Mexican Food and Cooking

Chef Chat, Part 3: Ruben Ortega of Hugo's and the Traditional Foods of Mexico

This week, we've been chatting with Ruben Ortega of Hugo's and Backstreet Cafe. This is the third and final part of a three-part Chef Chat series. If you missed our previous posts, you can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here. Ruben is the lesser known sibling of Hugo Ortega, and his official title at ... More >>

Todo con Queso

Houston's 10 best Tex-Mex restaurants.

What's Cooking This Week? Shrimp Tostadas, Steak Taquitos, Wicked Philly Cheese Steaks and More

I love cooking for my fiancé and me, but most of the time, cooking for two proves to be difficult. If I don't make a plan, I end up running around in circles at the grocery store and wasting half the ingredient's I've bought (and I hate wasting food). Enter What's Cooking This Week - my weekly meal ... More >>

The Rest of the Best: Houston's Top 10 Tex-Mex Restaurants

It's been more than a century since the first Tex-Mex restaurant opened in Houston. George Caldwell brought The Original Mexican Restaurant to our city in 1907, influenced -- most agree -- by a restaurant of the same name in his hometown of San Antonio. It would be another 20 years before Felix Mex ... More >>

The Rest of the Best: Houston's Top 10 "Classic" Food Trucks

What differentiates a "classic" food truck from those on last week's list of Houston's Top 10 "Fancy" Food Trucks? For starters, a classic food truck has been around for at least a few years prior to the gourmet food truck craze -- if not a decade longer. Classic food trucks are usually found at th ... More >>

From Tacos to Tikka Masala

Houston's 10 best classic food trucks.

The "Secret" Menu at Los Tios

A funny thing happened when I was preparing to visit Los Tios to conduct research on their skinny margarita. Since I have nothing to do all day but peruse menus online, I spent [too] much of one morning scanning the food options at Los Tios in the hopes of preventing order paralysis (an affliction ... More >>

Superbowl Recipe: Beer-Braised Pork Tostadas from Chef David Luna at Line & Lariat

The first time I tasted chef David Luna's beer-braised pork tostada at Line & Lariat, I thought it was some of the best bar food I'd found in Houston. The pork had been braised in local brewery Karbach's Rodeo Clown and paired perfectly with the pint of Sympathy for the Lager -- also from Karbach -- ... More >>

Worst of "The Worst": Free Press Doesn't Know How Vegan Works

Note: As Omar Afra reminded us on Twitter today, "Worst of" entries are public submissions and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of Free Press Houston. Carry on. This week, Free Press Houston released its always-scathing, usually quite hilarious "Worst of Houston List." Other than ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 3: Sylvia Casares of Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen and the Reason People Call Her Houston's Enchilada Queen

Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen 6401 Woodway Drive Tel: 713-334-7295 www.sylviasenchiladakitchen.com This is Part 3 of a three part Chef Chat series. You can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here. This week, we became acquainted with a woman who plunked down all her life savings into a restaurant at the ... More >>

A Returning Champion Wins at the 2nd Annual Tequila & Tamales

Check out pics from the second annual Tequila & Tamales throwdown in our slideshow. If anyone thought that El Gran Malo's win at the 2011 Tequila & Tamales throwdown was a fluke, last night's results should change their mind. The year prior, the gastrocantina on Ella won the Tequila portion of the ... More >>

Tequila & Tamales Takes Place Tonight at La Mexicana, and It's Free!

At last year's Tequila & Tamales throwdown, TQLA surprised attendees by taking home the night's big prize -- but not for tequila. Instead, the Southwestern restaurant (pronounced, yes, "tequila") won Best Tamales while the margarita madmen at El Gran Malo won Best Margaritas. For this year's Tequil ... More >>

Tequila & Tamales Returns on December 11 and You're the Judge

At last year's Tequila & Tamales throwdown, TQLA surprised attendees by taking home the night's big prize -- but not for tequila. Instead, the Southwestern restaurant (pronounced, yes, "tequila") won Best Tamales while the margarita madmen at El Gran Malo won Best Margaritas. For this year's Tequil ... More >>

Pass the Vegenaise

Houston's top 10 vegan restaurants.

Gustavo Arellano: Has the Tide Turned Against Tex-Mex Food?

Gustavo Arellano isn't just any Mexican. Over the years, the writer has turned himself into almost the "official" Mexican of America thanks in large part to his syndicated column, "Ask a Mexican!" and books like Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America. This is his most recent book and one in w ... More >>

Top 10 Restaurants in the East End

The East End is undergoing some necessary growing pains right now as a new generation of Houstonians rediscover the neighborhoods right next door to downtown. Construction of a METRO light rail to connect the East End with the main line has had Harrisburg torn up for some time, but is nearly complet ... More >>

Berryhill Baja Grill Food Truck Hitting the Streets, But Not Without a Few Bumps in the Road

Walter Berryhill was a mobile food pioneer in Houston, walking the streets of River Oaks and selling 200 dozen tamales from his little push-cart every week along with his wife, Billie, for nearly 40 years. A lit Coleman lantern hanging from the side of the cart let people know that Berryhill's tamal ... More >>

The Real Deal at Taqueria La Macro

Taqueria offers al pastor-style meat cooked on a classic trompo.

Maggie Rita's Takes Over Ninfa's

Higher prices, bland food and no really good margaritas to ease the pain.

How the Mighty Have Fallen: Ninfa's Finds Its Nadir with Maggie Rita's

When news broke that three of the city's most popular Ninfa's locations had been sold to Maggie Rita's -- a Tex-Mex chain owned, in part, by comedian Carlos Mencia -- there was an uproar. Sure, Ninfa's hadn't been that great in a long time, but to many longtime Houstonians (me included), the deal wi ... More >>

Trompi-burger: Mexico's Answer to the Bacon Cheeseburger

It's been a while since a burger has stopped me dead in my tracks. Such is the arresting power of the trompi-burger at Taqueria La Macro, a new Monterrey-style restaurant in Northside. I first ended up at Taqueria La Macro after my boyfriend came home from driving down North Main and reported that ... More >>

100 Favorite Dishes 2012: No. 53, Mexico City Plate at Molina's Cantina

This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston® issue, we're counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston's cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least o ... More >>

New Tortas at Ninfa's Hardly Torturous

...except, I guess, if you ate all three at once. Then, you might be hurting. First, let's get something straight. I don't, or didn't, go to The Original Ninfa's for burgers. If I venture out to Navigation, it's for fajitas, tacos al pastor, or maybe the seafood enchiladas. But these times, they ... More >>

Eating Up San Antonio: La Gloria, The Monterey and The Esquire

Until this past Tuesday, I didn't realize how easy a day trip to San Antonio could be. Thanks to the recently raised speed limit on I-10, you can speed to the Alamo in three easy hours (or less, if you set your cruise control just above the new 75-mile-per-hour speed limit...not that I'm advocating ... More >>

Hooked on La Fisheria

Celebrity chef Aquiles Chavez introduces Houston to the modern Mexican food he left behind in his home country.

Food for Thought: Gustavo Arellano

La Lupita Lives Up to Its Tagline: "No Tex. Just Mex."

Upon stepping through La Lupita's heavy, black-iron door, you're greeted with rustic shelves holding tequila and baskets of colorful produce; a lively painting of La Virgen de Guadalupe; and a bright-red ceiling centerpiece made of hand-blown glass hearts. A grand spiral staircase with a wrought-iro ... More >>

19 Enchiladas and Counting: Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen Debuts the Newest Addition To Its Menu

Though some bemoan the increasingly popular practice of "National [Insert Food Here] Month," I couldn't be happier that the 31 days of May are devoted to celebrating the enchilada. I've always thought the enchilada was underappreciated compared to say, fajitas or tacos. A Yankee acquaintance of mi ... More >>

Cinco Drinko at Berryhill Baja Grill

East Side Vacation at El Petate: A Guide to Salvadoran Cuisine

If you're anything like me, pupusas are the first thing that spring to mind when thinking of Salvadoran food. And why not: The fat, round pockets of cheese, beans, meat (and sometimes all three) are like the divine offspring of Mexican quesadillas and gorditas. They're portable and easy to consume, ... More >>

Are There Different Kinds of Mexican Food?

[¡Ask a Mexican!!] And how can I get a copy of Taco USA?

Chef Chat, Part 3: Aquiles Chavez of La Fisheria - The Tasting

The last two days, Latin TV personality Aquiles Chavez, Chef and Owner of the new restaurant La Fisheria, shared stories about his mustache, his French training, his TV shows, and how he hopes to show Houstonians real food from Mexico. From what he's shown me, Mexican food is vibrant, complex, fla ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 2: Aquiles Chavez of La Fisheria

Yesterday, we chatted with Owner and Executive Chef Aquiles Chavez of La Fisheria about school in France with Alain Ducasse and his famous mustache. Today, we talk about his TV shows and the food he's making at La Fisheria. EOW: So, when Utilisima called you, what kind of show did you do for them? ... More >>

How Influential Was Houston In the Development of Mexican Food In the U.S.?

Not influential enough, it would seem. At our sister paper in Orange County, "Ask A Mexican" columnist Gustavo Arellano has compiled a list of the "most influential cities in the development of Mexican food in the United States." Spoiler alert: Dallas and San Antonio are on there, but not Houston. ... More >>

Get a Rope

Serving bad Tex-Mex in Houston is a crime — and Vida is guilty.

Morning Machaca

This tiny East End restaurant — attached to a dried-beef factory — serves tasty, old-school Tex-Mex classics.

Tequila & Tamales: And the Winners Were...

Photos by Francisco Montes​From the moment I saw Chef Tommy Birdwell's tamales plated and handed over to eager guests, I knew he'd brought his A-game to last Thursday night's Tequila & Tamales event at Xuco Xicana. Each corn husk had been tied and butterflied open with a flourish, showcasing t ... More >>

Upcoming Events: Galveston Gets Craft Beer and Its Own Restaurant Week

Have you marked off next Thursday, December 15, in your calendar? Good, because the RSVP list for our Tequila & Tamales event is filling up fast. As with Wingtoberfest, the Tequila & Tamales tasting is free to the public, but it's also first-come, first-served. The first 200 guests will receive ta ... More >>

Gran Success

The infused tequilas and modern Tex-Mex at this neighborhood hangout are bien bueno.

Tequila y Tamales: Come Judge Them Both With Us In December

Here in Houston, it's not Christmas without tamales. And nothing goes better with tamales on a cold night than a warming shot of tequila. So head out to Xuco Xicana on Thursday, December 15, from 6 to 8 p.m. to share both with us as Eating Our Words presents Tequila & Tamales! Local restaurants su ... More >>

Operation "No Tacos" - A 30 Day Challenge

Portrait of a Taco Enthusiast as A Young Man​That's me up there with my dad, eating a plate full of tacos, the happiest 4-year-old ever. It was there in that one-bedroom duplex in the East End where my love of tacos and all things Mexican originated. Menudo for breakfast? Yes, please. Tamales for ... More >>

The Real World

With expectations sky-high, El Real Tex-Mex Cafe struggles for glory.

El Real Tex-Mex Cafe & Shrine: Revival of the Fittest

Photos by Troy FieldsThe marquee is best appreciated at night, neon lights in full bloom.​Earlier this week, it was reported that Trader Joe's will likely be moving into the old Alabama Theater on West Alabama at Shepherd, thereby saving the old theater from obscurity and possible demolition. ... More >>

Ingredient of the Week: Tortillas

LexnGer​If you live in Texas, the tortilla is a staple in your pantry right next to the loaf of Texas toast. It's such a regular part of our diet, we often don't think twice about its history or endless possibilities. Stop a minute, and give the tortilla the attention it deserves. Here's so ... More >>

Totally Rad

It's almost beside the point that the food at this new restaurant is all-vegan.

Totally Rad: Mexican Food Goes Vegan at Radical Eats

Photos by Troy FieldsFried green tomatoes and fried okra tacos are on the menu right now at Radical Eats.​The Mexican food at Radical Eats is so good, you might not even realize it's vegan. Or gluten-free. And that's the way owner Staci Davis likes it. She doesn't have anything against carniv ... More >>

Fast Times: Fajitas Puebla Tacos At Taco Cabana

Don't gotta tell me twice. ​Oh, Taco C, how I love thee. Maybe it's because I lived off Taco Cabana tortillas and queso in college; every great night at the square or float down the river in San Marcos ended with a trip to TC. Drunk, sober or hungover, it hits the spot. So when I saw an ad f ... More >>

Keep on Truckin': Taqueria El Palomo

Taqueria El Palomo​With food trucks being all the rage these days, one can easily forget that they -- specifically, taco trucks -- have been around for a long time. Back in 2007, Robb Walsh even named his Top 10 Taco Trucks in Houston. These taquerias on wheels don't have fancy fusion food, an ... More >>

Brunch? Mexican!

Anamaris Cousins PriceMexican breakfast at Hacienda Guanajuato​There are events that mark every generation. "What were you doing when the towers came down?" is a question that will always linger for those of us who witnesed it. On that day, I remember just wanting to be on familiar ground with ... More >>