🌮 Best Mexican & Tex-Mex in Houston

65 mexican & tex-mex spots in Houston, scored and ranked for 2026.

Top 10 Mexican & Tex-Mex Spots

Tatemó

Mexican Tasting Menu · Spring Branch · Michelin 1 Star, James Beard Finalist

Chef Aldo Espinosa tasting menu hidden in a Spring Branch strip mall that fuses Mexican tradition with avant-garde technique. The 10+ course menu changes constantly, with dishes like huitlacoche in co...

Hugo's

Regional Mexican · Montrose · James Beard Award Winner (Best Chef: Southwest 2017)

Hugo Ortega flagship Montrose Mexican that introduced Houston to the depth and sophistication of regional Mexican cooking. The moles take days to prepare, the cochinita pibil is wrapped in banana leav...

Xochi

Oaxacan Mexican · Downtown · James Beard Semifinalist

Hugo Ortega's love letter to Oaxacan cuisine inside the Marriott Marquis — one of the most important Mexican restaurants in America. The mole negro takes days to make and tastes like it. The chocolate...

Real Agave

Mexican / cocktail bar · Washington Corridor

Berg Hospitality's mezcal and tequila-forward lounge on Louisiana Street, where Mexican flavors anchor the cocktail menu and the agave selection runs deep. A downtown drinking destination that takes t...

Caracol

Coastal Mexican Seafood · Galleria · James Beard Semifinalist

Hugo Ortega’s coastal Mexican seafood in the Galleria, with Gulf shrimp, whole grilled fish, and a ceviche trio that lands like a beach town in a glass. Tableside guacamole, a tender octopus, balanced...

Belly of the Beast

Modern Mexican-American · Spring · Michelin Bib Gourmand, JBF Best Chef: Texas Winner 2025

Chef Thomas Bille's Mexican-American fine dining in Spring earned him the 2025 James Beard Best Chef: Texas award. New American cuisine through a Mexican-American lens — think mole-braised short ribs,...

Ninfa's on Navigation

Tex-Mex · East End

The original Ninfa — where fajitas were literally invented in 1973. Mama Ninfa started grilling skirt steak and serving it on tortillas, and changed American food forever. The green sauce is the stuff...

Zaranda

Mexican / Las Californias · Downtown · Texas Monthly Best New Restaurants 2026

The newest jewel in Chef Hugo Ortega's crown, Zaranda brings wood-fired Las Californias cuisine to downtown Houston steps from Discovery Green. Inspired by the traditions of Alta and Baja California, ...

La Fishería

Mexican Seafood · Downtown Houston

La Fishería works Mexican coastal cooking in a downtown Houston room, leaning hard on seafood: five styles of ceviche, octopus and shrimp tacos, oysters and whole grilled fish alongside meat dishes, s...

Space City Birria

Mexican · Downtown Houston

Space City Birria is a taco spot in Downtown Houston on Milam Street, built around birria — slow-stewed, chile-red beef for tacos and quesabirria, with a cup of consommé for dipping. A quick, high-rat...

All 65 Mexican & Tex-Mex Spots in Houston

El Tiempo Cantina

Tex-Mex · Washington Corridor

Tacos Tierra Caliente

Mexican / Street Tacos · East End

CasaEma

Mexican Bakery / Cafe · Heights

Ninfa's Uptown

Tex-Mex / Mexican · Galleria

Goode Co. Kitchen & Cantina

Tex-Mex · Heights

Dripped Birria

Mexican · Midtown

Eight Row Flint

Tex-Mex / Bar · Heights

Candente

Tex-Mex · Montrose

Mayahuel

Modern Mexican / Agave Bar · Upper Kirby

Maximo

Progressive Mexican · Museum District

Papalo Taqueria

Mexican / Tacos · Downtown

Cuchara

Mexican / Interior Mexican · Montrose

Cochinita & Co.

Yucatecan Mexican · East End

Alturas Mexican Cafe

Mexican · Heights

Urbe

Mexican Street Food · Galleria

Flora Mexican Kitchen

Modern Mexican · Upper Kirby

Pappasito's Cantina

Tex-Mex · Galleria

Gorditas Aguascalientes

Mexican · Chinatown / Bellaire

Las Tortas Perronas

Mexican · Spring Branch

La Guadalupana Cafe and Bakery

Mexican · Montrose

Ema HTX

Mexican restaurant · Greater Heights

Tacos A Go Go

Mexican / Tacos · Heights

Teotihuacan Mexican Cafe

Tex-Mex · Heights

Oh My Gogi!

Korean Mexican Fusion · Spring Branch

Laredo Taqueria

Mexican · Washington

Torchy's Tacos

Tex-Mex / Creative Tacos · Montrose

Gringo's Mexican Kitchen

Tex-Mex · Friendswood

Monkey's Tail

Mexican / Cocktail Bar · Heights

El Big Bad

Mexican · Washington Corridor

Maderas Kitchen & Cantina

Mexican · Montrose

El Bolillo Bakery

Mexican Bakery · Heights

Villa Arcos

Mexican · East End

La Cruderia

Mexican Seafood · Chinatown / Bellaire

El Hidalguense

Mexican / Barbacoa · Spring Branch

Chuy's The Woodlands

Tex-Mex · The Woodlands

Gerardo's Drive In

Mexican · Heights

El Taconazo

Mexican Street Food · Heights

Tio Trompo

Mexican Street Food · Montrose

Cucharita

Mexican · Montrose

Tacos Dona Lena

Mexican Street Food · East End

Molina's Cantina

Tex-Mex · Memorial

Cafe Adobe Woodlands

Tex-Mex · The Woodlands

Tacos La Sultana

Mexican Street Food · East End

Taqueria Monchy's

Mexican · East End

Poblano's Mexican Grill

Mexican · West Houston

Lupe Tortilla

Tex-Mex · Spring Branch

Spanish Flowers

Tex-Mex · Heights

Carmelita's Kitchen + Tequila

Mexican · Cypress

Los Cochinitos

Mexican · Spring

Doña Leti's

Mexican & Salvadoran · Washington Avenue Coalition / Memorial Park

Bodegas Taco Shop

Mexican · Houston Museum District

El Toro Mexican Restaurant

Mexican · La Porte

La Viva Tex-Mex

Tex-Mex · Garden Oaks

Ojo de Agua

Mexican · Afton Oaks / River Oaks Area

Tacos Del Julio

Mexican · Spring Branch

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