Top 5: Mexican Restaurants

• Jay thank you very much for the info! I have been wanting to visit Mi Tienda and will defiantly check it out. To be honest I have avoided Spanish Flowers but will pick some up next time I am in the neighborhood. Would you perhaps know of any Mexican/Tex Mex restaurants that cater? I am getting married in October and my fiance and are planning on a Tex/Mex feast. We started looking into Picos, Tapatia, El Tiempo and Papasitos online but if you know of any other place I would really appreciate your input! Thank you so much!

• As dull and unspectacular as the food is at Spanish Flowers, they have an excellent flour tortilla recipe. When we have parties we will go pick up several dozen tortillas. For corn tortillas, my vote goes to Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen. The persons that make their corn tortillas know what they are doing. If you have never been to the Mi Tienda (H.E.B.) in Pasadena, it is well worth the road trip for corn tortillas, licuados, grilled chicken and more. This is a facility that does not use Maseca for tis tortillas (the Fiestas use Maseca). They slake and cook their corn from scratch for the masa and it is fascinating to view the giant masa making operation at the back of the store.

• Takes me to a happy place...love, love.

• We always just called it Teo-tee-rockin. :D

• tay-oh-tay-oh-wok-on

• Taconmadre is pretty darned good. Try Taconmadre.

• I hate that I haven't found anything better since I live so far from the place. They have great fresh lemonades and horchatas too. Best burrito I've ever had, ditto for the milaneza torta...they're far north down Fry in the parking lot of a gas station, and they've got a cute little setup with picnic tables and a tarp-like thing.

• Well for starters I would think they would have to be a flour tortilla top five and a corn tortilla top five. I think you could even technically brake down the category into "South Texas"style (which I know best) and "Mexican" style which are the kind that are a lot thinner, stretch somewhat and are usually smaller. Just a few ideas to rate the tortillas: Taste....do they stand on their own with out the help of fillings? Do you want to cram them in your mouth regardless of whatever else is on the table? Texture...if it is a South Texas style tortilla, is it chewy, lightly dusted with flour, loaded with Charley Brown goodness? Freshness....Nothing pisses me off more than to eat a late lunch/early dinner and find a dried up Frisbee in my red tortilla basket. Which leads me to consistency. Are they churning out the same quality product throughout the day? There are many a tales in Corpus Christi of people who will eat breakfast at one place but never dinner because the tortilla lady in the PM doesn't make them as good. Hope this helps and let me know if you need a good tortilla huntress! MamaJuice

• Fiesta En Guadalajara is a great TexMex joint.

• I don't know Ravenhill...I like ET, especially the grilled meats. Noone does fajitas better. You may find comparable, but not better. This isn't my scene, but if you like a little Club MTV with your tex mex on a Thr Fri or Sat night, I think ET on Washington is the place to go. I guess all the hate from the other readers is the price...

• Los Changos? I don't know, seems every business in that spot fails. Some locations are just graveyards.

• Just because El Sol is in the hood does not make it good food. A lot of people sure go there though. I haven't had something really good there, just filling.

• He's working on a new restaurant with an old Houston restaurateur, the last I heard.

• Anyone know what became of LJ?

• Corn FTW

• Never heard of it, but now I'm intrigued...

• Give me some suggestions :)

• Okay now I'm hungry :)

• My vote's for Yuriria, a taco truck on I believe Fry and Saum? Every time I eat there I wonder why any other Mexican restaurant can't do as good. Do they not care as much? Do they lessen the quality for the gringos? Yuriria is far and beyond the best place for a taco, torta, quesadilla, and more. No one's ever seemed to mention it though, it must be too far for most. Mostly construction workers, etc. eat there on their breaks. A worthy place though, and no matter what other Mexican restaurant or truck I try (and I've tried many), they come out on top.

• They were unable to meet the massive ranch dressing needs of their clientele fast enough. It won't happen again.

• "Listen, I'm sorry they don't have a top five bridges to lure children to ground up their bones, I really am." Well, Geri DID ask for suggestions for new top five lists so maybe one day...

• I grew up in Corpus Christi where good tortillas are a birthright, especially tortillas de harina. So many of my C.C. transplant buddies living in Houston feel the same way. On many a tipsy night we will debate over who has/had the best tortillas in C.C. town. When I visit I always bring about twenty packs home, freeze them and give them away to my friends, neighbors,hairdresser, yardman,etc. Its amazing what a pack of really great tortillas can do for you! It's Karma in a bag. Please do a top five tortilla Geri! If you need any help I'm your girl!

• I went to ET last Friday. I lamented, again, the loss of La Jalicience (El Cheapo Burrito) and nearly fell off my chair at the prices. The quality was mediocre, at best.

• Listen, I'm sorry they don't have a top five bridges to lure children to ground up their bones, I really am. I guess some people don't appreciate the delicate bouquet of flavors and aromas that children's bones have.

• You're claiming everyone on here doesn't know what Mexican food tastes like and I'm the troll? M-kayyy

• Mexican food is bland and blah. We're talking Tex-Mex here.

• The best description would probably be "Tejano". There is some Tex Mex, there is interior Mexican, there is border food. No frills. Reasonable prices. Tacos al pastor straight from heaven.

• For those who aren't aware, there are plenty of tortillerias in Houston. Esp., on the east side. I think most ppl already know about the one in Pasadena, but I've never been to that one. Too lazy to get in my car and drive.

• Fresh corn tortillas are cheap to make, quick, and easy. Sometimes, I mix the ingredients the evening before, make the balls, press them, and layer them btwn sheets of wax paper or parchment paper and store them in an air tight container in the fridge overnight. The other option is to buy the fresh corn tortillas daily from any of the local tortillerias. Mmm, I remember as a kid walking into the tortillerias, buying a kilo or two, running home, opening up the package to let the fresh smell of ground corn and steam out, pulling one out, dashing salt (just salt), rolling it up, and smiling away on the front porch.

• El Tiempo? Ack. It tastes old, I never understand the appeal of this chain. Horribly expensive. The top 5 Geri listed are much better value.

• I'm with you Mama. Tortillas are a big deal. I was already planning a top 5 chips and queso, but I like your idea of doing something concerning the tortillas themselves, because I am picky when it comes to a well made tortilla.

• It certainly wasn't my cup of tea, but in terms of being a place where actual Mexicans eat it, you can't argue that this place is geared towards anglos. No one there even speaks English.

• I am surprised Tacos La Bala in Bellaire didn't make the list. They are cheap, consistent and delicious. I went to Fiesta En Guadalajara recently and was not disappointed! It reminds me of my beloved Corpus Christi Mexican comida. I truly think the meat at El Tiempo is succulent and flavorful but it is indeed pricey. Great top five. Love them all! How about top five tortillas or queso. I am just not happy with most Houston tortillas.

• Yes! I miss that Vallone interior Mexican place! What was it called? Great location! Great brand! Must have been the poorly executed food. Or the soggy chips.

• tacos taconmadre are the best tacos in houston! (i-10 and wayside is the closest one to downtown) and i love hugo's and the original ninfa's for plates and drinks. el tiempo on washington, both the cantina and the market are sooooo good. laredo taqueria on washington is alright. chapultepec is straight up nasty.

• Great list! However, I feel Sylvia's is missing...

• Menudo here is bland and so is the salsa. Tortillas...see above.

• Casa Garay is average. Someone recommended this to me and I left disappointed.

• El Jardin is consistently better than any of these. At least they don't give you greased out tortillas that get hard before you finish eating them. That appears to be common at places that white people like.

• Gorditas aguascalientes!!!

• Molé ¡CEM!

• Really? Because every time I go to Teotihuacan and Laredo especially, I would say my whiteness puts me in the minoprity. Is it Casa Garay where no one speaks Engligh? Not quite, but not too far off either some days.

• Somebody get me an enchirito asap!

• I like El Tiempo, but is on the expensive side and not always worth the extra green when we have so many better, cheaper local options.

• You got me. This was all a big marketing scam by the team that mutually manages Laredo, Hugo, and even Teotihuacan. LOL!

• Thank you Albert that is exactly what I was going for.

• Damn straight....you speak the truth.

• Yes, but with Hugo's and Pico's the Tex Mex title wouldn't really fly.

• I am so not a fan of Chapultepc. Tried it more than once and was disappointed every time. Great selection of tequilas, but that's about it. El Sol can be good.

• Thanks Kevin! And that is a good place. Excellent point!

• Good to know. I've never heard of it. Is it pretty traditional Tex Mex?

• This comment saddens me. Yelapa was one of the best Mexican seafood places in town.

• Good to know- I'll give it another shot.

• Yelapa was easily in my top 3 the first year it was opened. I went there regularly, but the food just isn't what it used to be sadly.

• I'll take it eatTX. What would your order be?

• That is on my list to try. Glad to hear it's as good as I hoped.

• I know the flour are definitely handmade. Cannot vouch for the corn.

• Thanks Kyle!

• Why Bruce, I am beyond flattered!

• How about our readers post a top 5 tops for us :)

• Kyle, good luck getting a reply to that question.

• lol TEOTIHUACAN - you can't pronounce it but it's DELICIOUS. i have been going here for years and cannot find a better place

• where then?

• The list is the best 5 Mexican places, not the best 5 Mexican places everyone can afford. As Katharine demonstrated, it can be had on the cheap anyway.

• I think the story title should be changed to Top 5: Mexican Restaurants White People Like. Last time I went to Hugo's the quality of the meat was poor. More gristle than meat. The new owners of Ninfa's really ran that place into the ground too. Grilled food was ok before. Changing the salsa and Ninfaritas killed them for me. The other three are just bad.

• It was bad when I went a month or so ago. Only my second time and really never found anything good there. The sauces tasted bottled. For those prices I expect a little more effort.

• Well, if you ask for "chips" probably not. But if you ask for totopos (from the Nahuatl, totopotlaxcali, which means tortilla with the sound of thunder) you will have no problem. And if you ask for queso flameado, you're home free.

• This is an excellent list and I have no complaints with it. If I were entertaining a group of food anthropologists and wanted to present them with an outing of restaurants with a historical significance for Houston these would be my choices. One or two of these are not places that I dine at, as the food isn't particularly great. But from a historical standpoint...... The Original Ninfa's Spanish Village Fiesta Loma Linda Fiesta en Guadalajara (Irvington) Tampico Lopez Los Tios Los Sombreros Molina's El Patio

• I had chips and salsa last week for happy hour.

• Love Hugo's brunch. Love!

• Aha! you drank the "It's 88% beef! Really!" Kool-Aid, I see.

• I went there this weekend, as a matter of fact. It was a huge disappointment. I was staggered that a restaurant that was <i>so good</i> for the first year or so had become so very unremarkable in just a few months. Here' s the real Catch 22 of it - since they've apparently decided to go head-to-head with Ninfa's [the "chips, (utterly flavorless) salsa, tacos, enchiladas & quesadillas" model] - instead of what would have been their natural competition, a place like Hugos, is now there are actually lots of people in the dining room. Of the few signature dishes they decided to keep on their dumbed down menu - the ceviches, for example - didn't seem particularly fresh. The stuff they call "real guacamole" is an overdone $13 abortion (also dismissively served over chips - like a big gummy pile of failure). Please understand, I am not bashing them simply out of web-based meanness, Katherine. I <i>want</i> them to succeed. I just wish that they seemed to care as much as they used to.

• PepeJr, there's a place in my neighborhood that has tacos that are 2 for $1 and also has tortas. My favorite torta is called a Jumbo Jack and it only costs $1.29. The tacos are a legendary hangover cure but I haven't found them to effective.

• I am not because that's not what I said. How can anyone say a Mexican isn't Mexican? Hell, I like the food he makes, I really do, but it is out of range for the vast majority of people.

• Oh lovely, the troll is over here. I thought you only ate the ground up bones of children crossing the bridge you live under.

• Fair enough. To each there own.

• Where did I ask for cheapest? I was merely making an observation. I apologize if I offended your delicate sense of decorum. I suppose to some people Hugo's is not expensive, but to most it is not. I said, and I hope you will allow myself to quote my previous comment, that they have "good food." But why let such a minor detail get in the way of being an ass on the internet?

• Those places are to expensive to be mexican. I like going to my toco stands. Were its original and well done. Were i could buy tocos for 2 for $1 and some good tortas for $3. There is one spot i like right now its called Mi Casita its on Beltway8 and Bissonnet.

• Yelapa was horrible just 2 weeks ago. Aggressively mediocre food, especially the 'ceviches'. Still no chips and strange service overall.

• Exactly. I'm okay with the prepackaged variety in some applications, flautas, enchiladas, entomatadas, and the like, but not for my tacos or as a transportation vehicle for my mole or eggs, etc. I'm just curious to know if Laredo serves homemade corn tortillas with their tacos because that was not my experience.

• Word, as are their margaritas and malinches.

• Have you been to Yelapa lately? They've condensed the menu and taken it back to basics, albeit really high quality basics. Give it another shot. (They even have queso now, and it's righteous stuff.) http://yelapatime.com/dinner.html

• Hugo's version of the sangria is worthy!

• I'm not sure why El Sol gets so much love. Maybe I was there on an off day but it seemed average. And the corn tortillas were the grocery store kind.

• Thanks for the HH tip, that looks pretty hot.

• I ate there a few months ago and it sucked ape. I recall liking it a few years ago so maybe it's changed.

• That's 88%. You wouldn't expect it to be 100% beef--it's seasoned.

• El Charro is a good cheap spot and I love the atmosphere (call me crazy), but not top 5 Mexican, imo.

• I couldn't disagree more. Most home cooks aren't very good. Some of the better ones open restaurants.

• I see Hex is branching out from the main page to spread his ignorance around the entire site.

• You're going to honestly say that Mexican-born-and-bred Hugo Ortega and his all-Mexican kitchen crew don't know how Mexican food is supposed to taste? Bokay. For what it's worth, I like to grab bites at Hugo's bar during happy hour. They have a great little happy hour menu that's a condensed version of the larger menu. And it's all very affordable: http://www.hugosrestaurant.net/bar_menu.html

• Did they manage to list one or more of your marketing clients?

• ill just go to chiles on renwick and gulfton and order a torta chilanga awwwready...

• Wow. I must have missed the part of the story that said this was a list of "cheapest" Mexican restaurants. Never fear, H_e_x! Taco Bell is still quite reasonably priced, and from all accounts their Ground Beef® Filling© now contains a whopping 36% beef.

• If you don't mind paying 4X as much for comparable food...

• Hugo's? Someone has deep pockets. Good food, but damn if you don't pay for it. When all is said and done, the best Mexican food is going to be the kind made at home. So if you aren't Mexican or know anyone who is, you will never know how anything is supposed to taste.

• As a European transplant I have always enjoyed the food at the various El Tiempo establishments. Is there a reason why people have not mentioned them? Are the others far more superior or is ET poor by Houston standards? Just curious as to how much I may be missing out....

• Very good list. And kudos for including some Tex-Mex places and some that focus more on traditional Mexican cuisine.

• There not mexican resturants. There tex-mex food. There over priced and nothing is original. But i am not saying there not good places to eat. I love going to Picos and Ninfa's. They have some great drinks.

• Due to some of the choices listed here I think you should change the title to "Top 5 Tex-Mex". Its really dissappointing what passes for Mexican food now a days. Try going to a restaurant in Mexico and ordering chips and queso.

TotalComments: 100