How it came to be.
A history by owner Mike Raymer

Pictured above, left to right: Josh, Jack, Lloyd (standing) and Mike.

All the men in my family cook. I guess I can blame them or thank them.
I got into the restaurant business as the result of hitting the wall at '50' and wondering if there was something in my life that I had left undone. Some latent passion left dormant, yet - there to be cultivated at some distant and unclear future.

When I say we all cook, I'm thinking a word of explanation may be required. Out of the handful of menfolk in this family only one is truly a 'designated chef'. That would be my son Josh. He is the executive chef at the Navajo Grill. A rightfully earned title. His culinary exploits over the last fifteen years have qualified him to assume the helm at the Grill.

Back to square one.

Over a decade ago I purchased Navajo Grill (it being in its' infant stage) with the thought of being a chef in a small town bistro. There was nothing more intoxicating than thinking you could (sauté pan in one hand and professional cutlery in the other) knock out a few culinary delights, shake off the kitchen heat and then saunter through the dining room in a gleaming white chef's coat (wine glass in hand) and nod to the shouts of 'bravo!, bravo!' only to be followed by the sound of a cash register wearing itself out.

What I have learned is, that being the guy in the neighborhood that cooks for large parties and backyard  BBQ's does not qualify you to enter the world of professional chefdom.

But I jumped in anyway. Ignorance was never more blissful! Nor could I have possibly imagined how daunting and at the same time rewarding the task would be.

This is supposed to be a history of my slowly moving through the ranks via a series of culinary techniques / job descriptions at different locales across the restaurant landscape. What it will be is a short summary of my one and only (self imposed) restaurant odyssey. From dishwasher to floor scrubber, pantry and produce buyer to crab cake maker, meat cutter to fish gutter, working a pan or sweating over a grill, table busser and napkin folder to smiling host, wine buyer (and drinker) to stove and freezer fixer, plumber to electrician. In other words --- jack of all (restaurant) trades, master of none!!

After purchasing the Grill I underwent a 90 day culinary boot camp to insure that I was physically and psychologically fit to lord over the kitchen staff, which at the time had an uncomfortable resemblance to Long John Silver's crew in Treasure Island. Those days didn't fly past as you might assume. They dragged on and they were really, really hard! Knowledge I had gathered at the end of that period of time could fill a thimble (nearly). What I had yet to learn (and am still learning) could fill the great lakes.

The first two years were really the hardest. The learning curve is terrifying, leaving you with a feeling remarkably similar to one I recall at Six Flags after finishing a ride that recommended your not enjoying a meal three hours prior to the ride because of the interesting side effects of that ride.

After reading the 'crash and burn' statistics for restaurants the first two years of operation, I did not feel particularly confident (I believe 50% to 70% don’t make it).

Mercifully, my existing staff did not tell me how true these figures were until we were celebrating our two-year anniversary. Although I do recall being treated like a new troop is treated in a combat zone. You know, 'New Meat'. You don't really acknowledge the new guy cause he's green and is gonna get killed pretty quick. But, I made it! The restaurant made it! 

Time did start to accelerate then. The first five years happened and I felt seasoned but not secure, not safe but sure that I had or could get the tools to not only survive but also prosper. I was also informed that making five years without breaking the bank or myself was a milestone and as a result we were in a more exclusive club of survivors than at the two-year mark.

We are a white tablecloth restaurant and much is expected from us and rightfully so. Professional kitchens have a revolving door for the most part. It is to be expected. Kitchen folks do come up through the ranks and look for exposure to different culinary environments. I have sent a number of very talented folks on to another part of their journey with a letter of recommendation and a note of sadness at their departure. One of the most important lessons has been to create a consistent and stable environment as it relates to both the front and back of the house. I expect the service to reflect a level of professionalism that is mirrored by the kitchen's culinary offerings. Whether it be the way a bottle of wine is properly decanted at a guest's table or the way sauces are married to a particular entrée and composed on the plate; all of these activities and actions are a concert and should be coordinated accordingly so that sounds, sights and tastes are worth the guests' time and money (and a level of satisfaction & pride is enjoyed by staff).

With our first decade safely tucked away, we look forward to a truly rewarding 2nd decade. The family of coworkers at the Grill is the Grill and the opportunities for future growth are only limited by our own imaginations.

So, to bring this to a close -- I don't have credentials branding me a coast-to-coast foodie that spent 30 years honing my craft. What I do have is the knowledge of this business gleaned over a decade of learning the culinary trade 'on the fly'. My classroom has been Navajo Grill and class is still in session and the bell may never ring.

HISTORY OF THE GRILL  |  FREDERICKSBURG TEXAS WINE TRAIL    AMIGOS IN FREDERICKSBURG  |  TEXAS HILL COUNTRY LINKS

ABOUT FREDERICKSBURG'S NAVAJO GRILL  |  FREDERICKSBURG GOURMET CUSINE |  FREDERICKSBURG PATIO BAR
PRIVATE DINING IN FREDERICKSBURG  |  FREDERICKSBURG'S NAVAJO GRILL EVENTS  |  NAVAJO GRILL IN THE NEWS
CONTACT FREDERICKSBURG'S NAVAJO GRILL IN THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY