Wow, just wow. We're here to catch a cruise in the morning…read moreand needed dinner. My wife spied the sign as we headed to the hotel. We ordered more food than we needed, but everything was amazing. Simply everything. Chips were warm. Wife loved the queso. The salsas were great. The enchiladas were likely the best I've ever had. The flautas were good. It was an amazing meal. And the server was sweet and kind.

There are restaurants where the meal begins the moment you walk through the door, and there are…read morerestaurants where the welcome feels like an invitation to reconsider your life choices. At Lupe Tortilla in Kemah, our host was gracious and welcoming. We asked if we could sit at the bar, and we were happily shown to two seats. So far, so good. Then came the bartender. She greeted us with the sort of expression usually reserved for someone who has just backed into your car in the parking lot. Plates and chips were tossed onto the bar--technically within the vicinity, though apparently not within reach. We were then asked if we wanted drinks. We ordered a dressed draft beer and a 50/50 Rita. The beer arrived beautifully cold and perfectly poured. The margarita, however, was roughly 90% frozen and 10% margarita--the precise opposite of what we were hoping for. It wasn't exactly the warm beginning one hopes for when settling in for dinner. The food may yet have a chance to redeem the evening, but hospitality is part of the recipe. And when the first course is indifference, even a good meal has a little climbing to do.

Taqueria Chalupas -- a cruise-tradition stop for us…read more Since we live in Conroe, this place has become our go-to the moment we get off a cruise -- and it never disappoints. Service is always great and attentive, and the food is consistently fresh and delicious. We usually order the street tacos, but our family has tried a variety of items off the menu and everything has been excellent. The green salsa deserves a special shoutout -- it's spicy in the best way and keeps you coming back for more. We already know we'll be ending our December cruise here, and we can't wait.

**UPDATE** It's been…read morea minute since I've patronized this joint, aside from a couple of to-go breakfast orders through the years, but it is still just as delicious as it was when I wrote my first review more than a decade ago. Everything in my previous review stands, but I will add this time around that the cheese enchiladas here might be the bet I have had in the greater Houston area. They are wrapped in firm, uber-thin corn tortillas and almost overstuffed with real cheese. The chicken mole enchiladas also get there. No two moles are alike, and this can best be described as rich and (spicy) warm with a slight hint of sweet. Delicious indeed.

I recently had my first visit to El Jefe, in Webster, Texas. I was primarily looking through yelp…read morefor a good restaurant that served Tex-Mex, and this was the first restaurant that popped up in my area with an "excellent" rating. As I write this review, this restaurant currently has a rating of 4.6 stars with 120 reviews. Before coming, I also reviewed several pictures that other folks have posted on yelp, and I thought I'd give this place a try. After driving by the front of the restaurant and pulling into the parking lot, I started to have second thoughts about coming here. From the outside, it certainly did not appear to be a location worthy of an excellent rating on yelp. Still, I trusted the yelp community, and I decided to come inside. Boy, the yelp community was right on this one! This is one of those restaurants that is excellent, but you wouldn't know it unless you gave it a try. Immediately after entering, I decided to take a seat at one of their tables in a corner. Just after sitting down, a gentleman came over and delivered some fresh chips and two kinds of salsa. My waitress came over shortly thereafter and introduced herself. Her name was Marcella (sp?). She was friendly and professional throughout my experience here, and she was patient with me in explaining some of the items on their menu. After reviewing their menu and eating a bunch of their chips and salsa (which are ridiculously good), I decided what I wanted. I ordered the "Quesabirria w/Consome," with beef, which are 4 birria and cheese tacos, served with onion, cilantro, pickled onion, radish, and special spicy salsa. I ordered a Coca-Cola along with my dinner order. I definitely made the right choice for my meal. They were generous in filling my tacos with a bunch of shredded beef, and they were amazingly good. My soda was refreshing as well. In my opinion, this is a better place for authentic Mexican food rather than Americanized Mexican food. After my meal, my waitress said that she is giving me some of their dessert for free since this was my first time here. She was very kind, and an excellent waitress. Overall, I did have an excellent experience here, just as so many others have had. This was a reminder for me that sometimes I need to just trust the yelp community, and most often a high yelp rating is high for a valid reason. If you're in the area, you should give this place a try. In addition to this review, be sure to check out all my pictures if you'd like to get more detail on this location, some of which are attached to this review.

First time here. Real Mexican food happening here. Chips and salsa were great!! I got the…read moreTampiqueña (Skirt Steak, Cheese Enchilada, rice and beans, guacamole and pico de gallo). My wife got Combination #2 (Beef fajita taco, Cheese Enchilada, rice and beans). All of the food tasted great and reminded us of the Mexican food from Southern California. The staff is super friendly and the dining room feels very "Mom and Pop." I think they had a dance floor on the other side of the bar. We didn't check. The parking lot is very rough but don't let that scare you off. Come for a great authentic Mexican meal.

Vince was absolutely amazing very prompt and kind he suggested the bria and it was awesome my first…read moretime eating here and i will def be back

The place we were going to eat in Galveston was too close to the cruise ship loading zone and…read moretraffic was bumper-to-bumper, so Google recommended this as a place on our way back to the airport. Glad it did! First, the wait time - we showed up on a Sunday morning, right after some kind of race in the area. They told us the wait would be about 45 minutes to an hour, and we waited 55 minutes. No big deal - at least their estimate was accurate. But beware if you're on a time crunch on a weekend at brunch time :) Great hash! I had CHRISTINA'S TAMALE CAKES (Benedict), and loved it. It was top two of my meals in this visit to Texas. The carnitas were flavorful, the poached eggs were perfect, the corn bread base on the tamale wrapper was awesome. If I could improve the dish - and that would be hard to do - I would ask for a bit more of that delicious green chile Hollandaise sauce on top, which I would buy by the jug if I could. The smashed potatoes were excellent - very well seasoned and oiled and salty to go with the sweet from my main dish. My companion loved her hash dish and I scooped up some of her sauce to eat the last few bites of my cornbread. Loudness - This place was LOUD. They had a DJ spinning some great music choices - but I couldn't really converse with my wife during breakfast. I am well aware that I sound old and crotchety. I love the clubs - but this was like being in a club during brunch. Hygiene - The hostess at the front desk station was on her phone the entire 55 minutes we were waiting. When I asked her if I could get a Bloody Mary to save me from boredom during the wait - she told me to hang on. Then she sat on her phone and talked and texted for another 5 minutes or so. My wife dropped a pair of tongs on the floor from the Bloody Mary bar. Another lady picked them up, and told the lady behind the station that it had fallen on the floor. She didn't wash it - she just stuck them back in the jar where people are grabbing the food for their Bloody Marys. In hindsight - I don't know if I would have taken advantage of the endless toppings on the bloody Mary bar.

Escalante's Fine Tex-Mex Restaurant offers a welcoming dining experience with flavorful food,…read moreattentive service, and a lively atmosphere that makes guests feel right at home. From the moment you walk in, the restaurant feels warm, polished, and inviting--perfect for a casual lunch, a family dinner, or a relaxed evening out with friends. The menu stands out for its fresh ingredients, bold Tex-Mex flavors, and well-prepared favorites. The chips and salsa are a great start, and the entrées are satisfying and full of flavor, which add to the restaurant's enjoyable, festive feel. Every dish tastes carefully prepared, and the portions are generous without sacrificing quality. We had the Chicken & Shrimp Fajitas for myself and the Steak Fajitas for my husband. Upon ordering, I opted for the Corn Tortillas as well as the Refried Beans, Rice, Sour Cream, Shredded Cheese, and Pico De Gallo. Everything was seasoned to perfection! Service is another highlight. The staff is friendly, professional, and attentive, helping create a smooth and pleasant visit from start to finish. Overall, Escalante's Fine Tex-Mex Restaurant is a great choice for anyone looking for delicious Tex-Mex food in a comfortable and upbeat setting. I would gladly recommend it to anyone craving a fresh, flavorful, and enjoyable meal.

Deep in the heart of Clearlake lays a flavorless shell of a "Tex Mex" restaurant named Escalante's…read more I should have known better when every person there was a old white boomer. hadn't been here in over 5 years and went on a referral and now I recall why. It's hard to understand how food could have so many ingredients, yet be put together in such a tasteless way. *Salsa- not even a hint of spice and lacked any salt. *Chips- flavorless and devoid of salt *white cheese queso- like motor oil *chorizo breakfast tacos- couldn't even taste the meat. * "refried" beans- I could have been eating mashed baby food for all I knew. You'll also pay twice the price of any decent taqueria with none of the soul. Never again.

I would like to thank Keyla and Selena for such a nice and…read morewarm atmosphere everything was great here the all

The best enchiladas!…read more If you're in the area (or even if you're not), and you're a fan of enchiladas (or even if you're not), you should give Barcenas a try. I had the basic Enchiladas Cheese, which were fantastic. The rice and beans were perfectly cooked and flavorful, which many comparable restaurants seem to struggle with. Chips and salsa were pretty standard, but still good. The place feels authentically Mexican, which is a nice change-up from all of the Tex-Mex places that are so common. The music and decor is all on point! Service was above and beyond as well. Even for a Sunday at lunch time, the waiters were constantly checking on us to make sure our drinks were topped off and to make sure we didn't need anything. I'll definitely be returning next time I'm in that part of town to try another of their enchiladas!

I hadn't been to Los Ramirez in a while, so I was pleased to find that the food was much better…read morethan it had been during my previous visit. I ordered the pork chop entrée, which came with two pork chops topped with plenty of sauce and onions, along with the usual sides. It was a generous portion, and everything was very good. The pork chops were flavorful, and I really enjoyed the meal. I'm glad I gave Los Ramirez another try, and I'll definitely be back to sample some of their other dishes. I'm giving them four stars (really 3.5 stars) though, because the charro beans, chips and salsa, and green sauce were mediocre.

Great local quality! The area Los Ramirez restaurants deliver the same quality everyone expects…read more Easy to read menu, great thin chips with red and green salsas, nice margaritas, & nice service. The restaurant is large and has nice spaces for families and groups. Easy access on Bay Area just east of Hwy 3/Old Galveston Rd.

We decided to try a completely different appetizer and I am so glad that we did! The Jumbo Lump…read moreCrab Nachos are a definite winner! A lot of crab meat with every bite, plus the sour cream, incredible olives, and pickled jalapenos! Also tried the Albondiga soup and it was amazing! Those meatballs were huge, seasoned with perfection, and that broth was so tasty! This is also a must! We sat in the bar area/ high tops, and we had the bar tenders as our server, they were busy, but still provided excellent service! Definitely recommend this restaurant!!

9/10 would definitely go back !…read more I ordered the chicken and steak fajitas, and both were really good. Personally, I enjoyed the chicken more. It had amazing flavor and was perfectly cooked. The steak was good too, but it had more of a barbecue taste, which just isn't my personal preference I also heard the table next to me. Tell the waiter that they preferred the chicken over the filet mignon, which just goes to show that their chicken is superior. Next time, I'd probably stick with just the chicken fajitas. Let's talk about the sauces because they deserve their own moment. The green sauce that came with the chips was AMAZING. So fresh and flavorful. The red sauce was also really good -- both paired perfectly with the chips. For rice, I tried both the cilantro rice and the Mexican rice. They were both solid, but I liked the Mexican rice just a little more. One thing to keep in mind: toppings for fajitas are an extra charge. I got the garlic, onion, and Serrano topping with cheese -- and they do not play when they say it's spicy! It was delicious but very spicy. Also, it's a $5.99 upcharge, which is easy to miss. And heads up: they mix the Serranos into the cheese, so you can't really remove them once it's served. If you're sensitive to heat, I'd recommend asking for the Serrano peppers on the side. The service was extraordinary -- super attentive and welcoming. The place was packed, but there was still plenty of parking, which was a plus. I didn't order drinks this time, but they looked really good. I'll definitely be back, especially for Margarita Monday -- $5 margaritas all day sounds like a deal I can't pass up. Overall, amazing food, great service, and a fun vibe. I'll absolutely be coming back!

This restaurant has been on my list for a long time! So glad I finally got there - it made me do a…read morehappy dance in my chair! It's a small location, and doesn't take reservations. We lucked out and were able to be seated upon arrival. If you're part of a larger party, you may have a short wait. Parking was no issue. The food! Everything that came out of the kitchen looked delicious, colorful, portions are plenty and fun! Our waitstaff was very helpful in making selections - and we ordered multiples...and left with to go boxes.

Salseria is a lovely Mexican-Brunch restaurant in Webster. The decor is modern mixed with beautiful…read moreMexican artwork. The staff are quite hospitable. Parking is not always an issue, but Salseria is packed into a business strip. There's plenty of space inside for a large gatherings. Their dishes are made fresh, homestyle from the kitchen. My meal wasn't overpowered with spices. Their special coffee is freshly brewed. The serving size of the usual complimentary chips and dip are miniscule. Their dishes are a little pricey. Salseria doesn't have a lunch special. They just serve brunch and dinner. Contrary to past reviews, it seems they've removed an extensive amount of dishes off their menu. Salseria was nice dine-in restaurant. I'd recommend them to everyone I know.

I almost don't want to write this review because I want to gate keep lol but everyone needs to know…read morehow good these papusas are!! They are soooo good!! I've never had any like them. Very cheesy and not dry at all. I don't live in Clear Lake anymore. I moved to Missouri city, a good 45 min away. But I will drive over here about once a month for the papusas lol

Greeted upon arrival. That set the tone for what I'd say was an excellent experience. I'm also…read morehappy to support a mom and pop restaurant. We ordered several dishes as this was our first visit. The combination plate was everything I didn't know I needed. I added an extra side of the chicharróns and the yuca plate was amazing. Portions are great and the price points are budget friendly. The server was attentive and welcoming. Music played with family friendly vibes. We'd most definitely return.