Adrian Torres
Maximo | Houston, TX
September 2025
Adrián Torres, a DACA recipient born in San Luis Potosí, Mexico and raised in Houston, got his start in kitchens at 18 years old, shucking oysters at Xochi during Houston Restaurant Week. Under the guidance of Chef Fabián Saldaña and mentors like Chef Thomas Bille and Rising Stars alum Seth Siegel-Gardner, Torres rose quickly through the ranks, mastering both back-end technique and front-line execution. During formative stints at Belly of the Beast and MAD, he learned the importance of taking ownership of every facet of the kitchen, from receiving product to washing dishes. Torres joined the team at El Topo, which evolved into Maximo under the Local Foods Group. In late 2023, he was offered full creative control—and transformed Maximo into a project of his own. He revamped the menu, overhauled service, and led the restaurant through a relaunch that has shifted the tide on its business outlook.
Maximo in its current state is a conscious departure from its Tex-Mex origins, instead deploying thoughtful sourcing and heritage Mexican cooking, with its nixtamalization program taking a central role on the menu. Torres nods to his partner’s hometown of Guanajuato, Mexico with his strawberry and hamachi aguachile with habanero-pickled strawberries, while his smoked short rib with truffle mole negro draws a thoughtful and deft throughline between Oaxacan tradition and Texas barbecue. At just 26 years old, Torres is a leader and virtuoso in and outside the kitchen. He supports immigrant-led civil rights organization FIEL Houston, mentors young cooks, and encourages fellow immigrants to find power in their voices both on and off the plate.
