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    El Portal Mexican Grill

    4.6 (29 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 9:00 pm

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    Jessica P.

    Amazing food and the owner is very nice and attentive. We first tried this spot for breakfast and were very happy with the service and food. We came again for lunch a few weeks later and happy with everything again! Meat Mexican food I have found yet :) the homemade tortillas are great and the taste of the food is not Tex Méx like so many other places in Houston. The music, lighting is also great!

    Daniel G.

    Great food and even better service! Will definitely go again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Breakfast tacos were

    Mar y tierra fajitas steak with bacon wrap shrimp, chunky guacamole, chips and salsa, charro beans a frozen margarita and a piña colada.

    Today was are first time in this place and my husband and I totally recommend it. Everything was delicious definitely we will come back. Excellent service, beautiful restaurant.

    booths

    Finally got around to trying El Portal Mexican Grill. This little gem is unfortunately a bit off the beaten path, hidden on a residential street on the south edge of Oak Ridge, and overlooked by many including us until we made it a point to check it out when jonesing for some sizzling beef fajitas. It's everything a great Tex-Mex restaurant should be... very attractive, very clean, great service, excellent prices, and a mixed menu of wonderful typical Tex-Mex and authentic Mexican dishes. Very glad we found it.

    Enchiladas and Al carbon tacos beef
    Cole S.

    Amazing beef tacos, incredible salsa and chips too + great service/very attentive local spot

    Inside

    Went for breakfast and loved it!! Chips were fresh and salsa was hot and had a great flavor. Breakfast chilaquiles plate was great. Could've had more potatoes, but was delicious. The tortillas are homemade and had a great buttery flavor. Service was superb. Very cute, clean place! Can't wait to come back.

    La Villa platter comes with small avocado salad, cheese puff shell and a taco.
    E B.

    Simple and flavorful entrees, plenty of choices. A family friendly establishment with pleasant ambiance. For a Mexican Restaurant compare to many in the area, portions are plateful and very reasonable pricing. Always greeted and exceptionally good service with constant attention to customers. Well lit are located within a neighborhood street. Few parking spaces in front and many behind this restaurant building on their property. Hope to see their service, quality and quantity is maintained. No disappointments for us so far. Good for lunch, dinner small parties and to go.

    Grande Burrito
    Cristina B.

    Back again and did not disappoint! So flavorful and the staff is very attentive! Everything I have had is so good!

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    1 year ago

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    10 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Small Mexican restaurant that should be busier than it is. Great prices and quality food with great service.

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    6 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Hidden gem. Everything was amazing for an affordable price. Highly recommend the Bloody Mary.

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    We've gone a few times. A good menu and drinks. The food was ok and the service was ok.

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Had breakfast here on Sunday. I had the chilaquiles migas and it was excellent. Great service too. The chips and salsa were tasty too.

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Had chicken enchiladas, meat was very dry and tough, not fresh at all. Salsa was served warm, it was ok, not great. Would not recommend.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Great food. Easy, quick and flavorful. Nice selection on the menu. Clean and nice atmosphere.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Delicious!! Would recommend I've always loved Beto's so decided to give El Portal a go and just as great!

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    3 years ago

    Great found, terrific service and reasonable prices ! Any yummy margaritas!! I recommend El Portal highly!

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    3 years ago

    Great place! Very nice interior, good amount of parking and the food is so good! Everyone was very nice there

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    Schilleci's New Orleans Kitchen

    Schilleci's New Orleans Kitchen

    4.4
    (1.1k reviews)
    3.9 mi
    $$$

    Whew, what a wonderful lunch I had here. On my continues search of good eats near my home, I came…read moreacross this place on Yelp and was met with delight when we walked in. I had never been to the previous address, but the interior design was so lovely we chose to sit at the new bar. Kady, the bartender (forgive me if I spelled it wrong) was such a doll the whole time waiting us. She kept the chips (touch of louisiana we enjoyed) next to her for refills and made the most twisted hurricane I've had. Definitely walked out clinging to my man lol. We tried the crawfish dip which came with two types of bread, though both went amazing with it. I ordered the lobster ravioli with a side of hush puppies and my old guy ordered the lamb chops, well done, with gumbo (we don't eat pork) and stuffed shrimp. Everything was so damn great tasting. I mean, damned good tasting. My only flaw was the roux could've been a little thinner, but that is absolutely it. Fabulous timeeee and I'm so recommending.

    So they've moved. From Market Street to the space Next to one of my favorite cafes (PB)…read more Parking lot not full on an Easter Weekend. Despite a pretty empty restaurant we were told that only the bar and outside were available. And unlike many other places, they said this bar only allows 21 and older to dine in the bar area, which means only the outside for us. This being a cold (because of the wind) and cloudy morning. Sigh. Asked for a kids menu and was told it's only for 12 and under. Got the evil eye from the hostess when I said my kid qualifies. Then I offered to show them her ID and they backed off with smiles even. The complementary potato chips kind of tasted like Chips Oman. At least they weren't stale and it's a nice addition while you wait. The kiddo got the kids catfish which was just a pretty small piece of fish. Fries were good. Side fruit consisted of strawberries pineapple and red grapes. No drink included. Had to chase down the staff to get some tartar sauce. I wanted a Po Boy but was told they don't offer it on the weekends. Asked about beignets and was told it's only for dessert. Sigh. Decided to get the pork ribeye fricassee. The flavor was good but boy was it salty. Almost like they dropped a whole shaker of salt on it. Good thing there was some rice to counter the effect. Otherwise it would be inedible. So after our meal we had access to the desert menu and got a half order of beignets (4 pieces). They were ok. The dough on these is pretty thick though. Not sure if that's standard but I'd prefer light and fluffy. Soft opening was just the day before. So I think they're trying to find their stride. Water girl was on it though so kudos to her. Waiter was meh. Had to go in and fetch him a few times as they don't come outside much, especially when you're the only one out there. The bar area is small but the bartenders are nice. They have a sectioned off room in the back which might be good for a larger group. Place is kinda small overall though.

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    Schilleci's New Orleans Kitchen
    Schilleci's New Orleans Kitchen
    Wall to the left of our table

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    Wall to the left of our table
    Pirates Paradise

    Pirates Paradise

    4.1
    (82 reviews)
    0.5 mi

    It matters that they make everything in-house. And the owner proudly talked about sourcing locally…read morefrom Tomball and such, something we really appreciate. We ordered Fried shrimp, with creamed spinach and onion rings. The flavor of the food was good, well-seasoned, and it was new to me to have leaf spinach served in a cheese sauce and I decided I like it! If you like your food spicy, then order the Shrimo Cocktail. It was a little spicy for me, but the flavors were good. We ordered a stuffed baked potato with butter, sour cream and chives. The potatoes skin tasted great, not sure how it was seasoned, but we liked it and the prosaic boring stuffed baked potato was really delicious when I poured the remainder of my spinach's cheese sauce over it. Desserts are homemade, and today's offerings were crème brûlée and Key lime pie. They weren't bad. The owner was welcoming and I liked our nice chat, particularly as they were short-staffed as somebody had not turned up for work. Overall, we had no real expectations going in and thought the food tasted much better than we had anticipated. Try it.

    So I hear Wednesday is their big day. It's Prime Rib day. I called a day ahead to see what hours…read moreit's served. The owner who answered the phone told me that actually the employees of one of the companies in the area reserved like the whole cow. I think he said 64 lbs or something like that. Savages. But he did say they could save a piece for us if I told him when I wanted to come in. I asked him for a good time to come. He said usually they're done cooking it by 12:30 pm and then it needs time to cool down. So he suggested mid-afternoon like around 2 pm. Ok. Well what the heck. A late lunch it is then. I've always been a whore for a good cut of meat. When we got there I told the host/waiter that we had a reservation and he just replied ok and didn't bother asking our name or checking us off a list or anything. Understandable I suppose since the place was empty. When we got the menus my first observation was that a number of the prices were higher by several dollars than as listed on their website, including the prime rib. The waiter replied it's just a few bucks, and then noted it's actually been like that for a few months. When I talked to the owner later he said they're waiting for the lady who handles their website to make the update. I've posted pics of their current in store menu so you can know the current prices. I think the waiter was new. Because he didn't ask how we wanted our prime rib cooked (I had to ask him later if we have a choice). Also when I asked for more horseradish (it doesn't come with the prime rib automatically) he took my plastic thimble looking cup and just refilled it, which seemed a bit unsanitary and odd. Also I had to ask for ketchup for the onion rings. When I was signing the bill he just hovered and immediately took it. It just felt weird. I dunno. Maybe his shift was ending or something. I know this sounds weird to comment on but the water tasted off. It's the first time I've ever said that. But it just tasted weird. I couldn't put my finger on it. Maybe like it already had some lemon in it? Yet there was a lemon slice on the rim of the glass. So I'm not sure. Anyway onto the prime rib. I thought it was ok. My kid absolutely loves prime rib and that's the real reason we came. But she just didn't like it here. However it is one of their most popular dishes and the way they sell out obviously folks in the area are ga ga for it. So definitely come give it a try for yourself. It comes 2 sides but not a baked potato which is $5 extra. I love baked potatoes but the extra cost made me not want to get it. The waiter said the mashed potatoes do not come with gravy but actually the sauce that comes with the prime rib is pretty thick and could easily be used for this. I thought the cream spinach was good as well as the fries and onion rings. Note the QR codes on the bill didn't work to pay. I'm not sure why. I think the waiter said something was wrong with their computers. When we asked for a to go box the lid on my gravy container didn't securely close. The waiter said that actually all of the containers have that problem. Yikes. Well just be careful you don't spill it in your car. I guess the waiter told the owner my kid didn't like the prime rib and when we were boxing it up the owner came to our table and was apologetic and super nice about it and offered to comp her plate. Now that's old school class. I've been to some of these newer places where they couldn't give a crap. But the owner here actually cares that people have a good time. So kudos to him. Their menu is extensive. And they have something for everyone. They also have a kids menu with reasonable prices. The monte cristo and pork knuckle were catching my eye. Maybe another day.

    Photos
    Not like the picture on the menu.
    Not like the picture on the menu.
    Pirates Paradise
    Pirates Paradise

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    Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen

    Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen

    3.8
    (592 reviews)
    4.5 mi
    $$$

    Spur of the moment dinner stop and we had a great meal. They…read morehave fresh lobsters in a tank that you can select and have it prepared for you. A great scene for kids I realized. They have such a cute entryway with flowers and seats before entering the restaurant. We were seated quickly and a host took our drink order as soon as we were ready. Hosts were so good to us and gave the best food suggestions. This is a usual spot for my husband for work lunches and meetings so he also gave me great suggestions. I ordered the Louisiana andouille sausage and seafood gumbo and it was so delicious we enjoyed the crab spinach dish with chips before ordering our meal. I suggest the pasta Madi gras as it was so filling I was able to share my pasta in two and still was able to take some home. also the seafood platter was able to serve for two and very flavorful. Looking forward to going back.

    I went to Pappadeaux on I-45 last night for dinner with a friend, and overall, it was a good…read moreexperience with a few hits and one clear miss. When I arrived, it was not busy at all, so I walked right in and met her at the bar. She had already ordered our drinks, which I appreciated. She got the Purple Voodoo. Even though it is no longer on the menu, they still made it for her, and she said it tasted the same. I ordered my usual Long Island iced tea, and listen, that thing was made to perfection. Not too sweet, not too dark, just the right balance. Whoever made it knew exactly what they were doing. The ambiance was really nice. It was calm with low lighting and good music playing in the background. It was not too loud, just enough to set the mood without interrupting conversation. It was not crowded, but there were a few people in there enjoying dinner and drinks. It made for a really laid back, after work, midweek dinner vibe. For food, she ordered the blackened catfish with red beans and rice, and I went with fried shrimp, a baked potato, and a Caesar salad. The food came out pretty quickly. Now let's talk about the food. The Caesar salad was amazing. It was fresh, flavorful, and perfectly put together. I asked for extra croutons and extra dressing, and while I did not need the extra dressing, I definitely needed those croutons. That salad alone could have been my whole meal with some grilled shrimp or salmon added. The baked potato was really good. It was large, filling, and loaded with butter and cheese. My only critique is that the cheese was not melted. It was more like layered on top in ribbons. If they had warmed it just a bit to melt the cheese, it would have taken it up another level visually and in texture. Now the shrimp. It looked good, but it did not deliver. The breading did not do it for me, and it tasted pretty bland, like it was missing seasoning. Especially compared to how well seasoned and perfectly blackened my friend's catfish looked, the shrimp just did not measure up. That was definitely the miss of the meal for me. I did not taste the catfish, but it looked incredible. It was beautifully plated and a generous portion. My friend ate more than half and took the rest home, which says a lot. Service was exceptional. Attentive, friendly, and smooth from start to finish. Overall, I would give it an 8.5 out of 10. The drinks, service, ambiance, and that Caesar salad carried the experience, but I would skip the shrimp next time.

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    Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen
    Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen
    Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen

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    El Portal Mexican Grill - newmexican - Updated August 2026

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