Tel-Wink Grill has been on Telephone Road since 1940, when it was founded by J.R. DuBose, a Texas native and World War II veteran who went on to open several other restaurants around Houston and beyond. The diner became a fixture of the neighborhood almost immediately, built on the kind of home-style cooking that doesn't go out of style.
Jimmy and Peggy Bokos took over in the late 1990s and ran the place for decades, keeping the old-school charm intact — handwritten tickets, hearty plates, and a counter where regulars knew the staff by name. That version of Tel-Wink, warm and unhurried, is the one most Houstonians grew up with.
Today the diner is run by Vageli, Peter, and Christos Stathatos, who also own Don Carlos Mexican Restaurant. They've kept the classic diner setup while updating things at the margins for newer generations of guests.
The menu still runs from fluffy pancakes to chicken fried steak, comfort food meant for sharing rather than fuss. Breakfast in particular has built a following, and the place stays busy with regulars who know service holds up even when the wait does.
Jimmy and Peggy Bokos took over in the late 1990s and ran the place for decades, keeping the old-school charm intact — handwritten tickets, hearty plates, and a counter where regulars knew the staff by name. That version of Tel-Wink, warm and unhurried, is the one most Houstonians grew up with.
Today the diner is run by Vageli, Peter, and Christos Stathatos, who also own Don Carlos Mexican Restaurant. They've kept the classic diner setup while updating things at the margins for newer generations of guests.
The menu still runs from fluffy pancakes to chicken fried steak, comfort food meant for sharing rather than fuss. Breakfast in particular has built a following, and the place stays busy with regulars who know service holds up even when the wait does.