First time visit to this small and excellent restaurant. Located at the corner of Fry Road and Mound Road it has a restaurant seating area of about 50 and a large bar area for 20 more. The menu is short but includes most of the classics. I had the Seafood Tacos and my wife had the Chicken Mole Enchilada. The tacos were surrounded by a flour tortilla (corn is also available) with fish that can be grilled or steamed. Packed with flavor from the onions, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and more I enjoyed every last bite. The plate included rice, beans, and sliced red onion. Delicious My wife loved her selection as well. The serving was big enough to take home what was not consumed allowing her an extra day to enjoy the mole. We also ordered a side of guacamole which was served as a huge rounded scoop on a plank. Don't get me started on the chips we used to eat every last bit of the guacamole. When we told our waiter, Jose, how much we liked the chips he gave us a bag to take home! I had some today and they were still crunchy with a hint of salt. Now to drinks: my wife had the house Pinot Grigio and I the house margarita which I ordered frozen with no salt. The margarita had a clear lime note but did not suffer from it. All in all we agreed that Carmelita's deserves a return visit next time Mexican food is our choice. read more

Good food. The quesadillas and fish tacos were good. The margarita flight was tasty. Ambiance was nice & clean. There was one other patron at the bar. So, the place was not busy at all. If the service was good, it would've been a 5 star. It started well but she lost interest in us. Took almost 20mins and we had to get up to reminder her that we still needed the check. read more

Usually excellent. Tonight sucked! Tonight came in and sat at the bar. Ignored for 10 minutes so we got up and left. Weren't many people there. They HAVE to do something about the smell from the Nail Salon next door that permeates everything and actually makes me nauseous. read more

We went Friday night. 7:00. Place was slammed. Lots of apologies and that was great. My mole enchiladas were too spicy and the wait staff agreed. When I mentioned it to the waiter, they did everything they could to make it better. So I love the fact that they love customer service. Highly recommend this place. read more

Not good everything tasted like poison... I think the nail salon next door smell is just too strong even when inside the restaurant. read more

Carmelita's Kitchen + Tequila - Mexican Near Me - Cypress, Texas

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It was fine, but I was not a fan of the atmosphere here. The strong bleach smell was pretty overpowering, though it may have just been a fluke. I probably will not be back, mostly because the location is a bit too far from Hockley for me. read more

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It's a clean and convenient neighborhood Mexican food restaurant with great reviews so I did have higher expectations for Carmelita's. The interior isn't overly big or themed and there's a patio outside as well as a bar inside. There's booths and some high chairs along with plenty of parking outside, overall pretty family friendly spot. On our visit the smell of the neighboring nail salon was quite potent and wasn't as noticeable after a while, but it is weird to happen in a dining room. Service wasn't notable in anyway, got the drinks and food out without adding much. The food is passable, it's isn't just the forgettable local Tex mex menu that it's could have ended being, there's some creativity in the menu. The execution of dishes is fine, but there are no elevated flavors that have more than just the one note. Mostly the plating is doing the heavy lifting of making the food look interesting. The corn cakes were just way too sweet. The queso too thin. My shrimp tacos had a good portion of shrimp and the toppings were nice, but the rest of the meal didn't surprise like some of the reviews made me think it might. read more

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Lets begin that I'm not a huge fan of ordering Mexican, but since a good friend of mine was intown and her being a vegan she had a lot of options to choose from. Im just her efor the fellowship. The interior is cool, I like how a lot of Christians symbolism and sayings are accented in this place. Id say the place is welcoming, even though it is a little jam-packed. Id hate to be here when its busy. The service was... strange, our waitress seemed a little intimidated and it was hard to hear her when she spoke. For the most part she did a good job of taking the orders, but getting the food, the wait took a little longer than expected, and thats okay, I had fellowship with people I care about. Finally the food arrives and it smells amazing. The food was tasty but let me remind you, Im not a huge Mexican food lover, so My thoughts are already going to be hard pressed to find a "ratatouille" moment; lol. I had the nachos, since I already had a light snack before; side note make sure to eat all the nachos, there or just leave the plate as trash, because these chips of course get soggy and its quarrelsome to reheat lol. Anyway, I also tried the Bria taco and it was good, but its nothing spectacular in my opinion. read more

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Very yummy food! Jessica was great, very friendly and attentive service. Drinks were very FRESH and delicious. read more

Carmelita's Kitchen + Tequila - Shrimp taquitos appetizer - Mexican Near Me - Cypress, Texas

We went for happy hour and we're not disappointed. Fresh food and the margaritas were great!

I've been eyeing this place for a while as a potential addition to our weekly date-night rotation, especially when a Fajita Friday is involved. We finally made it out (ended up being a Saturday night), and I'm glad we did. From the start, it was a warm welcome, hot food, great drinks, and genuinely friendly staff. We had a reservation, but honestly, we probably could've walked in and been seated without an issue. Everything moved quickly and smoothly, which is always appreciated on a busy night. The fajitas were excellent with big portions, sizzling hot, and definitely enough food to leave happy (and maybe a little too full). Drinks were on point, service was easy and relaxed, and nothing felt rushed. And the real closer? As we were leaving, they handed us a coupon for a free house margarita or churros on our next visit. Smart move... because we'll absolutely be back. Solid date-night spot, great fajitas, good vibes, and now officially on the regular rotation. read more

Carmelita's is, IMHO, a hidden gem. If not for Yelp, we would never have found it. It's off Fry Rd. but around the corner of their strip center, thus easily missed. Bottom line: next-level Mexican, great margs Carmelita's is one of those hard-to-find places that sell Mexican food that's a step up from the usual fare. These places often don't thrive because people used to paying "less for less" don't see the value in paying more for Mexican/Tex-Mex that isn't a volume proposition. Nice space, cool vibe, good service. Their marg collection is both interesting and good -- again, not just the garden-variety stuff. My braised sherry brisket enchiladas were fantastic and unique. My wife's chicken verde enchiladas were similarly delicious. Salsa was more than a little tame for my taste, but fresh. Bean dip was the more popular choice at our table (not typical). This is a place you need to try. read more

Literally the best margaritas! I'm someone who's who gets hangovers from sugar and these are NOT sugar rich. They make their own. Their food is even better. Come and experience what they have to offer. They will not disappoint. read more

Food was amazing , service was fast and very attentive and the feel was good as well. I enjoyed every part of this place! Ambiance as well. 10/10 will be back. Yessica our server was great. We made a reservation on yelp and the table was ready when we were ! Loved it. Thank you so much for having me read more

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What a treat we found this evening. It's a hidden gem in Cypress. We were on the hunt for a new place and this one did not disappoint. We were seated quickly and Yessica was very quick to come and greet our table and answered all our questions. The menu had a good variety to choose from so the choice was hard. The plates all looked so good. It is a smaller place but they more than make up for it in service. We had several staff stop by and made sure that we were taken care of. Ulysses (not sure if I spelled that right) also stopped by and we all made a new friend in him. Please give this wonderful place a try. I love supporting small businesses in the area. I like the fact that the owner even stopped by and chatted with us and made sure we enjoyed our time. This is probably one of the most important perks of visiting small businesses. He said something that stuck with me. New customer come in and then become regulars and then become friends. Now there was one suggestion I could make which stood out to me.... No Sweet Tea. Everyone in Texas should serve the States favorite staple. Maybe you might consider that request. They have only been open about 9 months but I believe they are off to a great start. Show some love Cypress. read more

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Super cute and quaint spot. Very clean with good customer service. We had shrimp ceviche to start. I ordered birria tacos and my friend ordered the chimichanga. The quesabirria tacos were delicious but the chimichanga wasn't the greatest. We had margarita flights and a tequila flight. The margaritas were super sweet - not very strong at all. Overall, it was good. I would go back to try more things. read more

Carmelita's Kitchen + Tequila - Margarita flight (watermelon, mango, prickly pear) - Mexican Near Me - Cypress, Texas

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The restaurant has a nice vibe and is smaller than I thought it would be. It has a bar plus a seating area. We had the steak fajitas and my kid had the chicken quesadillas. The steak was tender and sides were flavorful. The kids quesadilla was small. It was one tortilla folded in half, but it came with a side and a drink ($9). The wait staff were all very friendly and attentive. They looked happy to be there, which isn't always common. It made the meal enjoyable. I think it is a nice place for a small celebration dinner (bday, etc). They had some kind of drink flights that looked fun and festive. read more

Carmelita's Kitchen + Tequila - Steak GRILLED FAJITAS - Mexican Near Me - Cypress, Texas

Well, well, well, I think I've just found my New Mexican Restaurant in the area. The place is fantastic, great decor, music, outdoor patio area, full bar, and the staff is extremely friendly, Ulises was our server and he was awesome. We ordered drinks and they were very good. Now the menu, you can't help but to look at all the goodies, everything looked good. We got the Chipotle chicken and the Birria tacos, OMG, amazing!! Lots of flavors, great plate presentation, etc. I'd say one of the best Mexican food plates ever!! We topped off with the strawberry tres leches, which has to be the best tres leches I've ever had, and I can eat, and I've had plenty of those. Bottom line, you must come here. read more

Carmelita's Kitchen + Tequila - Strawberry Tres Leches - Mexican Near Me - Cypress, Texas

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The skirt steak is marinated and cooked amazingly. We loved the street tacos and queso.

Food and drinks were great! Service was excellent the waitress was pleasant and attentive. Ambiance was family friendly with very nice decor. Went here with friends for dinner and drinks would definitely recommend to anyone in the Cypress area. read more

Food was awesome! Service was great too. She made recommendations that were the bomb! Vanilla flan! Omg! read more

Carmelita's Kitchen + Tequila - Vanilla Flan...enough for 3 people. - Mexican Near Me - Cypress, Texas

The shrimp taquitos are amazing, so is their grilled pineapple jalapeño margarita!!! I also recommend the carnitas taco. Their black bean dip as a complimentary starter is genius and goes perfect with the chips and salsa!! read more

Warning....the chips are addictive! Thin and crispy. Makes you keep wanting more. The salsa is not spicy so I asked for their house made hot sauce and it was a perfect pairing. The brisket birria was delicious! The meat was tender and so flavorful. The tortill still had a slight crunch. I could have done without the rice and beans. Very bland. I would definitely come back when in the area. read more

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My last review detailed the takeout experience. This review covers the dine in experience, which in my opinion remains 5 stars. However, it didn't start out that way. I walked in, sat at the bar and...was promptly ignored. Luckily, when I was attended to, things started to look up! Is it possible that the same addictive chips are even better in person? Well I was either hungry, or they were. The restaurant offers complimentary bean dip and salsa, but I prefer to start my meal with a margarita and queso. I tried the grilled pineapple margarita, and I certainly recommend it. Not too sweet, it's a nice start to a decadent meal. As far as the queso, order it. A cross between queso flameado and chile con queso, I'd recommend experiencing it in person instead of to go. My waitress let me know that the spot is known for two items, quesobirria and seafood, so I took their recommendation and tried the shrimp tacos with beer battered shrimp. In addition to being delicious, they are super flavorful & pretty sizable. I was too full to order dessert (a sentence you'll never hear me say), but I'll be back to try some soon! Personally, I think they'd benefit from a more efficient system in identifying and seating new customers, in addition to my bar wait, I watched a few families wait in anticipation to the seated when the restaurant was far from full, but that's likely is a hiring issue, and for a skeleton crew, they're killing it! read more

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We decide to try Carmelita's for lunch. We arrived at 11:53am, and there wasn't anyone to greet us.Finally, our waiter sat us. He promptly took our order and was very attentive. The restaurant is beautifully decorated! It's cozy and very welcoming. My wife had a frozen Margarita. It tasted like a mix was used. Too sweet. I tried the Mexican Candy Flight, and it was cloyingly sweet. It was also very strong, and I can drink a lot of Tequila. I wonder if they put some Everclear in it? I'm not sure if that is the case, but my wife had to drive me home. My wife had the Nachos. Huge, delicious plate. Used fajita chicken that tasted soooo good. I had the Mole Enchiladas which were good but the mole was too sweet. I don't know, if I will be back. Expensive too read more

Great service!! Carlos and Alejo were both amazing. They took care of me and were very attentive. They norm deserve a handsome raise!! My guys for life!! read more

The staff is so friendly and helpful! It was our first time visiting, and we practically had the restaurant to ourselves for lunch. The fajitas and pulled pork BBQ tacos are delicious! I highly recommend giving them a try. I also recommend the margarita flight. You can modify the flavors or add spice! The ambiance is really charming with a red theme. Everything was decorated for Valentine's Day, so I'm sure it's a great date spot! read more

Carmelita's Kitchen + Tequila - BLENDED MARGARITAS flight - Mexican Near Me - Cypress, Texas

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Visited on a Saturday night, greeted right away and got sat down; the atmosphere and decor is amazing it's such a cute little tex mex restaurant. When we got sat down and someone came gave us chips and salsa, very good taste chips especially with the hint of lime they have, although when we were done with the bowl of chips our server hadn't even come by to greet us and taken our drinks which was a bummer. When we got to order we ordered the margarita flight that had caught our attention, and let me say those margaritas were strong and definitely made me tipsy, might not order them again too much alcohol on a tiny cup with not allot of flavor of the fruit, but if you are definitely the type to just sip on them for the alcohol then these are for you. Me and my bf shared the grilled fajitas and it was just enough for two to share, the rice and beans that came with them were so delicious the rice definitely had flavor to it. But the grilled chicken was bland, it was missing flavor and salt but the beef fajitas were pretty good and soft to chew on which I enjoyed. For dessert we obviously had to try the tres leches, quite good and a big serving for two people very good cake and not too moist just right which I definitely enjoyed and recommend. Overall quite cute spot to come for date night definitely got more food to try from here, the service needed a little more work when it's a small place the server wasn't as attentive to us which was a bummer, the food was quite delicious and will be coming back to try more plates. read more

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Carne Asada is out of this world. This is a true Mexican restaurant, not Tex Mex, and it is great! We had the Tampiquena - too notch and I opted for a blackberry margarita. All of their drinks are fresh and handmade. Will be back! read more

Carmelita's Kitchen + Tequila - Steak Tampiquena, Blackberry Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Cypress, Texas

We tried Carmelita's for the first time. The food and service were both excellent. Enjoyed the complementary chips and dip. We tried the chicken and beef/steak fajitas and they did not disappoint. Overall, we had a very good experience. The only drawback is that the menu prices are pretty expensive. If it were not for the cost, my family would come here often. read more

Carmelita's Kitchen + Tequila - Steak and Chicken Fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Cypress, Texas

A very disappointing experience. We came in at 8pm and they close at 9pm so I think the crew just wanted to get out of there. The carnitas was so dry it was a waste to even eat it. The burrito has a red "salsa" that could have used more flavor and salt. Our server was barely around. We needed to walk to the kitchen to ask for hot sauce/salsa. And later to get the bill and refills on the water we had to track her down. The cost per entree was any $20+. I'd suggest to dine somewhere else where the food is more authentic, flavors more developed and serve actually exists. The interior is clean (although they were mopping up the place and sitting down the car around 8:30pm. It felt like they were short of putting on "closing time" music and flipping the chairs over. Not impressed. Would not recommend. Will not return. Note my rating system: 1 Star: I wouldn't recommend 2 Stars: Didn't hit my standards 3 Stars: Average (nothing special) 4 Stars: Above Average. Would recommend. Still looking for the 5 Star. 5 Stars: Top of their game. Great food. Great service. Would recommend and plan on returning. read more

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Such a beautiful establishment. Staff are amazing. Very cold bring a sweater. Food was delicious read more

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Very much two stars. In a sea of Mexican restaurants this place looked very promising. Went there with some friends on a Sunday. Seated pretty quickly, and everyone was nice and all but the wait. For everything was just the real mood killer here. Waters? Extended wait. Second setup/refill of chips salsa and the delicious beans? Extended wait. Order your food? Way long extended wait. What should have been an hour meal was a little more than two hours. So based on this n=1 experience don't be in a hurry for okayish food. Had the tampiqueña. And while the steak was good, the enchiladas were weird. Flavorful but the super watery wet sauce was the killer of this dish. Imagine a watery marinara sauce but Spanish flavors. Was not great. The seafood enchiladas were a miss as well. Tons of meat there but no binder. It's just meat rolled up and covered with sauce. Dry and not amazing. The chips and salsa honestly were the highlight. Expensive. Not that great food. Slow service. Nah. I'm good. read more

Carmelita's Kitchen + Tequila - tampiqueña - Mexican Near Me - Cypress, Texas

First class. Serivce is great. Prices are reasonable. Food is STUPENDOUSLY GOOD!!! This place does not disappoint. I eaten here several times now. They consistently hit it out of the ballpark. Nice job. read more

This place was nice. Nice decor and clean. We got seats right away as it wasn't too busy. Only a few tables were seated. Although there were only a few tables sat, our waitress wasn't that attentive after we got our meal. We waited a while for assistance while she talked with some other waiters. A man finally came over and said that he would be taking over our table. Everyone enjoyed their meal. I had the breakfast bowl. I asked for white rice instead of the Mexican rice and no cheese and my meal had both. I don't eat dairy, so finding the cheese throughout after I had already started eating wasn't ideal. I would come back, but they would need to tighten up a bit. I also ordered the French toast with berries. The first time it came out, it had milk all over the top. I asked for it to not have it and when they brought out the second French toast, it didn't have the berries. The french toast by itself was pretty good. read more

Carmelita's Kitchen + Tequila - Breakfast Bowl - Mexican Near Me - Cypress, Texas

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Not the best. Not the worst. If I could say one thing about this restaurant, it would be that I was "whelmed". The bartender got both of our drinks wrong. But the manager was quickly there to set things right. So good high marks for the staff. The tortilla soup needed a metric ton of salt. The flautas were a little bland and again needed a metric ton of salt. Spice well! But that does not mean seasoned well. Spice without seasoning is like a rim driving on the street without a tire. It makes no sense. Would I come back? Absolutely! The staff alone and the attention to detail from the manager was amazing. As I understand, it is still family owned so that goes along way with me. Would definitely give this a second chance. For now, until I get back there. Rock Hollow three stars. read more

Carmelita's Kitchen + Tequila - Mexican Near Me - Cypress, Texas

Came here Friday evening, had a wonderful server Wilson, food was amazing and good size portions, restaurant was very clean and nice decor. Will definitely come back during happy hour! read more

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The food is okay but overpriced considering the quality of the food. It's just americanized food made to look prettier than it actually tasted. read more

Wow what a gem! Hidden off Fry rd this place is awesome. Food was great, the drinks were amazing and the ambiance was mesmerizing. Definitely recommend!!! read more

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Walking in the staff was very friendly and we came at a good time as it was not crowded but within the hour it became busier. Saying this I would make reservations during peak times. The restaurant is cute but small with a nice size patio when the weather is nice. I ordered the Quesobirria and oh my were they amazing! They were moist and d full of flavor. I will be back soon just for these. My friend got the ceviche and said it was really good and a lot of food. Our drinks were also good but they were not spicy. They both had jalapeños only in look not flavor, I say this because I wanted a little kick in my drink. All in all we will be back to try out happy hour! read more

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