The Tradition Behind Brunch at El Camino
Ask anyone who grew up in South Texas what Sundays looked like, and you’ll hear some version of the same story. The whole family around one big table: grandparents, cousins, kids, whoever happened to stop by. Some came straight from church, some just rolled out of bed, and nobody was in a hurry. Somebody always asked for one more round of tortillas.
That’s the Sunday we built brunch around. Here’s a little about where the tradition comes from, and why El Camino is the easiest Sunday plan downtown.
Older than Texas itself
In South Texas, that Sunday table usually had barbacoa on it, and the tradition goes back further than most people realize. It started in the ranch country of Mexico, and the original method was simple and slow: a whole beef head wrapped in maguey leaves, lowered into a pit dug into the earth, and left to cook overnight over hot coals until the meat practically fell apart. Vaqueros and ranching families carried the tradition north to the borderlands, and it’s been part of South Texas ever since. It’s even the root of the word “barbecue.”
Because it cooked all night, barbacoa was never an everyday meal. It was a weekend thing, ready right as Sunday morning rolled around. That timing turned into a ritual you’ll still find all over the Coastal Bend and the Valley: a Sunday stop at the meat market or the taqueria, a pound of barbacoa wrapped in paper, a stack of warm tortillas, and the whole family around one table.
What’s on the table
Which is exactly why barbacoa is one of our favorite things on the brunch buffet. It sits right alongside chicken and waffles, huevos rancheros, and plenty of other South Texas and Tex-Mex favorites, plus an omelet bar for the build-your-own crowd. Brunch runs every Sunday from 11am to 2pm, served buffet style, so everyone fills a plate with exactly what they’re craving. And anyone who’s earned a margarita by noon knows where the bar is.
The food is just the start
The food was always only half of it. Sunday lunch is where everyone catches up on the week, where the kids run around and the grown-ups linger over one more cup of coffee. It’s less about the restaurant and more about who’s sitting at the table.
El Camino was built as a love letter to South Texas ranching country, so bringing that Sunday table downtown felt like a natural fit. Big tables, room for the whole crew, and nobody has to cook. Come straight from church, from the beach, or from sleeping in.
Kids eat free on Sundays
Here’s the part the parents will like: kids eat free at Sunday brunch.
Sunday gatherings were always a family affair, and they still should be. Bring the little ones, bring the grandparents, bring the cousins who always show up hungry. Getting the whole family out the door on a Sunday is hard enough. Feeding them shouldn’t be.
Also happening this month: Spirits of the West
The last Spirits of the West of the year is Friday, November 6, on Art Walk night. This one is all about mezcal, with a spirits-forward menu built around it. Seats are limited and this is your final shot until next year, so call or message us to reserve your table.
However your Sunday starts, it should end around a full table. Brunch is every Sunday from 11am to 2pm at El Camino in downtown Corpus Christi. Kids eat free, and there’s always room for one more. Bring the whole crew. We’ll keep the tortillas coming.
