The “King of Country” appears to be making the rounds in Texas this month, just weeks before hitting the road for his five-date stadium tour. If you’re feeling some jealousy over the latest George Strait sighting in Cotulla, a Tex-Mex restaurant just 30 minutes north of San Antonio has you covered.
A few summers ago, Strait waltzed into Compadres Hill Country Cocina, a popular veteran-owned restaurant in Boerne, leaving both staff and owner Mark Sierra starstruck.
Strait was coming from his grandson Harvey’s baseball game, and looking for a place to grab lunch.
The problem? Compadres is only open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and by the time Strait called, the restaurant had already closed.
“So I was like, ‘Alright, I guess I'm staying open,’” Sierra told MySA. “As soon as I got off the phone, I told my wife, I told everybody, ‘Hey, start cleaning, George Strait's coming!’”
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While the staff sprang into action, Sierra headed to the kitchen, preparing himself to play it cool.
Over the years, the restaurant had welcomed surprise visits from celebrities like Tejano singer Ricky Muñoz and WWE wrestler Bill Goldberg. But seeing the country music legend would be different—it was a full-circle moment that brought Sierra back to memories of listening to Strait’s Western ballads on his family’s ranch in the Rio Grande Valley. The last time Sierra had seen Strait was at a concert in Frisco in 2006, just before he left for the Army.
“Here in Boerne, you never know who you're going to get or who is going to come through your doors,” Sierra said. “People who know he's around Boerne usually hear from the community, ‘Give him his space,’ you know? Because you see him at Home Depot, you see him at tee-ball games. He’s very low-key.”
Once Strait and his family settled in, Sierra took their order—unaware it would eventually inspire a new menu item beloved by locals. While Compadres is known for its smoked beef fajitas, raspberry chipotle sauce and mesquite chicken, Straight wanted something simple: two pulled pork tacos with barbecue sauce and pico de gallo.
“I didn't have what he ordered as a menu item,” Sierra said. “At first, I was like, ‘Are you sure that's what he wants?’”
Regardless, Sierra went ahead and made the dish, saving the guest check with Strait’s order as a keepsake. Within weeks, the meal was added to the menu as the “George Strait tacos”—two tacos served with a side of charro beans and rice. It quickly became one of the restaurant’s most popular combos.
From time to time, the eatery offers the dish as a special for as little as $10.99. On those days, Sierra likes to crank up some of Strait’s tunes in the dining room, setting a feel-good mood for the guests.
“People really enjoy it,” Sierra said. “I think they feel a little bit closer to him because they're like ‘Oh, this is what he ate—it must be good.’”
The same dining room features an acoustic guitar signed by Strait—a gift made possible by the boldness of Sierra’s wife, Dalia. Originally from Monterrey, Mexico, she only knew of Strait’s music through occasionally hearing Sierra play it.
“After they left, my wife came into the kitchen holding the guitar. She goes, ‘¡Mira!’ And it had George Strait’s signature on it,” Sierra said. “She was like, ‘It’s just another guy.’”
Half panicked and half in awe, Sierra asked "‘You asked him to sign the guitar? You don't just come up to the King of Country and ask him!'”
“This was back before she knew the magnitude of who he was,” he added with a chuckle. “But I’ll always remember that.”
Sierra opened Compadres Hill Country Cocina in June 2020, shortly after being laid off from his job at the Fair Oak Ranch Golf and Country Club due to COVID-19. The restaurant serves an array of Tex-Mex classics like menudo and pozole alongside pit-smoked barbecue staples. He also operates a nonprofit called the Purple Heart Project, which supports military families who bear the Gold Star.
Folks eager to try out the dish can visit Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The restaurant offers dine-in, in-store pickup, and outdoor seating.
April 16, 2025
Digital Trending Reporter
Melanie Love Salazar is a digital trending reporter for MySA who is passionate about telling stories that inspire, uplift, and inform readers. She was born and raised in San Antonio and is currently based near Austin. She specializes in covering music, culture, and trending news, but loves any opportunity to talk about fandom and digital media.Melanie graduated from Texas State University with a BS in journalism and a minor in creative writing. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in American Journalism through New York University.