Ask any Houston local about their favorite way to unwind, and chances are they’ll paint a picture of themselves at a beloved Mexican eatery, chips and salsa at the ready, and a refreshing margarita in hand. Houston’s vibrant food scene has blossomed over the years, and with it, the city’s Mexican food landscape has become incredibly diverse. From the iconic Tex-Mex, largely popularized by the legendary Ninfa “Mama Ninfa” Laurenzo and her famous fajitas at her East End establishment, to a dazzling array of regional Mexican cuisines, innovative fusion concepts, charming bakeries, bustling brunch spots, and humble yet exceptional taco trucks, Houston offers a Mexican food experience for every palate and occasion. If you’re on the hunt for the best Mexican Food Houston has to offer, look no further. This guide will take you through the essential spots you need to experience.
Bakeries
El Bolillo Bakery’s journey from a humble bakery in Greater Heights in 1998 to five locations across Houston is a testament to its delicious offerings. Whether you’re craving something sweet or need to impress at a family gathering, El Bolillo Bakery is your go-to. Indulge in classic treats like tres leches cake, creamy flan, rich cheesecake, and a variety of pan dulce, including conchas, orejas, panaderos, and carcoles (spiral pastries filled with sweet cream cheese). For savory options, grab some kolaches, flavorful tamales, or fresh tortillas to create your own tacos at home.
Assortment of sweet pastries including conchas and spiral pastries at El Bolillo Bakery, a popular Mexican bakery in Houston.
Nestled in the vibrant Tlaquepaque Market strip, Irma Perez’s unassuming spot is quietly crafting some of the most exceptional conchas in Houston. This small bakery features a delightful selection of pan dulce baked fresh daily. Arrive early to fill your tray with goodies, and if you have time, savor a comforting dish of comida casera-style cooking before continuing your day.
Breakfast and Brunch
For breakfast tacos in Houston, Brothers Taco House is a must-visit destination. Start your day right with their incredible breakfast tacos. The classic chorizo, potato, and egg taco is always a winning choice, as is the satisfying bacon and egg taco. Be prepared for a line, especially on weekends (perfect for authentic barbacoa or menudo lovers!), but it’s well worth the wait. Don’t forget to capture a photo in front of the restaurant’s vibrant and colorful mural.
A close-up of a delicious breakfast taco filled with chorizo, potato, and egg from Brothers Taco House in Houston.
Cochinita & Co., the brainchild of James Beard Award semifinalist Victoria Elizondo, has cultivated a reputation as a beloved community gathering place for Mexican food in Houston. Their weekend brunch is a true highlight. Indulge in the flavorful chilaquiles (with a vegan option available!) and complement your meal with a refreshing mimosa. Other standout dishes include the unique nopalitos scramble and El Desayuno, a hearty plate featuring two eggs, bacon, potatoes, black beans, queso fresco, pico, and buttered toast. Before you leave, explore Elizondo’s market for unique finds.
A vibrant plate of Cochinita & Co.'s cochinita pibil dish, showcasing traditional Mexican cuisine in Houston.
Ema, evolving from a popular pop-up to a brick-and-mortar restaurant, has quickly become a Houston favorite for exceptional Mexican food. Helmed by 2024 James Beard semifinalist Stephanie Velasquez, Ema offers delectable pastries like the horchata berlinesa, canela coffee panque, and classic conchas. For a more substantial breakfast or brunch, try the suadero chilaquiles or the flavorful taco de zanahoria from their main menu. Enhance your morning with Ema’s coffee program, featuring unique offerings like piloncillo chai and lattes in flavors such as cafe de olla, horchata, and agave.
A cozy cafe setting at Ema in Houston, showcasing pastries and coffee, a top spot for Mexican breakfast.
Gerardo’s, a taqueria established in 1977, has garnered a loyal following over the years, particularly for its barbacoa, prepared traditionally with beef cheek and tongue meat. For true Mexican food aficionados in Houston, a restaurant’s barbacoa taco is the ultimate test, and Gerardo’s consistently passes with flying colors. Note that Gerardo’s is only open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, so plan your visit accordingly.
La Guadalupana, a beloved neighborhood gem, has been serving the Montrose area for three decades. This Mexican food staple in Houston is so popular that you’ll often find a crowd extending into the parking lot, all eager to savor their Mexican comfort food. Must-try dishes include the chilaquiles, migas, huevos rancheros, and buttermilk pancakes – though honestly, everything on the menu is exceptional. Complete your visit with some pan dulce from their pastry case, or take some home to enjoy later.
La Mexicana, while also renowned for its lunch and dinner offerings, truly shines with its all-day breakfast menu. Known for generous portions (and perhaps a few too many addictive chips while you wait), it’s still hard to resist ordering at least three tacos on each visit. Favorites include the chorizo and egg, bacon and egg, and papas a La Mexicana, featuring tomatoes, onions, and jalapeños. You also can’t go wrong with the huevos rancheros con tocino (bacon), migas, or chilaquiles, making it a top choice for Mexican food in Houston.
A tempting display of breakfast dishes at La Mexicana in Houston, including huevos rancheros and chorizo and egg tacos.
Laredo Taqueria, a cafeteria-style taqueria, rightfully earns all the praise it receives. All breakfast tacos here are authentically prepared and incredibly affordable, offering excellent value. Grab a potato and egg or chorizo and egg taco, or choose from a variety of larger plate options, including menudo on weekends. If you’re heading to one of Laredo Taqueria’s four Houston locations, arriving early is highly recommended to avoid the lines.
Villa Arcos, a family-owned establishment serving the East End since 1977, experienced a long closure during the pandemic but thankfully reopened in 2023, now under the operation of a third-generation family member. Visit for the “bacon super”—a generously sized taco packed with bacon, egg, beans, cheese, and potato—or a classic bacon and egg taco for a simpler option. For a breakfast or brunch plate, the migas or ranchero plate are always reliable and delicious choices for Mexican food in Houston.
Tex-Mex
Candente, from the same owners as Pit Room next door, consistently delivers a fantastic experience with excellent Tex-Mex cuisine. Standout menu items include the smoked chicken flautas, comforting tortilla soup, flavorful tacos al carbon, mesquite-grilled redfish, and rich black bean enfrijoladas with avocado. If margaritas are your preference, don’t miss their premium margarita, crafted with Don Julio reposado tequila, Grand Marnier, agave, and lime – a perfect representation of Mexican food Houston style.
A colorful and appetizing spread of Tex-Mex dishes at Candente in Houston, including flautas and tacos.
El Tiempo, opened by one of Mama Ninfa’s sons, has been a Houston Tex-Mex favorite since 1998 and continues to impress. Begin your meal by sharing some guacamole or one of their quesos flameados, then order one of the generously sized crispy tacos – the beef picadillo is a top recommendation. For a comprehensive Tex-Mex experience, opt for a combination plate like the Las Vegas, featuring a cheese enchilada, a crispy beef taco, and fajitas. For excellent breakfast tacos, visit El Tiempo’s taqueria on Washington Avenue for another taste of Mexican food Houston is known for.
Ninfa’s, the restaurant that owes its fame to Mama Ninfa and the popularization of tacos al carbon, makes it essential to order the two tacos a La Ninfa plate when you visit. This dish features fajitas served in flour tortillas with pico de gallo, guacamole, and chile con queso. Complimentary rice and beans are also available upon request. Explore chef specials created by Patricia Delgado, the executive chef at the Uptown location, such as the costillas de res, crosscut flanken ribs served with ensalada nopales, salsa molcajete, and tortillas, for a refined take on Mexican food in Houston.
Chef Patricia Delgado of Ninfa's Uptown, highlighting the legacy of Mama Ninfa and Tex-Mex cuisine in Houston.
Taco Trucks
El Taconazo is a taco truck particularly popular among Houston’s nightlife crowd, but it’s a fantastic choice any time of day. Be prepared for a line, whether you’re visiting after a show at White Oak Music Hall or during lunch, but the service is quick. El Taconazo focuses on perfecting the essentials: order the fajita tacos con queso Oaxaca, topped with a fiery, creamy green salsa, and add a side of frijoles and a Mexican Coke to complete your satisfying and authentic Mexican food Houston meal. Seating is limited to the sidewalk or your car, for a classic taco truck experience.
Trompo Tacos & Snacks, with nearly 20 years of service, has become one of Houston’s most recognized food trucks. Its location across from West Alabama Ice House is ideal for enjoying tacos with a drink. Order a couple of trompo tacos and savor them with a cold beverage at one of the bar’s picnic tables, perfectly combining two Houston pastimes: Mexican food and enjoying a relaxed outdoor atmosphere.
Fine Dining
Hugo’s, the flagship restaurant of Executive Chef Hugo Ortega, offers a sophisticated Mexican food experience in Houston, perfect for a special occasion. Start your dinner with the aguachile de palmito—made with hearts of palm, mushrooms, avocado, red onion, cucumber, lime, cilantro, and serrano—or the ceviche verde, featuring the fresh catch of the day, avocado, cucumber, jalapeño, olive, cilantro, and lime. For your main course, consider the cabrito, roasted goat pulled from the bone in salsa de ajo, accompanied by nopales salad, refritos, guacamole, and salsa habanero. Seafood lovers might opt for the arroz a la tumbada, a flavorful dish of brothy rice with chicken, chorizo, shrimp, calamari, mussels, and clams. And for the full Hugo’s experience, don’t forget to order a margarita.
A beautifully crafted margarita at Hugo's, a fine dining Mexican restaurant in Houston.
Tatemó, led by two-time James Beard nominee Emmanuel Chavez, began as a farmers market tortilla venture and has evolved into a tasting menu experience that celebrates heirloom corn and the diversity of Mexican cuisine beyond the taco. The ever-changing menu might feature dishes like Mexico City-style quesadillas, tostadas, enmoladas, and buñuelo for dessert. Reservations are prepaid ($125) through Tock, making it an exclusive and highly sought-after Mexican food destination in Houston.
Regional
El Hidalguense offers a taste of regional Mexican food in Houston, specifically from the state of Hidalgo. While they offer many familiar dishes, focus on the Hidalguense section of the menu for specialties like the barbacoa de borrego: fall-off-the-bone, chile-marinated lamb cooked with maguey leaves in a barbecue pit, served with consommé and cactus salad. While packaged tortillas are included, upgrading to the house-made tortillas is highly recommended.
Picos, a family-owned restaurant with four decades in Houston, showcases the diverse flavors of Mexico’s seven culinary regions, making it a cornerstone of Mexican food Houston. Explore dishes like the aguachile de camarón—Sinaloa-style marinated shrimp in lime juice, cucumber, habanero pepper, and cilantro—or sample one of their many mole dishes, enchiladas, or seafood specialties. Picos provides a comprehensive tour of Mexican regional cuisine without leaving Houston.
A vibrant and colorful dish from Picos, representing the diverse regional Mexican cuisine available in Houston.
Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen, led by the “Enchilada Queen” Sylvia Casares, is renowned for its meticulously curated enchilada selections, featuring 11 “north of the border” and eight “south of the border” variations. Try the McAllen (north) chicken enchiladas with chili gravy or the Hidalgo (south) carnitas enchiladas. For the indecisive, the Enchilada Culinary Tour offers a sampler of either four northern or four southern enchiladas, providing a fantastic overview of Mexican food enchilada styles in Houston.
Xalisko, a relatively recent addition located in the Woodlands Mall, impressively balances high-volume service with high-quality regional Mexican food. Chef Beatriz Martines, a Hugo Ortega alum, highlights the cuisine of her home state of Jalisco with refined technique and bold flavors. Start with the salsa sampler and the esquites in bone marrow. The ceviche borracho of red snapper in tequila-citrus juice with smoked pineapple is a refreshing prelude to heartier dishes like the birria tatemada, lamb shank slow-braised in agave leaf with adobo. All tortillas and tostadas are made in-house with various heirloom corn varieties, emphasizing the authenticity of their Mexican food Houston offerings.
Xochi, Hugo Ortega’s downtown restaurant, narrows its focus to the cuisine of Oaxaca, particularly its seafood specialties. While Hugo’s represents Mexico’s culinary greatest hits, Xochi delves into the unique flavors of Oaxaca. Highly recommended dishes include the grilled octopus with fingerling potatoes, green chorizo, confit tomato, and red tomatillo sauce. Also, inquire about the catch of the day, often prepared in a flavorful green chileatole, for a truly authentic Oaxacan Mexican food experience in Houston.
A visually appealing Tlayuda de Res dish at Xochi, showcasing Oaxacan cuisine in Houston.
Fusion
Twisted Turban exemplifies Houston’s innovative fusion Mexican food scene, blending Indian flavors with Mexican formats. Their tacos are uniquely wrapped in paratha instead of tortillas. Try the Turban Tacos with slow-cooked braised beef, fried onions, and a refreshing combination of coleslaw and mango slaw for a truly unique culinary experience in Houston.
Houston’s Mexican food scene is as vibrant and diverse as the city itself. From traditional Tex-Mex to regional specialties and innovative fusions, this culinary landscape offers something for everyone. So, embark on your own delicious exploration of Mexican food Houston and discover your new favorite spot!
