Great experience. I simply ordered the Caliente bowl with spicy pork. It was a magnificent confluence of flavors, while sampling each ingredient separately too - like the rice... delish! This dish would not be at all easy to make it home, but here it's a breezy good! Enjoy !! read more

Caliente - The spicy pork Caliente bowl - Tex-Mex Near Me - Houston, Texas

We went around 3pm No wait time and service was great. Cilantro rice 2/10 Ranchero beans 4/10 Texas chili enchiladas 8/0 Creamy sauce, rich in flavor and full of beef Chicken enchiladas 6/10 I had two sauces avocado cream sauce 10/10 Roasted sauce 7/10 Chicken was not seasoned well at all and had a bad after taste. There was a lot of chicken in the enchiladas though. read more

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Disappointed! First major thing, the chips. It's the first thing that comes to the table, and it was awful. Chips tasted old, salsa was bland and for some reason warm? None of us touched the basket after the first 2-3 chips. Second, i watched the fajita being plated in front of me, they basically just heated up the iron plate and put cooked ingredients on it (hoping it was at least cooked sometime today). Also tried the chicken enchiladas, both plates were not bad... flavor was there, just not too fresh. The cilantro rice was pretty good, and I like the avocado crème with the enchiladas. Service was alright, and the interior was nice (plenty of seats, lots of nice decorations). I wouldn't say don't try it, but I couldn't help but worry about the food (basically empty restaurant on a Saturday at 6 pm, and somewhat reheated food and old chips being served) read more

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My sister and I were craving a margarita and decided to stop by Caliente since the location was perfect for us. We sat outside and it ended up being such a great experience. Pedro took care of us and was incredibly attentive the whole time, always making sure we had everything we needed. The service really made the visit stand out. It was exactly the relaxed, enjoyable stop we were hoping for. We'll definitely be back next time we're in the area read more

This was my second try ordering from these folks, and sadly, my experience with Caliente has not been so hot. Each time we've picked up a to go order, the restaurant has been empty. Clean! But empty, which may mean folks flock here for lunch or takeout. This trip, we spend $70 on beef fajitas, a beef fajita bowl, queso and tres leches to go. The fajita bowl and beef fajitas were ordered as two separate meals but when they arrived, the containers were not labeled and looked identical. After requesting beans in separate container (as there was no option when ordering to remove them or indicate allergies), we found that the container we assumed to be fajitas separated the refried beans but left black beans in the container meaning bean or bean juice coated every part of the meal. I'm not a big eater, but I breezed through the 2 tortilla included in the fajita meal, which called for 3-4 (but maybe 2 tortillas is standard for a to go fajita meal that feeds 1-2?) Additionally, the fajita meat and veggies looked as if they've never touched a grill. Amidst the chewy texture, and mildly seasoned, there was no familiar char/Smokey grill flavor to be found. Although the fajitas were a hard miss, their queso blanco offered a bit of reprieve. Mild in flavor, it's heavy on the cream. The accompanying chips are delicate and little chunks of onion and jalapeños or green Chile come together to create a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Easily, this item was the best part of this meal. Stand by, (apart from the fire queso), it seems like this Caliente is still warming up! read more

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Used Yelp to find something to eat during rush hour traffic. Spotted this Caliente spot 5 min away and im happy I did. Granted there was nobody here but that works because service was great. I ordered Cheese enchiladas which I didn't see on the menu but when I asked he happily obliged and it was fabulous. Kinda spicy but still delicious. All around a good spot to stop and grab some tasty Mexican food. read more

Caliente - Veracruz Shrimp and cheese enchiladas - Tex-Mex Near Me - Houston, Texas

The absolute worst customer service in Houston. Placed an online order and was emailed a confirmation the order was received. The food was never delivered, and the owner showed zero compassion for "missing" the order that was intended for an entire hospital department's staff. We couldn't even find a working phone number for the restaurant. It was either constantly busy or wouldn't ring at all. If we didn't try to contact the owner ourselves, he never would have known, stating he "missed it". read more

I placed a catering delivery order and I haven't received it. I'm trying to get in touch with an employee and there's no working phone number listed online. This is very disappointing read more

Mary was an excellent server. Took care of us very efficiently bartending and serving. The ribs were just as advertised. Fall off the bone delicious. Loved the poblano soup and the enchiladas my family had looked amazing and generous. The only thing we didn't care for were the chicken flauta or taquito. I forget what they called them. We will definitely be returning for the ribs and enchiladas. Oh. And the margaritas were excellent too !!!!! read more

AMAZING food. Service was great. Its the cutest vibe inside and outside. The cilantro rice & queso blanco is to die for. We also got a mimosa pitcher for a great price. 10/10 read more

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Im not sure what Olivia is talking about we must've been at two different restaurants. I came in and had my food and margarita all brought to me within in a span of 15 minutes. I ordered the Chili Enchiladas and they were piping hot and delicious while the passion fruit margarita was refreshing. Our server was attentive and very friendly! Make sure yall ask for Pedro when you come in! read more

So many better places to eat. At least for dinner never tried their lunch or breakfast menu. The food came out looking pretty but tasted cold or luke warm. The table chips and salsa tasted weird, the salsa tasted off like it spoiled and the chips just tasted like old oil and they wouldn't provide hot chips. I understand that both these items are semi-complimentary but the food cost is built into the other food items. My salad had unripe mango which was both hard and bitter. The protein was cold and had a microwaved taste and was rewarmed. The service was lackluster and the waiter was inattentive despite us being the only table here. I've had better salads at Wendy's. hoping I don't get sick from the salsa. read more

Good service. We sat outside with our dog. Foods were huge portions. Overall not bad but also nothing special read more

Caliente - Tex-Mex Near Me - Houston, Texas

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The food was mediocre, I ordered the fajita nachos and there was absolutely no flavor to them. The service was decent, we sat at the bar so I have no complaints on that end. The best thing we got were the top shelf Don Julio mixed with Grand Marnier margaritas. I would definitely rate those a 10/10. Although if I had a choice to go back, I probably wouldn't unless I were just looking for a great drink. read more

Caliente - Tex-Mex Near Me - Houston, Texas

Wow - what a shock. I just wanted some decent Mexican food for delivery and we were blown away. I remember my hubby asking me while eating "Where is this place? It's really good" And that's for delivery y'all! We made a pack to go try it in person now!! But I know who I'll be getting delivery from now on from! Caliente for sure! And I should have taken photos - it was packed up so well! *Salsa flight - I truly liked them all *Texas Raised Skirt Steak Fajitas - drool* *Grilled Fish Tacos - man's choice* read more

It has literally LITERALLY taken me 1 month to write this review because i was left absolutely SPEECHLESS by how this cheesy-beef- perfect balance of pepper and spice and mmmh mhmmm EVERYTHING NICE left me feeling some type of way! i have gone back to Caliente TWICE in the past 30 days to feast on this magical quesadilla burger, with the queso as an appetizer because...let's be real, cheese is the way to my heart. There aren't enough good things to say about the food here The service is a little bit slow for a place that isn't busy but oooohhh lovies it is so worth the wait No need to even look at the menu. Matter of fact no need to sit inside. Just call in your order and pick it up ASAP because you'll be wanting to eat in the car like a little rat creature with your pants unbuttoned so you can be full send slob after eating this gooey warmth of deliciousness You're welcome. read more

Caliente - POTATO CHIP SWIRLY (?) - Tex-Mex Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Are they closed down? We came by early afternoon to try Caliente and the door was locked and the outside patio tables we filthy. Too bad.

First time visiting this restaurant. Service was good and respectful. Atmosphere was decent but the music was a bit loud for my liking as it made it hard to hear the person across from me. Based on my experience with the food (ratings below), I would pick another restaurant. I had the crawfish enchiladas, cheese quesadillas, and Caribbean shrimp tacos. Crawfish Enchiladas - 2/10 The restaurant used old or spoiled crawfish. There was really a fishy odor and rubbery texture. The rice was nice and other flavors of the enchilada were okay. This was unfortunate as they came highly recommended. Caribbean Shrimp taco - 5/10 Flavorful but soggy. Spice on the shrimp was great and balanced with the pineapple well. Cheese quesadillas - 4/10 The quesadillas were just okay as the flavor was not there. They were freshly made. Free tomato based salsa - 4/10 Salsa seemed old and very watery. I requested other salsas they had and they were much better. read more

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It's ok. Nothing special. Salsa is chipotle. At least offer a free traditional one. They wouldn't let me add shrimp to traditional fajita combo. But would make another Caribbean plate that was similar (but less fajita fixings). The seasoning distracted from shrimp. Didn't even finish them. The peppers and onions were undercooked for my taste. I am not a fan of crunchy fajita veggies. The guacamole was so so. They had a shrimp appetizer that was good and is what saves them from 2 stars. read more

We tried this restaurant out on a Saturday and there were only two other parties dining in the establishment which is kind suspicious for me especially on a Saturday in Houston. Starting out with the chips and salsa. I am huge Mexican/Tex-Mex Restaurant lover and big requirement for me when it comes to chips and salsa is to have a green sauce and they didn't have one. However, their red salsa was decent. My mom ordered a queso since there was no green sauce and the queso came out cold. We asked the waitress if she could warm up it but she said she couldn't. For my meal, I had the Puebla which is a fajita dinner that comes with their Caribbean shrimp and beef and chicken fajitas. The Caribbean shrimp were just ok. They are served with pineapples but that flavor was too overpowering to me. The beef fajitas were not good at all! They tasted very gamey...if that makes sense. There was no real flavor to them just tasted meat. However the stars of the plate were the chicken fajitas, refried beans, and THE CILANTRO RICE! The cilantro rice is to die for. I would just go back for the beans and that rice! Service: The waitress was very nice and attentive which was easy to do because it was not busy at all. Atmosphere: The restaurant is very clean. You can see them make some of your dishes right there in front. A party came in with their dog and was allowed to sit at the bar which I don't think is very sanitary especially since it was not a service dog. If you are going to allow dogs and you have an outside seating area then that is where they should be required to eat..just my opinion. read more

The food was delicious but the customer service was terrible. Showed up to eat and 10 minutes went by and no one approached us, staff was in the kitchen they saw us but never came out until my husband got up to ask if someone could take our order read more

I found this place while running into Memorial City Mall and glad I did. They are located off the feeder and have a good amount of parking for the location. It is a cute restaurant with a nice patio. When we walked in a lady was sitting and someone was behind the counter but they just looked at us. We read the sign that says seat yourself then a few minutes later a gentleman came out and asked us what we wanted to drink. We ordered water then margaritas. I wanted the Caliente tea but he said they did not have it. I'm flexible and the margarita was on the happy hour menu. Food: My niece loved the chips that they make in-house but the salsa was just ok. I wish they had two kinds instead of the one. I ordered the crawfish enchiladas which were amazing they spice level was perfect. My aunt orders a combo bowl that she said was fantastic as well. My niece who is 2.5yrs old for the kids quesadillas with fresh fruit to which she only ate the grapes out of the fruit bowl lol. I did try her food and it was very good. All and all the food was wonderful and I cannot wait to go back but they do have a few things to fix. Our waiter did not speak much English which I think made things harder for him than us as I can fumble through Spanish enough. For them to have a "social hour" they need to have the bar open and able to make any drink on the menu. read more

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Service - Best part of the experience, server was very attentive and friendly. Ambiance - It's casual Food - Enjoyed the house salsa. The chips were a good thickness and salt ratio, however many of them were too oily (oil glaze). Apps - Ordered the salsa flight and corn/black bean quesadillas. Flight was a bit underwhelming for the price, small portions of salsa, with fairly muted flavors. The quesadillas were the star, quite satisfying. Mains - We got the Caribbean shrimp tacos and Caliente fajitas. Both were just, meh. Nothing special. read more

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The fajitas are really good! The meat was juicy, the flour tortillas are handmade, and the beans + guacamole have sm flavor. read more

Caliente - Combo Fajitas - Tex-Mex Near Me - Houston, Texas

I've been to this restaurant 3 times this week. The food is amazing. Well seasoned. Fresh ingredients! And the customer service is top tier. Keep up the great work! read more

Very good food, very good service. Very casual place--kind of a quick place to grab a meal, clean, but not real cozy or "romantic". There is a small bar area. The waiter was very friendly and professional. Light and bright place. The food was nicely plated and great tasting. read more

Meh just OK. Still on the search for good Tex-Mex in the Westchase area. I ordered the Caribbean shrimp, a specialty according to the menu. Just not that great. Black beans - no flavor. Cilantro rice, overpowering and just not good. Queso and salsa were pretty good. Service was good and the people are friendly but probably won't go back. read more

Rocky start to our happy hour Thursday night for 6. We arrived at 4:45 pm with absolutely no one in the restaurant, not even a server. The guy behind the counter could not serve drinks, but finally got us some water. He brought chips and salsa to the table pretty slowly, but he did make up for that by bringing free queso, which was delicious! The server finally arrived. He was making a delivery. He took our drink order and brought 5 of our drinks to the table, but then forgot our 6th until AFTER the food was delivered. There wasn't a since of urgency at all. Halfway through our happy hour drinks and appetizers, and table of 2 arrived. It seems there was a food prep person, a cook and a waiter. That's it! To top it off, our waiter seemed to be training the other guy. I felt kind of bad for him. The margaritas were very weak, but the food was delicious! I'm giving 4 stars because. I think we just caught them on a really bad night. We all got different items off the menu and all six of us loved our food. Maybe the drinks will improve by our next visit. The location is convenient, they have a couple small patio chairs with umbrellas and if you arrive early enough, the parking is good. The HH prices are terrific and I think the service has great potential if the one veteran guy (7 years) can get decent help. read more

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Food was good, nice happy hour margaritas, and service was great! We will definitely return for our group Happy Hour. read more

This place is super underrated. Their food has always been delicious. The decor and ambiance of the restaurant is warm and relaxing. The waiters are attentive and nice. We went sometime before Halloween and they gave us a bag of candy! Anything that comes with their cilantro rice, GET IT. Their cilantro rice was AMAZING. Will be going again! read more

Called in my order for chicken and beef quesadillas with Caliente shrimp. Quesadillas were great! Caliente shrimp couldn't be served due to not having bacon, which was a huge disappointment! Their salsa kinda of had a funny after taste to it so I didn't use it. The service was okay, but the order taker seems to struggle to understand English and the register while placing the order. I would go back for the quesadillas but would place the order in person verse over the phone. read more

Caliente - Chicken quesadillas - Tex-Mex Near Me - Houston, Texas

Amazing food and margaritas! Highly recommend. Great staff and friendly atmosphere. Give it a chance.

Our first time to Caliente's and wow! What a little hidden gem. It was basically empty when we visited on a Sunday evening but the food was really delicious! I had the Classic Chicken Enchiladas and my husband had the beef tacos. Tortillas are handmade and meat was fresh and good. The avocado crema (on the enchiladas) and salsa (for the chips) had a nice 'lil bite to them...not too spicy but a nice kick to the tastebuds. Ambiance is nice; small place but cozy without feeling like you're in a sardine can. Will be visiting again and perhaps even trying them for their breakfast menu. read more

This is my first time here and I'm not sure If I'd be back. Even before tasting the food just the table set up has caused a mild allergic reaction (itchy watery eyes, nose and respiratory issues). I can smell the dust. The menus were really sticky to the touch and had some brown food stuff crusted up on some of the pages. Also, items on menu were out. No Topochico. They guy said there wasn't any but there's beer. I said can't since he has a liver prob and doc said shouldn't drink alcohol. He told him he's missing out and the beer is really good WTF. Another person came and asked if we wanted chips and salsa. Our waiter never offered. Then he came out after later with it and I guess made an excuse he was busy or something. Thee is one other table other than ours. It's not a busy time yet. Chips and salsa are good though. Service a 3. Cleanliness a 1 ish. Menus should be wiped down and tables really don't need tapestry to cover it or menus and silverware all laid out and then touched multiple times to take it back and forth. There should be a better system. Empanadas was good (though I prefer Bella Green's). The rice seems a bit undercooked and not as good as rice from freeBirds / Chipotle. The Texas Chilli Enchilada was REAL SALTY. I would like less salt in it. Hypertension on a plate. The chips and salsa is the best thing out of what we got. Overall food I'd say 3. Maybe I'll come back and try breakfast one day. Hopefully they remove the dusty table cover/ drapery thing that really serves no purpose and is not clean. Better to have minimal stuff on the table and easier to clean read more

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We met some family at Caliente. We all live outside of Houston. We ordered drinks, queso and our meals. My passion fruit marg was fruity and very good. The white queso was the best we've ever had. My daughter ordered the empanadas and they were crispy and delicious. I ordered the classic chicken enchiladas. I love that their meals come with cilantro rice. My black beans were ok, cilantro rice could have used more flavor and the enchiladas were quite tasty. Our server was prompt and so nice. Will come again! read more

We came in for breakfast on a Monday, this was our first time coming here and based on the good reviews we chose this restaurant. Upon walking in, there were 2 cooks behind the counter preparing to - go orders. No waiters that we saw whatsoever. There was only one other person in here and they were seated at the bar waiting to be helped as well. We saw a sign that said "seat your self" so we went ahead and did that. About 5-10 minutes later, one of the cooks that was behind the bar brought us menus and brought us some waters. That was all fine and good but that's about where it stopped completely. We waited 15-20 more minutes to try and put in a food order, even going as far as telling them we were ready to order and they said, "okay we'll be with you in a minute". Again, NO OTHER TABLES INSIDE were even there! After several more minutes of waiting and nobody coming to the table, we got up and left. They clearly had no interest in our business. Apparently they deal in mostly to-go orders so don't bother if you want to actually dine in. The cook that seated us went into the restroom with gloves on, and came out with the same gloves on and went right back to work. Not only a violation of a health code, but just plain disgusting. We would not return. read more

Roberto is the best! Such a great server. We love coming here for our book club he's always so helpful and nice

The food not very tasty mild flavored. Very pricey for the quality of food. Service is ok but just ok. Had a couple of margaritas those were good. The ambiance overall ok they close too early 9pm read more

It's so unfortunate that I found a finger nail in my food because it's was so delicious read more

Caliente - Quesadilla Burger - Tex-Mex Near Me - Houston, Texas

My family (6 in total) have ordered takeout and/or dine in for the past several years. We even overlooked a Mother's Day Brunch, during the lockdown, that was a disaster. I think ownership has changed and the quality of service and food has dropped off significantly. Tonight, our group of 5 ordered a fairly standard "take-out" meal. The $25 order of Beef Fajita's had mostly chicken and only 4 tiny strips of a protein, but way too many grilled veggies (mostly jalapeños). It was either not what we ordered or was completely different from what we had ever gotten when ordering their Fajitas. The Fish tacos didn't include the ordered refried beans and subbed lettuce (?) for the slaw. Seriously? The empanadas were basically flavorless. All in, the bill was well over $100 and the meal was simply very underwhelming. Check that, it was just plain bad. I miss the old management. read more