Excuse Our French
Chez Sami, pronounced shay sam-ee, is a French restaurant and art gallery owned and operated by Chef Jon Walter and his family in Wolfforth, Texas. With a commitment to traditional French cuisine, we have created an upscale dining experience with an intimate atmosphere that captivates our guests. Our multi-course menu reflects the world travels and experiences of Chef Walter, who perfected his craft as a private chef for yachts sailing across Europe.
The Chez Sami Story
Told by Chef Jon Walter
In the fall of 2019, I left my Job in Lajitas, Texas, and moved to Lubbock to be closer to my family. The plan was to take four months off to find the perfect job. In March 2020, the pandemic hit full force and my job search came to a halt. Stuck at home, I needed to find a way to put food on the table and support my family. So, I asked my grandma to share her famous tamale technique with me. Once I had the hang of it, I took it to the streets and opened The Tamale Lady with the last bit of change in my pocket.
It wasn’t long before we were selling out of our unique Texas-sized tamales at the Wolfforth Farmer’s Market. To keep up with the demand, I found an old building in Wolfforth and transformed it into my own pop-up kitchen. Having an international fine dining background, I was craving an opportunity to put these skills to work and honor my culinary roots. I began showcasing foods from some of the countries I had lived in with themed Latin nights on weeknights and traditional French cuisine on the weekends.
In time, our fine dining concept began generating more attraction than our tamale menu, and we made the transition to Chez Sami, creating Lubbock’s only French dining experience. I hope you’ll visit my family’s restaurant and see what everyone is talking about!
