From the Dish Room Forward
A Life Shaped by Hospitality
Hugo Ortega is executive chef and co owner of five of Houston's top restaurants: Backstreet Cafe, Hugo's, Caracol, Xochi and URBE. He is also the winner of Best Chef: Southwest at the prestigious 2017 James Beard Foundation Awards after being a finalist for six consecutive years from 2012 through 2017.
Ortega has been recognized locally, nationally and globally for his inspirational story and his passion for sharing traditional Mexican cooking and culture.
The Beginning of an American Dream
Ortega's American Dream story started at Backstreet Cafe, a neighborhood bistro founded by Tracy Vaught in 1983. He began his restaurant career as a dishwasher and busboy, later becoming a line cook before graduating from culinary school and eventually becoming Backstreet Cafe's executive chef.
Ortega and Vaught married and together created an award winning Houston restaurant family, H Town Restaurant Group, which also includes Hugo's, Caracol, Xochi and URBE.
From Mexico City to Houston
Ortega was born in Mexico City, the oldest of eight children. At 15, he began working at one of several Procter & Gamble factories in Mexico to help support his family. In 1984, he immigrated to Houston with no contacts or job leads, but with a determination to make a life for himself in America.
Slowly, step by step, Ortega began to set down roots in the bustling oil capital. He shared an apartment with several friends and followed leads for jobs at nearby restaurants. He found his first restaurant job as a dishwasher at a popular bar and nightclub. While the pay was modest, Ortega embraced the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of the restaurant business and make connections that could also help him improve his English.
Ortega later cleaned floors in office buildings to supplement his income. When his roommates moved to California and he unexpectedly lost both jobs, he found himself without income or a place to live. A friend asked Hugo if he wanted to wash dishes, and Hugo immediately accepted. That friend brought him to Backstreet Cafe, where the turning point of his life began.
Finding His Place in the Kitchen
Ortega worked hard and quickly showed an interest in the kitchen. Growing up in Mexico, he had learned to cook from his mother and grandmother. He was eventually offered a position on the line in the Backstreet Cafe kitchen and continued to advance from there.
Impressed by his dedication and work ethic, Tracy Vaught offered to enroll Ortega in the Culinary Arts program at Houston Community College. He embraced the opportunity wholeheartedly.
Ortega graduated from HCC's Culinary Arts program in November 1992 and assumed the role of chef at Backstreet Cafe. In 1995, he became executive chef.
Sharing the Flavors of Mexico
Ortega is passionate about sharing the traditional foods and culture of his native Mexico with diners. In 2002, he opened the critically acclaimed Hugo's, bringing authentic regional Mexican cuisine to the forefront of Houston dining.
In 2013, Ortega and Vaught opened Caracol, a Mexican coastal kitchen highlighting the richness of seafood found throughout Mexico's 16 coastal states. In January 2017, they opened Xochi at the Marriott Marquis Houston Downtown, celebrating the flavors and culinary traditions of Oaxaca, Mexico.
In 2021, they opened URBE, a concept celebrating the iconic street foods of Mexico.
Recognition and Acclaim
Ortega has made three guest chef appearances at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City. He was named Up and Coming Chef of the Year in 1999 and Chef of the Year at the Houston Culinary Awards, along with receiving numerous other honors throughout his career.
His restaurants have received recognition from publications and organizations including Bon Appétit, Eater, Forbes Travel Guide and Smithsonian Magazine.
Stories From the Kitchen
Ortega is the author of two cookbooks. Hugo Ortega's Street Food of Mexico, published by Bright Sky Press in fall 2012, was selected by Saveur magazine as one of six essential Mexican cookbooks.
His second book, Backstreet Kitchen: Seasonal Recipes From Our Neighborhood Cafe, was published in celebration of Backstreet Cafe's 30th anniversary and shares recipes inspired by the restaurant's seasonal approach to cooking.
A Legacy of Opportunity
Tracy and Hugo created the menu for Hugo's Cocina at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Hugo later became the first Mexican born chef to win a James Beard Award.
Following his James Beard Award win, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner declared June 20, 2017 Hugo Ortega Day. That same year, Hugo received the Craig Claiborne Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southern Foodways Alliance.
In 2019, Vaught established the Hugo Ortega Endowment at Houston Community College's Culinary Arts Program to support current and future HCC culinary students. The lobby of the program's new building was also named in Hugo's honor.