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OUR Story

Billy, George, Sofia

The story of the U&I Restaurant begins with our father, George Piperis.   Over 50 years ago, at the age of twenty-seven, George made the journey from his home—the small Greek Island of Karpathos--to the United States.  His first stop was New York City but only after a couple of years in the Big Apple, he decided to venture out to Corpus Christi, Texas.  He immediately fell in love with the waterfront town, warm weather, and friendly residents—all of which reminded him so much of his own hometown back in Greece.
 

During his early years in Corpus Christi, George focused on sharpening his cooking skills. Shortly thereafter, he fulfilled one of his life’s dreams by opening a restaurant that would serve the best cut of steak, fresh seafood reminiscent of the kind he enjoyed back home, and a wide selection of dishes that were customized to the people of Corpus Christi.  As it concerns food, George’s mantra has always been: “Fresh food and plenty of it!”
 

Having accomplished his first goal of opening a restaurant that served high quality fresh food, George now focused on cultivating deep roots and relationships within Corpus Christi.  George believed that lasting relationships between the community and himself were essential to a restaurant. Relationship-building would soon become a fundamental aspect of the growing business. His point of view is that if you want people to enjoy the fresh food you are preparing, they must know and trust you, first!
 

Those firm beliefs in establishing relationships of trust and serving plentiful plates of fresh food daily, are what made the U & I Restaurant a permanent fixture of the coastal bend in downtown Corpus Christi.
 

To this day, George and his family are involved in the restaurant’s daily planning procedures.  These procedures include food preparation, selecting the mesquite wood that grills the most tasteful USDA beef steaks in Nueces county, and most importantly, attending to the loyal patrons of the U & I.   
The reputation of the U & I stems from the quality of our food.   For this reason, George’s original recipes are used to this day! Every plate of food is made on the spot, served hot and fresh and the utmost care is taken to please the palates’ of our patrons.   Our daily lunch and dinner specials can also be accompanied with wine and refreshments from our full-service bar.  Our banquet room is readily available for social and/or business gatherings of up to 60 occupants.

 

The success of the U&I Restaurant is evident in the number of loyal patrons that we have maintained throughout the years.  Our promise to our guests: to continue with the same hard-work ethic and passion that began with George Piperis, 49 years ago!

 

Thank you for your continued trust and patronage! 
 

 The Piperis  Family

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