These 8 on the map
The 8 spots on this page, pinned where they actually are. Tap a marker to see which one it is — all 20 are on the map in the Whosly app.
Tex-Mex and tacos
Houston is a Tex-Mex town first, with dining rooms that have filled their lots since the 1960s and '70s. Then come the trompo trucks, the weekend barbacoa and a new wave of kitchens built on masa.
8 of the 20
The Original Ninfa's on Navigation
East EndTex-Mex institution$$Where Mama Ninfa Laurenzo started grilling skirt steak into handmade flour tortillas in 1973, inside her family's East End tortilla factory. Fajitas are the order.
Hugo's
MontroseUpscale regional Mexican$$$Montrose's celebration standby in a soaring 1925 building, serving upscale traditional Mexican cooking. The Sunday brunch buffet is a Houston rite.
Tatemó
Spring BranchMexican tasting menu$$$$A 13-seat tasting counter behind an unmarked door, built on heirloom corn from Oaxaca and Tlaxcala that's nixtamalized in house for tortillas, sopes and buñuelos.
Molina's Cantina
BellaireTex-Mex$$Billed as Houston's oldest continually operating Tex-Mex restaurant. Order the Nancy Ames' Special Nachos, born on local TV in the '70s.
Teotihuacan Mexican Cafe
The HeightsTex-Mex$A bright pink, mural-covered Tex-Mex institution on Airline that's packed its lot for decades. Queso with everything: fajitas, flautas, tacos al carbón.
Tacos La Sultana
East EndTrompo taco truck$An East End truck carving Monterrey-style trompo: pork seasoned with smoked paprika, sliced off the spit and seared again with oil-warmed corn tortillas.
Villa Arcos
East EndBreakfast tacos$A Navigation Boulevard breakfast-and-lunch taco counter since 1977, famous for buttery handmade flour tortillas. Order a "Super"; menudo on weekends.
Gerardo's Drive In
NorthsideBarbacoa & carnitas$A weekend-only Northside meat market and taqueria since 1977. Barbacoa by the pound or in tacos, copper-pot carnitas, menudo, and the whole cow's head if you ask.
The other 12
The 20 are spread across 11 neighborhoods. East End (5), Montrose (3), Bellaire (2), Northside (2) and Spring Branch (2) have the most; Galleria, Rice Military, Spring, Tanglewood, the Heights and Washington Corridor have one each.
+12 more in the app
The Tex-Mex spot that claims Houston's first frozen margarita, a cash-only taco truck with a line at every hour, Yucatecan cochinita pibil in a strip mall, a taqueria that doubles as a bus station to Mexico, Mexican fine dining in Spring, and more.
Add all 20 to your Whosly mapEvery one lands on your own map in a tap — save them, rate them, plan around them. City Packs are included with Planner Pro.
Or search “Whosly: Plans, Places & RSVPs” on the App Store
For barbecue, see the best BBQ in Houston.
Common questions
What is the best Tex-Mex in Houston?
Where are the best tacos in Houston?
What is the best upscale Mexican restaurant in Houston?
Which Houston neighborhood is best for Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants?
Where can I see all 20?
All 20, on your own map
This page is 8 of them. The Houston Mexican & Tex-Mex pack in Whosly has all 20 — add it and every one drops onto your map, ready to save, rate and turn into a plan your friends RSVP to from a text, no app needed to answer. The pack is included with Planner Pro.
Get Whosly — free on iPhoneOr search “Whosly: Plans, Places & RSVPs” on the App Store
“Whosly: Plans, Places & RSVPs”.
More Houston lists
Keep reading
The 20 best barbecue joints in Houston
The best BBQ in Houston: brisket at Truth BBQ and Pinkerton's Barbecue, East Texas ribs at Burns Original BBQ, Asian-Texan Blood Bros. BBQ. All 20 in Whosly.
Read the guide →The 10 best steakhouses in Houston
The best steakhouses in Houston: dry-aged prime at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse and Killen's Steakhouse, Taste of Texas and a log-cabin game lodge. All 10 in Whosly.
Read the guide →The 15 best Italian restaurants in Houston
The best Italian restaurants in Houston: Da Marco, Coltivare's garden patio, soufflés at Tony's and red-sauce classics. All 15 in Whosly.
Read the guide →