50 Best Tex-Mex Restaurants in Houston

“Outstanding food and prices“

“Best Tex Mex around ! Nice indoor dining or if you prefer, an awesome bar area where you can eat and drink. Originally started in a compact strip-center space, now in their own authentic looking (and large) structure. Best salsa ever !“

“Best Tex mex I’ve ever had“

“Great Mexican food and marguerites!“

“My friend & I had a great lunch date for my birthday. Our waitress, Martha, was so sweet & very personable. She made sure we were taken care of and made small talk with us as well. We always have a nice time when we’re at Escalante’s!“

“I’ve been coming to this location for a long time, and this is hands-down the best service we’ve received. Saul was very attentive, recommended some delicious options, and kept our drinks filled. The food was delicious, the service was phenomenal, & the atmosphere was very peaceful. I will definitely be back!“

“We stumbled into this restaurant on a Saturday looking for breakfast and fell in love. Everything was excellent, atmosphere, food, staff and service. We liked it so much that we went back the next day for lunch. It truly is a gem of a restaurant!“

“Nate was great!! Will be back!!“

“The food is so delicious & so fresh ! My waiter was one of the best , Jose Luis ! He was very attentive & took my order & had ny drink of choice served to me in less than 3 minutes . He made sure my meal was the way I wanted it & thanked me for coming in . Very pleasant“

“EVERY-TIME we come to Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen, we leave smiling, full and wanting to come back. The food was fresh, delicious and portioned NOT to engorge me! Sometimes, ya even bump into the woman herself!!! Sylvia is absolutely delightful, charming and intelligent. If you’ve not been, definitely start with enchiladas!! I like “The Alice” but it’s not always on the menu….. ask anyway….. nudge nudge!!“

“Julio was our waiter yesterday and he was exceptional. He was very attentive and noticed it was our daughter’s birthday. He made her day special without us even asking. Thank you for taking time to recognize her during such a busy night.“

“We came to El Tiempo for a Birthday dinner for 25 and we all were delighted from start to finish. The Fajita dinner was delicious and our Server Victor service was amazing. We all can't wait to have a our next family dinner at El Tiempo“

“We went to the new location for the first time last night. I’m happy to report they have the same delicious food and friendly staff. There were 6 of us at the table. All food came out fairly quickly from ordering time and we were all served at the same time. It is saying a lot because the restaurant was packed at the time on a Sunday evening. The food was served piping hot. My teens are very particular about their tortillas and fajitas …they were very happy with the food quality and taste. The price is fair comparing to today’s food prices. I had the enchiladas en molé, mom had fish tacos, and dad had tortilla soup. So good! We will be back soon!“

“What a fun experience, if you’re looking for a good time and tasty food I say come here and you’ll be extremely satisfied, we were taken care of by Lisa and she made the exPerience sUper memorable, eaSily best margaritaS in Houston ! thank You !!“

“She was such a good server I want her everytime we come here she always come by our table to see if we need anything and she make suggestions we love her“

“What a great way to start my day. I was there when they opened today and the food hit the spot. Best tacos in Houston. And the smiles and welcome from the friendly staff only made it better. 5-stars for sure“

“I love this place! The food is incredible and the staff is so attentive and friendly. I always get the fajita combo with chicken and beef. Their salsa + meat are honestly phenomenal. I love that they added the new sautéed spinach as a side- super delish. Matt, the GM, is so kind, attentive, and just has the best customer service! The staff looks like they’re having a great time, which makes the environment a lot more inviting. Definitely recommend!“

“The food was very good. We drive about 45 minutes to find here. The shelf margarita was great! I had the shrimp,steak, and chicken fajita with salad- very enjoyable. Since I don't eat pork, I was extremely happy that the waitress was familiar with the menu items and could tell me food products with bacon/lard.“

“Great atmosphere, friendly people and food is delicious and served with large amounts. Waitress always coming by if we needed anything. Parking can be a problem sometimes but they have valet.“

“Great food and even better service wish we had one in Kansas City“

“Our waiter was very friendly and the food was amazing“

“Pappasito's is my favorite restaurant in all Houston. It's our spot for every special occasion, and when my dad and aunt came to visit Houston, there was no question where I was taking them. The beef fajitas never miss. And the garlic butter? I could literally drink it through a straw. Houston won me over with its food, and Pappasito's is a big part of that :)“

“I had an amazing experience at Texas Grill. From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was warm and welcoming, and the staff made us feel right at home. The food was outstanding, everything was cooked to perfection and full of flavor. You can really tell they care about quality and presentation. The portions were generous, and every dish we tried exceeded our expectations. Service was another highlight. The team was attentive, friendly, and made sure we had everything we needed without ever feeling rushed. This has become one of our go-to spots—we keep coming back because it never disappoints!“

“Have had breakfast before and went in today not only was lunch delicious but the service was excellent.“

“I went to dinner here tonight with family for my Moms birthday and had the pleasure of being serviced by Pedro! He was amazing. We had a pretty big and active party! Pedro stayed patient, kind I realized not one of us had to ever ask for anything! Not a condiment, not a straw… nothing! Thank you Pedro for making my mom’s birthday an amazing time! You’re the best!“

“This is my favorite restaurant! The food is consistently delicious! The salsa is my favorite, and it's made fresh everyday. The staff is phenomenal! They are friendly and very attentive, making us feel like we are home! I LOVE this place and cannot recommend it enough! 5 stars!“

“Love our Spring Branch icon !!❤️❤️“

“Highly recommend in this kitchen they offer amazing delicious food plus the customer service in Tomball Texas was outstanding. Definitely would recommend this to everyone.“

“Mr. Isaias Galvan is our favorite waiter. He is super friendly & is very accommodating with dietary preferences. He always makes us laugh. The food is amazing and the atmosphere is bright & welcoming.“

“I hope this message finds you well. My wife and I visited your Lamar Street location on December 26th, and I wanted to take a moment to share how truly extraordinary our experience was, thanks to your incredible staff. We had arrived at your restaurant after a frustrating experience earlier in the day. We had been scammed out of tickets for the 3:00 showing of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and while my wife was trying to resolve the issue with Ticketmaster, I thought we could at least enjoy a drink and try to make the best of it. My wife had been really excited for the performance, so needless to say, she was disappointed. What followed, however, turned what could have been a discouraging evening into something unforgettable. Our server, Carlos, came over and informed us that his manager had overheard our situation and wanted to offer us a free appetizer. We were so touched by this generous gesture. As the night continued, my wife was still on the phone trying to resolve the issue, and at that point, Kayla, another member of your team, came over and offered us a free dinner. Again, we were so grateful, and the kindness shown by your staff really started to lift our spirits. But the incredible service didn’t stop there. Later on, Kayla asked if we had any plans for the evening, and when we mentioned that we were heading home due to the day’s frustrations, she smiled and said, “Okay, so you have no plans. Good to know.” We had no idea what was coming next. Jon, your General Manager, then came over to our table with some astonishing news. He had purchased two tickets for us to attend the 7:30 showing of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra! We were completely taken aback—shocked, in fact. We thought we might be on a hidden camera show. But that’s not all. Jon didn’t stop there. When he learned that the digital tickets hadn’t come through, he walked with us to the Toyota Center Box Office, personally bought us two tickets, and handed them to us with a smile. “Enjoy the show,” he said. We were floored by his generosity and thoughtfulness. This act of kindness truly went above and beyond anything we could have imagined. We’ve been loyal customers of your Lamar Street, NRG, Sugar Land, Little Pappasito’s, and Webster locations for quite some time, and we’ve always considered your restaurants among the best in Houston. But after this experience, we feel even more connected to the Pappasito's family. The care and heart shown by your staff, particularly Carlos, Kayla, and Jon, made all the difference in our night. We can’t thank you enough for turning what had started as a disappointing evening into a truly memorable one. Please pass along our deepest gratitude to everyone involved. Thank you again for your exceptional hospitality and for going above and beyond to make us feel valued. We will continue to be loyal patrons of your restaurants, and we’ll be sure to share this incredible story with friends and family.“

“The staff at the Westheimer location has great customer service and they have a unified work relationship. I love the way they greet other with hugs and hand shakes. They are also very personable with their customers.“

“I have been going here before the fire. I still see the regular customers same as myself still going. Very good food and service!“

“I am writing to share some feedback regarding my recent visit to La Viva.

The food was excellent, but I particularly wanted to highlight the exceptional service we received from Alli and Phil. They were attentive, down-to-earth, and demonstrated perfect cadence and timing throughout our meal. My partner Forrest and I had a great time.

Also, when they throw a shout out to Sebastian, who took care of us and made our drinks extremely well.

Please pass along my thanks to them for their outstanding work.“

“First went to The Original El Gallo on Jones Rd around 1984. It was a frequent place to get Tex Mex for my good friend Mike Logan & his family. Have loved going there ever since. The best thing is it tastes as good today as it did the first time. Only complaint is we don’t live close enough to go as often.“

“Great food, the person taking my order was very friendly. Spoke spanish and english for my non spanish speaking friends reading this. My food was delicious. They had no problems taking customizations for my order. Highly recommend this place.“

“Our experience at Ninfas is always stellar. We love their fajitas, chips and dip and margaritas. Our server last time we were there, Ernesto Islas, was awesome and anticipated our every need. Thanks Ninfa’s for being our go-to Mexican food spot!“

“Me and my husband go here for our anniversary and our birthdays best mexican restaurant and food in spring branch ?“

“The chicken fajitas dinner for 2 ! Chicken fajitas, spanish rice and charro beans with flour tortillas was seasoned so good. The food was so Great !! we will be definitely be back🫶🏼 #firstvisit #lunchtime #texmexfood #hiddengems“

“Fresh avocado on tacos and perfect maduros.“

“The manager, Mr. Bowman, is a hero! He helped us greatly in dealing with a patient in a nearby Nursing facility like a champ. So grateful for his loving concern and just plain on human kindness which is rare sometimes. We will never forget it. Thank you againg!“

“All across the board 5stars.
Hazel is a very nice manager. Very attentive to the customer. Her smile and radiant demeanor. Highly recommended for breakfast. You are served plenty of food to fill even this big guy. You get complimentary sweet bread. It’s a miniature size. Just right for an afterwards snack.
A huge plus, the music isn’t too loud.
You need to come in to appreciate the restaurant.“

“Excellent service. The food was prompt and fresh. I would recommend this location to anyone looking for a fun and inviting atmosphere. The host staff and wait staff were truly attentive. Moses was awesome!!!Great overall experience! 10 out of 10!!!!!“

“Am new in Houston this has been the best restaurant my fiancé and me been in point blank,customer service , Atmosphere,food mmm 😋 top of the line will recommend it 💯period!!“

“I love there green chicken enchiladas always fresh and the margaritas and so good to top a great dinner“

“We showed up at about 10am and were a party of 5. We had to ask our waiter twice for the breakfast menu, which was unusual. The food was very good and reasonably priced. Coffee was also very good and came in a nice, old-fashioned ceramic mug. The freshly-squeezed OJ was one of, if not the best, that I've ever had. Lovely Mexican atmosphere! I will be back if I'm ever in the area! PS, make sure to lock your vehicle, cause car theft seems to be a regular occurence at this restaurant. They even have a large sign saying that they're not responsible for theft...you'd think they'd want to prevent it, not encourage it?!“

“pre-birthday celebration I have been coming to Houston Molina's for 25 years. Love it so much! ❤️“

“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Tex-Mex Institution You Can’t Copy Molina’s Cantina Westheimer has been serving authentic Tex-Mex for over 80 years, and it’s easy to see why. The house margarita is legendary — truly one of the best in Texas. Many have tried to copy the original salsa and the iconic Jose’s Dip, but nothing comes close. The dedication shows: some staff have been here 40–50+ years! Last night I had the Bubba de Tejas Hambergueso con Queso, and it was absolutely over the top — possibly the best burger I’ve ever had. A true Texas classic.“

“This El Tiempo Cantina was okay. The wait staff was very attentive, and actually maybe too attentive. We were trying to have uninterrupted conversation over lunch and they came by literally 12 times to ask if things were okay when we just wanted to talk. Otherwise, the food was okay, and that's the real reason for 4 stars instead of 5, because the atmosphere is excellent and again, they were very friendly.“

“Atmosphere nice and ALL, I mean ALL staff were welcoming and made us feel like valuable customers.

The food and drinks were on point. We had a party of 20 and the waiter was great and so accommodating. These are the experiences we want when we go out and spend money.“

“Absolutely one of the coolest spots in Houston and arguably all of North America“