One of Mexico’s most prominent culinary figures is coming to southeast Houston. Chef Aquiles Chávez — restaurateur, cookbook author, and television personality known across Latin America — has announced a formal partnership with Pochitos Mariscos y Más to reimagine the restaurant’s entire food program.
The five-pillar menu
Rather than importing a single regional concept, Chávez has structured Pochitos’ new menu around five pillars designed to reflect the city’s multicultural relationship with seafood: Gulf Coast fried seafood; fire-driven grill and asado preparations; Cajun-influenced boiled seafood; a Sinaloa- and Pacific-inspired cold kitchen featuring ceviches, aguachiles, and crudos; and Mexican-inspired sushi with a coastal twist.
Chávez will oversee continuous menu updates throughout the partnership, alongside seasonal revisions to the cocktail program.
Southeast Houston cuisine
For Pochitos founder Juan Antonio Hernandez — also known as the lead singer and BMI-award-winning composer of Tejano/norteño group Obzesion — the collaboration is an intentional reinvestment in the neighborhood where he grew up.
“Why shouldn’t this side of Houston have something people are willing to drive across the city to experience?” Hernandez said. He opened Pochitos in 2024 as a high-energy restaurant and live music venue anchored by mariscos, signature cocktails, and micheladas, and the Gulf Freeway location has since built a loyal local following.
Hernandez was explicit that the arrangement goes beyond a celebrity name-drop. The partnership is structured to run three years, with Chávez actively shaping the kitchen’s direction rather than licensing his name to a handful of dishes.
Restaurant revamp
The culinary shift coincides with physical renovations to the 11,500-square-foot space. New dining room seating, tables, and plateware are being installed alongside fold-up windows that create a more open-air atmosphere. A dedicated kids’ menu will also launch with the remodel.
Pochitos will additionally begin accepting full restaurant buyouts for corporate events and private celebrations, leveraging its stage, DJ booth, and audio-visual infrastructure.
New hours take effect this September
Starting on launch day, Pochitos will operate Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with a daily happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. and weekend brunch service from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Reservations and further details are available on the Pochitos official website.
Chávez is best known internationally for Fox Life’s El Toque de Aquiles and Aquilísimo, as well as Amazon Prime’s Sabores de Libertad.
“Houston is one of those cities where so many cultures meet at the table, especially when it comes to seafood,” he said. “Because this is a three-year collaboration, we can keep evolving the menu and giving guests new reasons to come back.”
The revamped menu debuts on September 3 at the restaurant’s location at 11130 Gulf Freeway.
