Happy Cinco de Mayo! I love any excuse to pull out my favorite Mexican-inspired embroidered pieces and eat queso & tacos! Who doesn’t!? I must admit, in years past I blindly celebrated the holiday without really knowing what it actually was. The fifth of May marks the day that Mexico defeated the French in 1862. It is also a day that both Mexicans and Americans alike celebrate Mexican culture. Living in Houston, that is something I pretty much do on a daily basis! Mexican heritage has a huge influence on local cuisine and more specifically my diet! (I had tacos for lunch and fajitas for dinner yesterday, for example!)
Today I’m sharing a look fit for a Cinco de Mayo celebration & I’m also rounding up some of the best Mexican restaurants in Houston below. I’m sure these spots are going to be absolutely packed this evening, but they’re definitely ones to check out no matter the date on the calendar!
First thing’s first. This outfit. I have to tell y’all, one thing I loooove about living in Houston is the shopping. It’s unbelievable! And the fact that we have a Zara here. Growing up in Tennessee, Zara was a shop I only ever visited when I traveled to Europe, which made it all the more exotic & fabulous in my eyes! I bought this crop top & olive green skirt there the other day and both were under $40 each. I paired them with these seashell earrings from Baublebar that just came out, a maroon clutch to play off the embroidery & clogged sandals for an easy spring look. Now to put this outfit on once more and find me some Mexican food!
Speaking of Mexican food, I’m finally rounding up the best Mexican restaurants in Houston for y’all today! While there are a lot of great options in HTX, these are the ones I frequent the most.
Best Mexican Restaurants in Houston:
Hugo’s
This is a favorite of ours to bring out of town guests, especially for their famous buffet brunch! Hugo’s is considered a Houston treasure and offers authentic-Mexican cuisine (like reallllly authentic y’all. Think fried crickets as an appetizer authentic!) Their buffet brunch is an all you can eat experience with assorted Mexican dishes, desserts, and cocktails. While making your way through each dish, a live band plays soft music in the background and you feel as if you’re transported to another country, if only for a little while.
Torchy’s Tacos
I’ve probably eaten at Torchy’s Tacos 137429370 times since we’ve lived in Texas. If you think tacos are just meat, lettuce, cheese, & tomatoes … then you’ve never been to Torchy’s Tacos. Their unique takes on the popular dish blow me away with each visit. My favorite is the trailer park. It’s a taco filled with a fried chicken tender, pico, & green chillis. You can opt for it classy (with lettuce) or trashy (with a scoop of queso). I always choose “Britney Spears Style” – classy & trashy. 😉
El Tiempo Cantina
Another one of our go-to spots. El Tiempo is not to be missed when visiting Houston. There are several locations scattered throughout the city. We always wind up at either the Richmond or Washington one. El Tiempo’s filet fajitas are indescribably delicious. (I literally can’t even describe how good they are!) Served on a bed of onions and peppers, still roasting on an elevated skillet, their fajitas are perfect for feeding a large group. Don’t forget to drizzle a bit (or a bunch) of garlic butter on yours!
Fajitas a Go Go
Where you go go to get your fajitas to go go. Now that we have a baby, our big nights out at El Tiempo are few and far between. Thank goodness Houston has gems such as fajitas a go go where you can find fajitas just as delicious to take home. Their salsa and charro beans are diviiiiine and they package & portion everything for you which makes take out a cinch.
Velvet Taco
Another fun & quirky taco joint. Located on Washington Ave, Velvet Taco offers up untraditional tacos and tasty sides. Their buffalo chicken & blue cheese taco is out of this WORLD. Paired with cheesy corn dip, it’s like an exploxion of all things that are good in your mouth. Plus the atmosphere is pretty fun too.
Boombox Taco (Or really any Taco Food Truck)
Street tacos are a way of life down here in Houston. They’re much smaller than your typical taco and are made for on-the-go more manageable eating. The best ones (in my opinion) are filled with steak, onion, cilantro & green salsa stuffed inside a small corn tortilla, finished off with a squeeze of lime. You can find this particular taco at most food trucks scattered throughout the city but you can always find these traditional tacos at Boombox Taco in downtown Houston too!
Now, are you guys as hungry as I am!?!? Hope you all have a fun (foodie-filled) Cinco de Mayo!
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xo, alice
Loving this best Mexican restaurants in Houston feature? Take a look here for more of my spring favorites!
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photos by Banavnue
