PIER 6 SEAFOOD & OYSTER HOUSE

Food and Beverage > Seafood

Few chefs can say they launched their culinary careers in one of Houston’s finest restaurants, but that’s exactly what Lexy Garcia did. Born in Los Angeles and raised in Houston, she attended cosmetology school and worked for five years as a hair stylist before realizing her heart lay elsewhere. What truly made her happy was being in the kitchen. Changing course at age 24, she traded her scissors and comb for a knife roll and apron.
Garcia set her sights on getting hired at Brennan’s of Houston, which, she’d read in a magazine, was one of the city’s top restaurants. She was called for an interview during which she convinced Sous Chef Javier Lopez to give her a chance despite having zero professional cooking experience. Garcia remembers that no one thought she’d make it through her first month, but she dug in, and, with the encouragement of Brennan’s former Executive Chef Danny Trace, worked her way through every station in the kitchen, gaining a reputation as a reliable and hard-working team member.
In 2017, after five years at Brennan’s, Garcia was tapped as sous chef by then Executive Chef Joe Cervantez. In this role, she shared her expertise with younger cooks, leading by example, showing rather than dictating and demanding they give their all. “I like to see someone work hard, and then, in no time, create something beautiful.”