General Manager Louis Contreras has also been instrumental in shaping El Camino. Previously the General Manager of the Executive Surf Club, Louis brings his exceptional customer service and over 27 years of expertise in the bar industry to this new venture.
Together with bar lead, Katie Brandt, Louis was able to create a bar menu with creative cocktails and aquas frescas, with each drink crafted to complement the Tex-Mex cuisine perfectly.
“We have a bunch of aguas frescas that we rotate on the menu with some that we haven’t even unveiled yet,” explains Louis. “For each agua fresca, we have 1-3 cocktails that are based on those flavors.”
Since then, he and Katie have been able to design an extensive cocktail drink menu that they are pleased with and continue experimenting with new flavors.
El Camino plans to introduce brunch and lunch menus in the future, expanding in phases to meet demand. The garden and patio culture integral to Tex-Mex dining will continue to play a significant role, ensuring that El Camino remains a vibrant and cherished part of Corpus Christi’s culinary landscape.
With a strong foundation in quality, authenticity, and community, Richard Lomax and his team are poised to keep El Camino at the heart of Corpus Christi dining, proving that indeed, all roads lead to El Camino.