A battle-worn firefighter’s helmet rests on a shelf over the bar at Chris Cuellar’s restaurant in Weslaco.

The rigors of the job he held for over 10 years in service to his community would take a physical toll. Injury problems would compel him to leave the Weslaco Police Department and bring a need to reinvent himself while still being a young man. Being a restaurateur is a thought that had long intrigued him. Cuellar was handy in the kitchen and was inspired by an uncle’s home-style smoked hamburgers.

After a stint at a culinary school in Austin, Cuellar returned to the Valley, working at some higher-end McAllen restaurants. The goal to return to his hometown with his own business would manifest itself after working for others. It led him to ask a cousin, A.C. Cuellar III, a pertinent question.

“Why don’t we start our own deal at home?” he asked his future business partner.

It would spark the start of what would become the Uncle Chops Food Court at 200 S. Border in Weslaco. It’s a family-oriented restaurant operating in a converted 104-year-old home. It features a lineup of signature hearty burgers while also delving into higher-end cuisine when the occasion – and the holiday – requires.

“Weslaco is due to become more of a destination for food,” Cuellar said. “We feel like Weslaco is ready to make the next jump.”

Down Home

Uncle Chops is located just south of Business 83. It is at about a halfway point between the two busiest Weslaco thoroughfares – Texas Boulevard and Westgate Drive. 

It’s a location Cuellar and his cousin settled on in 2019. Beginning with food trucks, they built up their customer base with signature burgers billed on Chops’ menu as being “100 percent house ground brisket smoked to perfection and finished on the griddle.” The meat patties also include family-secret ingredients mixed in as passed down by one of Chris’ uncles.

The conversion from food trailer to a more permanent physical location would take about three years. During that time, the Cuellars worked on reconfiguring the historic home. It was then a wait for the local economy to settle in the early 2020s. Opening in early 2022, Uncle Chops at its present location is a relaxed setting with plenty of room outside for live music nights and plenty of room for children to play on AstroTurf grounds.

“We want it to be like a home-away-from-home,” Cuellar said of his restaurant. “We’re not uppity. We enjoy talking to our customers and making them feel welcome.”

The feelings are apparently mutual. One customer, Chaille Thomas, on a Google review called Uncle Chops “a true gem” with “personable customer service … and showcasing the love and care they put into every dish.”

Elegant Dining

Uncle Chops does feature what Cuellar calls a “base menu” of signature burgers with sweet sourdough buns.

The burger choices range from the “To The Point” that’s topped with cheddar cheese to a “Quieres Chorizo?” that includes San Manuel chorizo, queso panela and chili piquin, a real RGV culture-infused selection. Then there is the “elevated menu,” as Cuellar described it, and is utilized for holidays like Valentine’s Day. For this year’s Feb. 14, Uncle Chops will have a menu featuring the likes of beausoleil oysters and prime ribeye, lobster tail and sparkling white wine.

It’s the type of fine dining Cuellar would like to expand upon as he sees Weslaco and the Mid-Valley develop into a larger metro area that can support higher-end restaurant options.

“It’s the next step up,” he said. “Something more elegant that people will say, ‘Is this Weslaco?’ I think, business wise, we’re in a great location as a halfway point between McAllen and Brownsville and Harlingen.”