Houston residents are more than spoiled with Tex-Mex and Mexican restaurants on every corner. Whether it’s a taco truck, a little coffee shop on the corner of a strip mall, or high-end establishments, you’re never too far from classic food that blends southern and north of the border.
Summer has officially arrived in Houston, bringing heat, sweat and poolside drinks. But there’s still room for cheesy enchiladas and queso, perhaps washed down with a savory margarita.
Cool down and warm up at these neighborhood eateries for Tex-Mex and Mexican cuisine in Houston.
100% Taquitos
The first thing you notice when you enter 100% Taquito is the decor, the second is the food. They’re both loud and vibrant, and in the case of food, absolutely delicious. Don’t underestimate the selection by name: while you can (and should) load up three tortilla wraps at a time, don’t miss the 100% Taquito Sopes, which are filled with fajita meat, shrimp, or chicken. Don’t sleep on the hot fries and dip, whether you’re a fan of queso or guacamole, served in huge paper bags.
Find it: 3245 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77027
Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 11am-9pm; Friday-Saturday, 11am-10pm
Bodegas Taco Shop is a must in the Museum District.
Photo by: Andrea R/YelpBodegas taco shop
Bodegas Taco Shop isn’t exclusively Tex-Mex, but it’s the perfect place to grab a bite to eat in the Museum District after a day of exploring museums, the Houston Zoo, and Hermann Park. While their tacos prepared straight from the bar, fries, queso and guacamole are excellent, the restaurant also offers soft and sweet plantains with sour cream and fried yucca with an amazing chimichurri. And, of course, margaritas.
Find it: 1200 Binz St #160, Houston, TX 77004
Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 10am-10pm; Friday-Saturday, 10am-11pm
Chapultepec Lupita serves hearty plates of Mexican dishes.
Karis N. via YelpChapultepec Lupita
Picture this: It’s 3 a.m., you’ve just finished dancing the night away at Barbarella’s, and you’d absolutely kill for a chimichanga. Enter Chapultepec. This Montrose staple sits in a seemingly endless house in Richmond, offering Tex-Mex fare any time of the night (and all day, for that matter). Don’t want Mexican food after a night out? No problem – try their house salad or burger with your margarita while you take the auxiliary on the TouchTunes jukebox.
Find it: 813 Richmond Ave, Houston, TX 77006
Hours: Daily, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
A Trompo taco from El Taconazo.
Que N. via YelpThe Taconazo
It’s easy to miss El Taconazo as you walk down Fulton Street in the Northside, but once you stop, you’ll come back again and again. You better know what you want to order once you get to the start of the often long queue. The food comes out quickly, however, served fresh from the parrilla. The location does not offer seating, but you can enjoy an excellent quesabirria, lengua taco or plato especial and horchata while sitting in the trunk of your car watching the world go by the light rail.
Find it: 4003 Fulton Street, Houston, TX 77009
Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 9am-midnight; Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-2:30 a.m.
El Tiempo Cantina on the quaint Navigation storefront.
Canteen El TiempoCanteen El Tiempo
Classics are classics for a reason, and El Tiempo is no exception. Founded in 1998, El Tiempo is the brainchild of Roland Laurenzoyes – yes, the Laurenzos de Ninfa, and the son of Mama Ninfa herself – and her son, Dominic. The chain operates locally, serving fajitas, enchiladas, tacos al carbon and other essential Tex-Mex bites.
In recent years, El Tiempos has popped up across Houston, and 13 restaurants now stand from The Woodlands to League City (as well as a pop-up in Minute Maid Park), so luckily you’re never too far away. .
Find several locations and times here.
La Guadalupana serves up some of the best migas in Houston.
Emma BallerLa Guadalupana Bakery and Café
Tucked away on a small shopping street off Dunlavy Street, La Guadalupana is Montrose’s go-to spot for a breakfast with a little spice. The restaurant serves Tex-Mex and Mexican breakfast items like migas, tortas, and chilaquiles until 2 p.m., and operates as a Mexican bakery, to boot. Don’t leave without ordering their cinnamon coffee to die for and make sure you arrive early on Saturdays and Sundays as the waiting list gets longer.
Find it: 2109 Dunlavy Street, Houston, TX 77006
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
La Mexicana is a popular place for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Mark G. via YelpThe Mexican
Standing on the corner of Montrose and Fairview for decades, La Mexicana serves breakfast, lunch and dinner to those who can’t get enough of their queso blanco and guacamole. The restaurant is particularly famous for its sopes – thick corn cakes topped with beans and meat – and its carne asada. Honorable mentions go to La Mexicana’s desserts like tres leches, flan, and churros, which are worth stopping by even after a meal elsewhere.
Find it: 1018 Fairview Street, Houston, TX 77006
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 7am-10pm; Friday-Saturday, 7am-11pm; Sunday, 7am-9pm
La Mexicana has been around since 1982.
Yelp HoustonThe Tapatía
Beloved by students, families, and everyone in between, La Tapatía’s multiple locations in the Houston area offer a fantastic happy hour menu and stay open late. The restaurant serves up some of the best nachos in Houston, where juicy chunks of steak and seared chicken take center stage on crispy tortilla chips. Or, pair one of their parrilladas—fajitas served on tabletop grills with all the fixins—with a jumbo mango margarita with chamoy and a rim of tajín.
Find several locations and times here.
Chicken and Beef Fajitas from The Original Ninfa’s on Navigation.
Yaning L. via YelpThe original Ninfa
Last but not least, preferred by all Houstonians, old and new: the trusty tex-mex Ninfa’s. In 1973, “Mama” Ninfa Laurenzo apparently invented what we now know as fajitas when she wrapped a strip of juicy grilled beef in one of her legendary tortillas. The rest, as they say, is history. The original location on Navigation Boulevard still stands and has been joined by the Uptown outpost which opened in 2019, as well as numerous franchises across the city.
Find it: 2704 Navigation Boulevard, Houston, TX 77003
Hours: Monday Thursday. 11am-10pm; Friday, 11am-11pm; Saturday, 10am-11pm; Sunday, 10am-10pm
