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 the addition of a second location, chef and owner Dayna Lee-Márquez was nominated for a prestigious James Beard Award in 2023. That success is built on Lee-Márquez's main goal: bringing people together, which is captured in her restaurant's name.

"It keeps me true to who I am," she explained.

"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 said. "But I also know that I'm in what originally is yours."

Two worlds joined by a welcoming spirit and some delicious food. That is Lee- Márquez and Comal 864.