A world apart from the familiar comforts of Tex-Mex, Houston chefs are recreating Mexico’s vibrant culinary traditions with epic plates that showcase the rich cuisine. Some draw inspiration from family recipes and their own childhood memories of growing up in Mexico, while others incorporate modern techniques and cooking styles seen across the country’s various regions today.
Whether you’re craving Michoacán-style carnitas, fluffy meat-filled tamales, or a traditional Mexican breakfast, consider this guide of restaurants, which is as varied and complex as Mexico itself.
Tatemó
Don’t let its retail strip locale fool you. Tatemó offers a superlative dining experience with its seven-course tasting menu that honors Mexican heirloom corn. Chef Emmanuel Chavez’s creations, like the mole negro wrapped in a plantain-infused tortilla, have garnered critical acclaim, including earning the restaurant a Michelin star in 2024. The intimate 20-seat restaurant requires reservations, which are released on a month-to-month basis. Pack a bottle of Mexican wine or your favorite tequila for the visit — Tatemó has a BYOB policy. 4720 Dacoma St., Houston, tatemohtx.com
Cochinita & Co.
What started out as a stall at the farmer’s market is now a festive restaurant in Houston’s vibrant East End. Chef Victoria Elizondo’s Yucatán-centric menu dazzles with must-try dishes like crispy panuchos, topped with refried beans and pickled onions; and cochinita pibil, slow-roasted in achiote and citrus. Visit for breakfast, offered on weekdays from 8 to 11 a.m. and enjoy morning comforts like chilaquiles ($12) with your choice of red or green salsa, and the nopalitos scramble ($15). 5420 Lawndale St., Houston, cochinitaco.com
Xalisko
The Woodlands’ Xalisko Cocina Mexicana showcases the rich flavors of Jalisco, the native home of chef Beatriz Martines. The Trompito Al Pastor, served on a personal trompo and set aflame tableside, is the restaurant’s signature, exemplifying its innovative approach to classic dishes. With Martines’ recent James Beard Award nomination for Best Chef Texas, the restaurant has been even buzzier than usual. Booking a reservation would be wise. 1335 Lake Woodlands Dr., The Woodlands, xalisko.com
Ema
Co-founded by James Beard award-nominated pastry chef Stephanie Velasquez, Ema is a Michelin-recognized neighborhood gem that blends traditional Mexican flavors with modern techniques. The commitment to using fresh, high-quality ingredients shines through in dishes like the horchata berlinesas, pastry cream-filled doughnuts drizzled with cinnamon and sugar; and chilaquiles with brisket, salsa verde, and egg. Save room for pan dulce. 5307 N. Main St., Houston, emahtx.com
Flora
With panoramic views over Buffalo Bayou, Flora Mexican Kitchen offers a lush setting for a margarita-fueled meal. Mexico City-native, chef Maricela ‘Mate’ Zorrilla is at the helm, and her talent shines in both savory dishes and desserts. Start with a yellowfin tostada ($19), and indulge in the carnitas ($32) presented with house-made tortillas, before finishing off with the indulgent molcajete cake ($22). 3422 Allen Pkwy., Houston, florahouston.com
Puebla’s Mexican Kitchen
Puebla’s Mexican Kitchen feels like a little slice of home — if home came with the irresistible aroma of fresh-baked bolillos and simmering menudo. This family-run restaurant has evolved from a humble bakery into a Heights neighborhood mainstay for interior Mexican comfort food. The Friday cemita, a behemoth stacked with Milanesa, Oaxaca cheese, and avocado, is legendary. And that menudo? Rich and flavorful, it is the perfect weekend morning treat. 6320 N. Main St., Houston, pueblasmexicankitchen.com
Pico’s
For decades, chef-owner Arnaldo Richards’ Pico’s has reeled in the masses for some of Houston’s finest regional Mexican cuisine offered during breakfast, lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch. The restaurant’s signature, an impossibly tender cochinita pibil, shares menu space with fresh ceviches, mole dishes, tacos, enchiladas, and more. The polished Upper Kirby dining room features soaring wood-beam ceilings and hacienda-style architecture, making it the perfect backdrop for kicking back with one of the many shaker margaritas. 3601 Kirby Dr., Houston, picos.net
Cielito Cafe
The bright yellow door of Cielito Cafe in Montrose beckons diners into a cozy space filled with the invigorating aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Open for breakfast and lunch, the menu features hearty Mexican dishes like huevos divorciados and breakfast and lunch tacos. Don’t miss the cajeta toast, decadent with caramelized goat’s milk; or the tostado de aguacate, avocado toast with a kick of chipotle. Be prepared for a wait on weekends, best spent with one of Cielito’s aguas frescas in hand. 1915 Dunlavy St., Houston, cielitocafehouston.wixsite.com/cielitocafe
Ojo de Agua
Located in one corner of the River Oaks District shopping center, the vibrant, light-filled restaurant slings rainbow-hued smoothie bowls and tostadas piled high with fresh seafood. Don’t miss the aguachile negro with plump shrimp bathed in an inky sauce that hums with chile and lime; or the mangonada, a spicy-sweet frozen mango refresher that offers pure Mexican street food nostalgia. 4444 Westheimer Rd., Houston, ojodeaguarod.com
Gloria’s Latin Cuisine
This popular Texas chain, open for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, is well regarded for its food and lively atmosphere. Start with a swirl margarita ($13) or house mojito ($12) and pork pupusas ($14) before indulging in the carne asada with fried plantain ($20). While the food is the major draw, locals love to venture in for dancing on Saturday nights when the restaurant features live Latin bands beginning at 11 p.m. 2616 Louisiana St., Houston, gloriascuisine.com
Hugo’s
Hugo Ortega’s eponymous restaurant remains Houston’s upscale temple to interior Mexican cuisine. The elegant Spanish-style dining room hums with energy on most days, while the kitchen turns out revelatory renditions of Mexican classics, like lobster tacos and slow-roasted pork shank. The Sunday brunch buffet, with its parade of house-made moles, cochinita pibil, and fresh-pressed tortillas, should be on every Houstonian’s foodie bucket list. For even more exploration of Ortega’s take on Mexican cuisine, visit his other restaurants, Caracaol, which puts the spotlight on coastal fare, and Urbe, a hot spot for Mexican street foods. 1600 Westheimer Rd., Houston, hugosrestaurant.net
El Toro Mexican Restaurant
This decades-old restaurant, with multiple locations across the greater Houston area, has a vast menu of Mexican comfort eats and cocktails. If you can handle it, start with the hellfire rita ($10) spiced with ghost pepper tequila, before slurping up the pozole rojo ($11). Fajitas in steak, chicken, and seafood varieties arrive sizzling, while platters like the Laredo dinner ($18) give diners a hefty sampling of nachos, flautas, enchiladas, and guacamole. Multiple locations, eltorotexmex.com
Cuchara
Cuchara has been a cornerstone of the Montrose intersection where Fairview meets Taft for more than a decade. Day and night, the restaurant’s wraparound patio is buzzing with activity, as is the inside bar where palomas ($13) served in traditional clay tumblers flow like water. Inspired by the vibrant energy of Mexico City, Cuchara features dishes like chicharrones with salsa ($13), beef and chicken flautas ($15), and pork belly-stuffed corn gorditas ($18) in a playful and fun setting. 214 Fairview St., Houston, cuchararestaurant.com
