COCINA MEXICANA
LEGENDARY HELOTES RESTAURANT IS REOPENED AND REIMAGINED
WORDS BY KIMBERLY SUTA | PHOTOS BY GREY MOSS INN
If you haven’t heard of Grey Moss Inn, perhaps you are not from around here. This famous restaurant has been around a long, long time — so long, in fact, that stagecoaches, a bygone form of travel, used to stop for food and lodging here.
“I think the history is so interesting,” says Martha Valadez, the new co-owner of Grey Moss Inn. The restaurant originally opened in 1929 and has passed through four owners since. Mary Howell, the first owner, sold homestyle country cuisine like fried chicken, but she was really known for her homemade candy that she sold out of the restaurant, Valadez says.
At some point in history, the restaurant changed to a steakhouse and was continually open up until the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It closed and sat in silence for three years, until two sisters, Valadez and Marisol Mendoza of the catering company, Got It Covered Events, decided they just had to re-open this historic gem.
“We knew it was a massive undertaking, but we just fell in love with the property and the history,” says Valadez. “It was appealing to take up the mantle and open a new chapter. It just seemed so sad to have such a beautiful property close down.”
Located in the Helotes area, technically called Grey Forest, the scenery, historic stone building and gorgeous expansive patio of the historic Grey Moss Inn were not aspects the sisters wanted to change. They did, however, take a risk in doing away with the steakhouse concept and transitioning to upscale, authentic Mexican cuisine.
Their milanesa dish, Valadez’s personal favorite, is a perfect example of the refined elements they’ve incorporated to elevate the restaurant to the level that guests have come to expect at the Grey Moss Inn. Instead of the more common sirloin steak, chef Mendoza makes the dish using crispy filet mignon with salsa ranchera on the side.
“I love it! It’s so tender you don’t need a knife. You can cut it with your fork,” Mendoza moons.
The menu is filled with other recognizable Mexican favorites, from fideo and mole de pollo to flautas and chile relleno. Most dishes are served with Spanish rice and refried beans, although Valadez notes that her sister also makes a yummy cilantro rice “We thought it was best to do something we felt we were good at,” explained Valadez. She says that while they a imed for the food to taste homemade, they also take pride in ensuring it lacks none of t he qu a l it y of upscale dining in terms of ingredients and presentation.
Some other menu favorites include Chicharrón D e Ribeye and Queso Fundido, ser ved flaming. Both sell like crazy.
Besides dinner during the week, the restaurant is open all day on the weekends and serves up some delectable breakfast options until 2 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.
Tacos Callejeros
Breakfast options include buttermilk pancakes, huevos rancheros, machacado and migas, as well as barbacoa and chilaquiles, served two ways.
The signature Chilaquiles Grey Moss is made with crispy housemade tostadas, bacon, pico de Gallo, melted quesadilla cheese, two eggs and refried beans. It’s a meal hearty enough to still satisfy a Southern cowboy or cowgirl, to be sure.
“Marisol genuinely enjoys cooking for people” says Valadez of her sister. “She takes it very personally and gets a lot of joy out of it. That’s why the people like the food because the person making it really likes to cook.”
Just one bite of her milanesas de filet mignon and you won’t miss the old era of the Grey Moss Inn, not one tiny bit.
Queso Flameado
For more information, visit greymossinn.com
About the Contributor
Kimberly A. Suta is editor of Edible San Antonio, a filmmaker, food writer, event planner, culinary tour guide and has a media company called Homegrown Chef. She loves nothing more than sharing the phenomenal food, chefs and restaurants that San Antonio and Texas have to offer.
