When Houston weather obliges, we residents must take advantage of it. Biblical scripture and literature through the years says "Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die." For Houstonians, we must do our outdoor merrymaking before the heat of summer. And the past month has given us some wonderfully temperate moments for doing so.

Last weekend, my husband Classic Rock Bob and I found ourselves with a free Friday afternoon. When this occurs, we usually talk one another into going for a margarita. We give into this temptation so often that a local writer friend teased me about my Tex-Mex reviews. Well Sandra, here's another one.

We can't help it. We love to try new food but we get lured in again and again by frozen cocktails and chips and salsa. And our longtime friends are no better. Sure we'll all go try a new brewery or a waterside restaurant occasionally, but over the decades we've imbibed more margaritas and munched on more chips and salsa than human beings probably should. We're kind of set in our Tex-Mex ways.
So, CRB and I began to bounce around ideas because we really wanted to sit outside. Unfortunately, most of our local Tex-Mex restaurants don't have patios. While Houston has a number of great outdoor restaurants, our suburban enclave in Cypress is woefully lacking. So, I suggested we try Soto's Cantina across the street since it has a large, welcoming patio.

CRB wrinkled his nose. When Soto's first opened in November 2011, we were excited because it is literally across the street from our subdivision. On a pleasant day, it's less than a ten-minute walk. However, after several unimpressive visits, we took it out of our rotation. Some of our neighbors were shocked. They raved about the food and the margaritas. In fact, the Houston Chronicle's Alison Cook has named it as one of her Top 100 Restaurants in Houston nearly every year since it opened. We were bemused. What were we missing?

In June 2021 Soto's had a major fire and suffered a lot of water damage. It was nearly a year later when it reopened. On a late evening out with our two adult children, we decided to stop in and see the new renovations and check out the food. It was a disappointment. The enchiladas were greasy and no one was digging the chunky salsa, especially the preponderance of onion bits.
Still, it had been over a year since we had last visited. Because it has a nice outdoor, wrap-around porch, I thought we should give it another shot. I had actually visited once by myself for lunch and enjoyed my meal on the patio. I thought it had potential on this lovely Friday.

The patio was pretty busy for three o'clock in the afternoon and it didn't seem as if anyone was in a hurry to leave. A young man greeted us very quietly and seated us at a two-top on the side porch. The couple next to us were seated at a table with comfy, cushioned egg chairs. I suggested we might ask for a table with those as well but CRB scoffed.

We were given menus and our waiter soon returned with waters. We were 20  minutes away from happy hour, unfortunately. CRB ordered a frozen rita ($9) and I went with the jalapeno version ($11) that I have heard about. Our server left to retrieve our drinks and we dug into the chips and salsa.
The salsa at Soto's is actually similar to pico de gallo, minus the cilantro, with a little more juice. Online comments suggest that the herb used in the salsa is oregano and I think they are correct, though it's just a slight hint. There is a heavy use of cumin, which is okay by me. The finely chopped tomatoes were very fresh and flavorful. There was less onion in today's salsa which was a good thing. Raw onion can have quite a bite.

Unlike pico de gallo, there weren't chunks of jalapeno or serrano but I sure as hell could taste peppers. This sauce was kicking my butt and I liked it. Thankfully, we had good-sized tumblers of water to quell the heat. The chips served with the salsa are thicker than many restaurant versions. That's necessary because the chunky salsa needs a hefty chip.

Our margaritas arrived in blue-rimmed glasses. CRB's was stemmed and mine was stemless. Maybe they somehow in the bar knew what a klutz I am. I took a sip of my jalapeno rita expecting to get a jolt of heat but it didn't taste any different than the classic version... until I was about halfway in. Then the heat started to burn inside my chest and I could taste the flavor of the jalapeno itself.

We each ordered a combo plate so that we could try several items. I was afraid if I ordered fajitas and they weren't good, it would be a disastrous and expensive mistake. The combo platters are several  more dollars at Soto's than the surrounding Mexican joints, except for El Tiempo which has prices that make me wince.

CRB ordered the Combo #3 ($13) and I chose Combo # 6 ($16). Each of our combos came with a tamale and there are two different versions at Soto's. I chose the pork and CRB opted for the jalapeno-cheese. He also asked for a chicken soft taco rather than the ground beef. Our waiter repeated our order back to us so softly that we weren't sure if it was correct or not.

In fact, our waiter, who was very nice, seemed extremely shy and rather low energy. Meanwhile, the two fellows behind us were having a ball with their server, a blond woman who was giving them some sass. She seemed to be the only one with energy. A slim man, who I assumed was a manager, walked by our table, phone to ear, and quietly asked if everything was good without a smile or any form of expression at all. Another man peeked out of the front door and asked the same. Again, no smiles.
Our food soon arrived. CRB's soft taco was made with grilled chicken breast chunks and topped with shredded cheese, tomatoes and lettuce. My beef taco al carbon looked sad. It was just a few slices of beef skirt on a tortilla. However, when I tried a piece of the slightly chewy steak on its own, it made me regret not springing for the beef fajitas. It was some of the best beef skirt I have tasted in a while. I don't know what they marinate the meat in, but it was very flavorful and there was a nice char on the edges. I tend to favor pico de gallo on my beef fajitas and most restaurants never give enough of it to suit my taste. Having Soto's chunky salsa at my fingertips was the perfect addition to the taco. I borrowed a bit of CRB's shredded cheese for my taco but it really didn't need it.

By now, the heat of the salsa and the jalapeno rita was making my chest tingly. CRB thought the creamy refried beans were bland but I saw them as the perfect foil for the spicy food we were eating. Not everything needs to be kicked up a notch. The rice was pretty standard as well.
We then turned our attention to the tamales. The pork tamale was served on a husk with a vibrant red  sauce that could almost pass for an Italian tomato sauce. The masa was fluffy but a little dry. I am used to a more dense masa in tamales. The shredded pork filling was tasty and I would say the tamale was better than many I have had at Mexican restaurants. CRB's jalapeno cheese was good as well. He liked it which was more than he could say for the chicken taco. I thought his taco was pretty good myself and I think having grilled chicken versus shredded was an upgrade but he prefers the shredded version.

His cheese enchilada was covered in the same sauce as my tamale but I didn't taste it. CRB was getting full on chips and decided to save it for later. Later meant it would be eaten by our son raiding the fridge. My plate came with a green chicken enchilada, an item I usually never order at Mexican restaurants. I wanted to try the sauce more than anything.

The shredded chicken inside was right up CRB's alley but he was too full to try it. I was reveling in the verde sauce on top and the beautifully melted white cheese. The tartness of the tomatillos burst through with a slight citrus note. I think it would be a great salsa on the side for chip dipping.
We ordered another frozen margarita to split. Since it was now happy hour, the margarita was $7.50.  Our server asked if I wanted another jalapeno one but my insides were screaming no. Later on that evening, I swear I could still smell jalapenos. I liked the lime-forward taste of the margaritas but my companion didn't seem as impressed. He muttered about our beautiful view of the parking lot and the drab office complex. And yeah, our view wasn't great but I appreciated the hanging baskets of flowers that softened the surrounding landscape. And the patio is a warm and inviting space itself.

We settled our tab with our server and finished our drinks. Though CRB thought some of it was mediocre, he loved the salsa, as did I. I took the leftover salsa home and my son gobbled it up with store-bought chips.

Personally, I found a lot to like on this visit to Soto's. Though the staff could use a little less Eeyore and a little more Tigger, everything was delivered in a timely manner. Maybe we'll get the sassy server on our next visit.
That next visit will definitely include beef fajitas.

And maybe another Jalapeno Margarita, if I can take the heat.

Soto's Cantina
10609 Grant
281-955-5667
sotoscantina.com