Felix Tijerina (1905–1965) was a Mexican-American restaurateur, activist, and philanthropist in Houston, Texas.

His wife, Janie, gambled on a horse and won, allowing the family to start the restaurant a second time.

"Bob" Smith, and was the first Mexican American to serve on the board of the Houston Housing Authority.

In 1956 Tijerina became the national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and served four consecutive annual terms.

His mission was to help Mexican-Americans merge into the American mainstream as successfully as he had" and that "Early Mexican restaurants like Felix's were among the first institutions where urban Anglos and Hispanics rubbed elbows.

[8][9] Walsh compared Felix's food to "scratchy recordings of the Delta blues", as in it was an illustration of the history of an evolving cuisine.