Gringo's in Pasadena and Pearland are good. Free ice cream. Mamacita's on Nasa Road 1 is fair to good...salsa is too hot. Estebans on FM 518 in League City is real good. Fantastic quesadillas. My personal fav...Tortillas on Spencer Highway in La Porte. I used to always go to the one in Clear Lake on Nasa Road 1...that's were I celebrated both Rockets championships...beer was dripping from everything. Their salsa is my favorite. I also love the fajita potato skins. Mucho greaso...muy bueno. As for the fast food mexican/tex-mex places...you've got to be down with the Bell, the Cabana, and Raise The Flag.
There's a Mexican restaurant in Clear Lake, but I can't remember it's name. It's on 45 in the same parking lot with Hooters, Luther's, Fiesta Liquors, and a few other restaurants. Anyway, they have real gorditas on the menu. They aren't bad either, and those things aren't always easy to find.
It sounds like you live in the same area as me. I live in the Pasadena area, and my favorite restarunant by far is Border Grill, on Spencer Hwy near Center St. They have unbelievable Margaritas, great sauce, and some of their Chicken dishes are the best (I reccomend the Salsa Pollo). It is owned by the same family that now owns Tortilla's, so check it out if you havent already.
Have any of you ever been to the Cowboy Ranch in Pasadena? It's a really cool place with Mexican food and steak, and it's actually very good. Somebody else mentioned Tortillas, but they changed management a couple years ago and aren't as good anymore, but Gringos is very good. The best Mexican I've ever had is in Dallas, at a place called Tia's.
FattyFat, you disappoint me greatly. 15 categories listed & not one of them contains the words "best" and "margaritas". To recieve absolution for this grave sin, take 2 shots of mescal & say 20 "Hail Pancho's". Hugo's is unbelievable if you want more traditional Mexican fare. El Tiempo is the best for high-end TexMex. El Pueblito has the best seafood. Teotehuacan on Irvington is the best overall bang for the buck, and possibly the best TexMex in Houston. Tapatia is the best late night, and it ain't bad at all when you're sober either, same with Jaliscience.
I dont think Lupe's is overrated. Their beef fajitas are the best in town. Thats all I eat there, however, so maybe the rest of their tex-mex is overrated. Fridays at Chuys: the Chicka-Chicka-Boom-Boom plate is amazing. (Its enchiladas)
Though I order the same thing pretty much every time I go(Huge serving of fajitas to share), Lupes is my favorite. Chuys make some killer enchiladas, but Lupes just dominates in everything else. Ninfas = overrated. Navigation, Northside, Galleria...They're all okay, but I don't think they really measure up to Chuys/Lupes/Panchos.
The flavor's good but they use some weird-ass cut of meat instead of flank or skirt steak. Why they do this I have no idea, it's just not as tender as a good 3/4 inch cut of traditional "fajita meat". IMHO of course. If I'm gonna shell out $$$ for TexMex, I'm going to El Tiempo.
Best Cheese Enchiladas - Chuy's with tex mex sauce Best Enchiladas - Teotihuacan (beef fajita w/red sauce) Best Hard Taco - Teotihuacan (crispy chicken tacos) Best Soft Taco - Mission Burrito (avocado tacos) Best Taquito - El Rey (breakfast) Best Fajita - La Mexicana Best Burrito - tie -Mission Burrito & Teotihuacan Best Nachos - Chuy's Best Flautas - Whole Foods Frozen - Chicken Flautas Best Tex-Mex Platter - The Elvis Presley Memorial Combo - Chuy's Best Tex-Mex for the buck - Teotihuacan Best Hot Sauce with the chips - tie -Spanish Flower & Chuy's creamy jalapeno Best Fried Fish Taco - Berryhill's (hand's down the best fish taco in Houston) Best Grilled Fish Taco - (grilled shrimp) El Rey
When I was a kid, Casa Ole was really great. Then, it got really crappy, but now it's pretty good again, and cheap. It was mostly crappy when Jose Lima was doing commercials for them...coincidence?
Gringo's off Kirkwood is quite the bomb. Chips and salsa are easily the best (and free)...and they have this killer guacamole dip as well as a good salsa. Not to mention their free ice cream.
Best Cheese Enchiladas - Gotta go with Taco Bell Best Enchiladas - Once again, gotta go with Taco Bell Best Hard Taco - Yep. gotta go with Taco Bell Best Soft Taco - Hmm, let's see...Taco Bell? Best Taquito - MAybe...Taco Bell? Best Fajita - Gotta go with Taco Bell Best Burrito - Gotta go with Taco Bell Best Nachos - I'll say...Taco Bell Best Flautas - I have shaken my 8-ball and it says...Taco Bell. Best Tex-Mex Platter - Taco Bell Best Tex-Mex for the buck - No brainer. Taco Bell. Best Hot Sauce with the chips. - Oh yeah. Taco Bell! Best Fried Fish Taco - Ninfas. Best Grilled Fish Taco - No such thing. An the overall award goes to... Papasitos!!!!
I guess I should give mine: Best Cheese Enchiladas - My wife would tell you that I make the best cheese enchiladas, but in a restaurant, I like the ones at Apache in Galveston. I also like the ones at Pappasitos (at least the one in Clear Lake) Best Enchiladas - Again, I've been told my chicken enchiladas are the best, but I like various ones at Chuy's Best Hard Taco - Here....I have to say Pappasitos. Who would have thought about putting carrots and celery in your taco meat? But it sure is good. Best Soft Taco - Tacos al Carbon....Ninfa's Best Taquito - I guess Whataburger....I can't imagine eating them at a real Mexican restaurant. Best Fajita - El tiempo....filet with chimichura Best Burrito - This is like saying "best mac and cheese"--it's such a comfort food for me, so......I'm sorry to say.....I have to agree with Chance: taco bell. However, I like those big 'ol thangs at Freebirds Best Nachos - Fajita nachos at Ninfas. They put a ridiculous amount of beef fajita meat on these things. Best Flautas - not one of my favorites....so I have no opinion. Best Tex-Mex Platter - Guadalajara Plate at Pappasitos Best Tex-Mex for the buck - Again, I'm partial to taco bell. I'd like to give an honorable mention to taco cabana. And I'm not someone who shies away from the Taquerias....I've been to many of them in Houston, and I darn near used to live at a few of them. I've just had a few disappointing experiences lately and haven't enjoyed myself as much. I've come full circle and I'm back to eating the crap I ate in my youth (like taco bell) Best Hot Sauce with the chips. - Ninfas green sauce has always been my favorite. Best Fried Fish Taco - I used to enjoy Cabos, but that's something I usually make myself. Best Grilled Fish Taco - I ONLY make these myself.
