Comal 864: Bringing Two Worlds Together

Two communities, one name: that's the story behind Comal 864.

The Greenville restaurants serving South Texas-inspired cuisine has grown in popularity and acclaim since opening in 2021. In addition to its second location, chef and owner Dayna Lee-Márquez was nominated for a prestigious James Beard Award in 2023.

Her success is built on Lee-Márquez's vision: bringing people together, which is captured in her restaurant's name.

"Comal" is a Mexican griddle or "cast iron skillet," and represents Lee-Márquez's Brownsville community, where she lived until moving the Greenville in 2016. The area code 864, associated with South Carolina's Upstate, recognizes the chef's new home and thanks her new community for welcoming her.

"I know who I am, and I want to show you who I am," Lee-Márquez's explained. "But I also know that I'm in what originally is yours."