A small diner in Corpus Christi still serves the plate that made Tejano queen Selena Quintanilla-Perez smile.
The spot is called Hi-Ho Restaurant. It has fed South Texas since 1981. The tables are plain. The food is good and honest.
Selena used to eat here a lot. She had one favorite order. It was the carne guisada plate. Carne guisada is a Mexican beef stew. Cooks let the beef simmer low and slow until it falls apart. Hi-Ho serves it with mashed potatoes, rice, and beans.
Selena liked to sit in a corner booth. She picked that spot on purpose. It gave her a little privacy while she ate.
Selena died in 1995. She was only 23 years old. She left a huge mark on Tejano music and on South Texas pride.
More than 30 years later, her favorite dish is still one of the top sellers at Hi-Ho. Cooks there keep making it the same way they always have.
The restaurant holds a 4.4 star rating on Google. More than 2,000 people have left reviews. Many fans now make a full day of it. They visit the Selena Museum. They stop by her memorial statue on the Corpus Christi bayfront. Then they head to Hi-Ho to try the same plate she loved.
One customer left a review online. It said the restaurant has "the best carne guisada in Corpus Christi by far... and the tortillas are to die for."
Another customer called the whole meal "simply outstanding."
Selena's fans keep her memory alive with small things. They still ask for the corner booth. The kitchen still cooks the same carne guisada. Nothing about the recipe has changed. That keeps her close to South Texas.
