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La Cocina de TJ

4.4 (523 reviews)
Open • 8:00 am - 9:00 pm
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Order La Cocina de TJ Takeout or Delivery

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LA COCINA DE TJ ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Trendy
Moderate noise
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - La Cocina de TJ

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Daisy P.

My family and I love TJ birria tacos! We are returning customers and if it weren't for the distance we would be back more often. Birriadillas and birria ramen are our go to's. Space isn't too big or small, no outdoor seating, fast and good service. You order first then go sit down. Food is on a tray and you out tray up as you finish. Definitely recommend trying if you haven't yet! They have been here for several years and their quality in food is consistent.

Lauren P.

Fire tacos man. Love the quesabirria and the street tacos are perfect. Really good service and friendly staff. Been here twice already.

Jordan W.

Came here on an early Sunday afternoon I have never dined in here. I've only had food to go. My sister is a big fan of this place and did say it's changed quite a bit since she's been there and the renovations look nice. I had a Cadillac margarita with tajin on the rim it was really good. You can tell they make their own mix and I must say it was strong. My sister ordered the queso for the appetizer I wouldn't get it again. It was kind of watery. We both ordered birria tacos. She said they' weren't as good as past visits. They were a little dry this time and I've definitely had better but it was still good to me. The service was great and we found out they have a happy hours so we definitely want to come back to see what their happy hour is about.

Shrimp taco

Servers were incredibly nice but took a minute to take orders and get waters and food. Mango margarita had strong mango flavor. Ribeye tacos and shrimp tacos were great as well as the chicharones and enmoladas. Would return.

xl quesabirria
desiree j.

Birriaquesdillas, tasty!!! First time trying them, very tasty ordered via takeout the consume is good too

El plato de lujo simplemente delicioso
Abraham L.

Ampliamente recomendado gran sabor con una variedad extensa de combinaciones que combina con todo lo que me gusta Widely recommended great flavor with an extensive variety of combinations that combines with everything I like

Beef burrito
Elizabeth S.

Terrible food quality. 1st plate not pictured because I returned it immediately after finding a hair in my taco. We were regulars since 2023 when it was "TJ Birria". Great for them to expand the space but at what cost? The food and salsa quality went down. Puddles of OIL, overflowing from the plates, quesadillas were left as is. Also in what world are these plates functional??? Burritos are no longer grilled. Salsa containers changed and have no flavor whatsoever. The increased prices were insane. I hope this review reaches the right team. And hope they make improvement, specifically with the use of OIL. I will miss this place.

Birria tacos
Jennifer B.

The Birria was good, the items came out pretty quickly since we stopped in for a late lunch and it kept me full for dinner. The restaurant was well kept and the service was good.

birria quesadilla
Sherelle L.

.... so bland. I threw most of it away, and I was shocked because Houston food usually is such a win! This was not. Service was friendly, but that was the only pro in this experience.

Enchiladas rojas
Maria B.

Toda la comida estaba muy deliciosa. Nos trajeron la comida muy rapido. El servicio estuvo excelente. 100% recomendado

Jennifer V.

Very nice place to eat delicious birria they made a renovation of the place and now it really has a good atmosphere the food was really good like always, service was friendly and the order was made fast.

Brunch menu!
Sandra K.

They've changed the concept around but they're still serving the same menu and it's flexible. I got the street tacos and I wanted three instead of five and they were able to accommodate. Food took a while to come out so I waited. I was sitting at the bar waiting for my food and it took around 15 minutes to get it out. Food was really good though!

Agua de Jamaica
Helen R.

Stopped by La Cocina de TJ and finally got to try their birria! I had the birria plate while my husband went all in with a little assortment--tostadas, quesabirria, and tacos. The birria itself was good (I wasn't absolutely wild about it, but still solid), but what really stood out for me were the aguas frescas. I had the Jamaica and it was soooo refreshing, and my husband's watermelon agua was straight-up fire. The vibe here is fast-paced, almost like Mexican fast food in the best way possible. You get your food quick, it's flavorful, and the staff is genuinely nice. I really like the concept and honestly wish they had more business--places like this deserve the love for how good, fast, and welcoming they are. Definitely worth checking out if you're craving something quick, flavorful, and casual!

Ramen Combo

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7 months ago

Ramen is the ultimate comfort food, and Norris tacos are . Order through Uber Eats so can't speak to actual restaurant, but food is

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Maybe this is the first place I tried birria, but I thought it was amazing. The consommé is very flavor and the tacos are very good.

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1 year ago

Great, delicious and courteous service for lunch! I've done solo and group lunches there.

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La Cocina de TJ Reviews in Other Languages

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The Original Ninfa's on Navigation - Steak

The Original Ninfa's on Navigation

3.9(2.3k reviews)
5.3 mi•Warehouse District, Second Ward
•$$
Private events
Catering service

First time in Houston, and I kept seeing people online say Ninfa's is overrated. But every local I…read moreasked told me to go, so I went. Glad I did. Service was great. Our server was super friendly and kept things moving. Free chips and salsa to start. The chips came out warm and crunchy, with a red and a green salsa. Easy way to kick off the meal. I got the enchiladas suizas. Packed with chicken and cheese, and the salsa verde on top gave it a nice bit of tang that kept it from feeling heavy. Solid Tex-Mex. Didn't disappoint.

FAJITAS 7. As a native Houstonian, I was 10 when Ninfa's opened (1973). Growing up, we ate there…read moreseveral times each month. We'd rotate with Los Tios or Chinese every Friday or Saturday. As there is not a location near me any longer, we traveled to the original location. It was bustling with an attentive waitstaff and lots of people watching. Complementary valet (of course we tip) is a great benefit as parking is slim. Our waitress was Kady. She's been there for 50 years! Talk about an original. She was attentive to our needs but all business. We started with guacamole and queso. Guac was a huge portion with all the add ins. Queso was delish and served with fried flour tortillas (my fav). The gratis green dip, red sauce, and thick, crisp chips were on par. The fajitas. Just so so. Honestly, it reminded me of Taco Cabana. Very disappointing. Very little flavor and tough. The rice was yucky, the refried beans were the worst! Reminded us of the frito lay bean dip in a can. Even the Borracho beans were bad. HEB's in the can are far better. We received 2 corn and 2 flour tortillas. Fajitas served with pico, guac, sour-sour cream (I didn't even like that). Iced tea was fair. All in all, Fajitas very disappointing. If we had not been on the best fajita quest, I most likely would have ordered the chicken caldo soup. That never disappoints.

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The Original Ninfa's on Navigation - Decor

Decor

The Original Ninfa's on Navigation - Combo Fajitas - Large

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The Original Ninfa's on Navigation - Margarita

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Maderas - Kitchen & Cantina - Barbacoa and Carnita Taco

Maderas - Kitchen & Cantina

4.2(297 reviews)
4.5 mi•Midtown, Fourth Ward, Montrose
•$$

I went for dinner time. It's a cute intimate setting. Perfect for date night or girls night. The…read morefood was delicious. I ordered the Barbacoa tacos on heirloom corn tortillas. For drinks I ordered a hibiscus margarita... it was so good with the perfect amount of sweetness. Presentation and service were great. Highly recommend to give this place a try

We visited Madera's for the first time recently and overall had a great first impression. The…read moreserver was attentive when needed but didn't hover or rush us. For drinks, my husband and our friends tried some of the margaritas from their large and unique margaritas menu, as well as their hibiscus agua fresca. All of the drinks were very pretty and it seemed like everyone enjoyed them, too! We started with their chips and salsa trio, which we all really liked. The chips were on the thicker side, but were crispy and not stale or chewy at all. Each of the salsas were quite different, and two were served warm, which we really liked! For the price, I'd consider getting the chips and salsa as a non-negotiable, honestly. For entrees, we tried the enchilada rojas, chilaquiles verde w/ chicken and beef, birria barbacoa ramen, and huaraches. My husband felt like his ramen could have included more meat, but aside from that everyone really enjoyed what they ordered. The highlight was probably the desserts, though! We got a quatro leches and two ordered of their giant and amazing churros. Both were incredibly tasty and reason enough to return for another visit in the future!

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Maderas - Kitchen & Cantina - Right side entry

Right side entry

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Mexican Sugar Houston Montrose - Brunch tacos

Mexican Sugar Houston Montrose

4.2(694 reviews)
3.4 mi•Montrose, River Oaks
•$$$

The world is full of Mexican restaurants…read more Most are some version of Tex-Mex in a family-friendly, relatively similar environment. Nothing wrong with that. Mexican Sugar breaks that mold completely. This is the most legit, wonderful, bougie, over-the-top Mexican restaurant I have ever been to, and I mean that as the highest compliment possible. This was my second trip to Mexican Sugar. The first was in Grapevine. After this visit to the Montrose location, I have officially decided that when I am in Texas, I will seek these places out. They are that good. First, dress up. I doubt there is an actual dress code, but this is not the place where I am showing up looking like I just finished mowing the yard. Come here to be seen. Come here to show out a little. The place is beautiful and has that kind of vibe. Second, the drinks. Hell yes. Fancy, creative, excellent, and impressive enough for even the person who has seen every ridiculous cocktail presentation imaginable. And then there is the food. My God, the food. The salsa and queso are legit AF. The street corn is heaven in a bowl. Get several orders. I am serious. One is not enough. The carne asada was amazing. Honestly, I could keep going, but at some point this review is just going to become me yelling about how much I love Mexican Sugar. I LOVE MEXICAN SUGAR. OK, YOU GET THE IDEA. WHY AM I YELLING? BACK TO THE REVIEW.... Service was excellent too. The place is huge and was absolutely packed, but our server stayed attentive and the food came out surprisingly quickly. Make a reservation. Park in the nearby garage. Dress nice. Order the drinks. Get the street corn. Then get more street corn. Who is ready for another trip to Houston? I'll book the reservation at Mexican Sugar.

This was my second time at Mexican Sugar and I loved it just as much as the first! Johnny was our…read morewaiter and he was phenomenal, super attentive and even refilled my drink several times without me having to ask. Sonia was also incredibly sweet. My daughter dropped some food and made a bit of a mess, and Sonia was so kind about it and cleaned everything up without making us feel uncomfortable at all. The food was amazing. I highly recommend the steak and eggs and the pancakes, both were delicious. Great food, amazing service, and another wonderful experience. We'll definitely be back!

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Mexican Sugar Houston Montrose - Machete Margarita

Machete Margarita

Mexican Sugar Houston Montrose - Arepas

Arepas

Mexican Sugar Houston Montrose - Mexican Sugar - beautiful lighting

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Maximo - Tostada

Maximo

4.6(178 reviews)
6.3 mi•West University
•$$$

Maximo looks like someone invited the desert inside and poured it a drink. The room is colorful,…read morewarm, and genuinely inviting--pots of cactus, cowboy paintings, and Mexican art. At brunch, the papas bravas come as small cubes of fried potato with an airy crunch that gives way to a soft, pillowy center - the kind of deeply satisfying bite that makes conversation briefly irrelevant. Crisp prosciutto adds salt, aioli brings richness, and smoky chile sauce keeps it lively. They're served with cactus-handled toothpicks, which are almost offensively adorable. The chilaquiles divorciados are another hit. The chips are dressed with salsa rather than drowned beneath it, so each one arrives ready for the perfect bite. It's a small distinction, but an important one. Then there are the enfrijoladas: rolled quesadillas in fluffy tortillas, covered in creamy black bean sauce and plated with more care than bean and cheese might seem to warrant. The dish is fundamentally simple, but that's the point. Soft tortilla, savory beans, melted cheese, bright salsa. Familiar ingredients transformed into something deeply comforting--the culinary equivalent of curling up beneath a warm blanket on a cold morning, even if Houston rarely provides one. Dinner shifts into another gear. The crudos are sensational, especially the tuna tiradito - a rolling wave of flavor and texture. The tacos are excellent across the board, but the crispy maitake mushrooms are unmatched. The short ribs arrive juicy and tender on a mole negro that doesn't sit politely in the background. It lands dark, complex, and full of flavor. And then there's the masa cornbread, a masterpiece of unapologetic indulgence. Humble cornbread meets savory-sweet mole, smoky, earthy butter, and caviar. It sounds like too much. It isn't. Every element earns its place. The cocktails deserve their own warning. They're the kind that convince you to keep ordering the same drink all night. By the end, you may have forgotten what was in it. What you'll remember is that it was refreshing, perfectly balanced, and exactly what you needed. Maximo makes ambitious food feel generous rather than fussy. Come hungry.

Honestly I am fairly disappointed in this place as I had been anticipating it for the longest time…read more I was able to snag reservations about 1 month in advance for a Saturday dinner. The restaurant is located in a quiet area in West University with a good amount of street parking. The restaurant itself is decorated with a lot of character and personality and they have seating inside and outside on their covered patio. Don't get me wrong, the service here is amazing. The servers are very attentive, and I appreciate the chefs coming out to explain their dish. However, the dishes themselves were basic and lacked specialty. My boyfriend and I got the Chef's Tasting Menu. I got the drink pairing. As a Chef's tasting menu, I would expect the restaurants' most precious meals. The short rib was dry and the rest of the other dishes were unmemorable. The only dish that truly caught my eye was their Tres Leches, but this was given on the house as it was our anniversary. The drink pairing I got was well worth and all of the drinks were flavorful and paired well. Overall, I'd hope that their chef's tasting menu would improve as they rotate their dishes. I would try to come back to give it another chance.

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Maximo
Maximo - Tres Leches

Tres Leches

Maximo - Paloma Coconut Punch & a classic Margarita.

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Paloma Coconut Punch & a classic Margarita.

Dona Leti's - Mini fajita steak street tacos

Dona Leti's

4.0(687 reviews)
2.1 mi•The Heights
•$$

The food at Doña Leti's was AMAZING! Definitely worth the wait…read more I went around 1 PM and it was BUSY. They honestly have more customers than they have space, which is a great problem for them to have . Parking was also hard to find, and I waited about 30 minutes just to be seated. But once I got my food and tasted it... I was IN LOVE! The food made all of the inconveniences completely worth it. Customer service was cool, the atmosphere was nice, but the FOOD was definitely the star of the show. I would absolutely go back... just be prepared to wait and hunt for parking. Worth it!

Dona Leti's was everything we thought it would be!…read more Upon arriving there was a 30 min wait but thats ok because we were given chips and salsa to hold us over. Once we were seated the waiter we had was super helpful. If we had questions, he had answers and pictures to go with them. The food was phenomenal and huge. We ordered the skillet burrito, surf and turf eggrols, and birria sampler. So much food and so flavorful. Honestly you have to try the alfredo on the eggrolls. That was different but so good. The asada was flavorful on the burrito and eggrolls. The birria was great and then consume hit the spot dipping wise. The burrito was jam.packed with meat and rice. Very good! Its exactly what I want in my burrito. We ordered margaritas for drinks and those were pretty good. The strawberry margarita has to be mixed once brought to the table, but thats ok. Needless to say we had to take leftovers home for sure. Great food and a great time!

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Dona Leti's - Bar

Bar

Dona Leti's - Street Taco

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Dona Leti's - Passion fruit margarita with a shot of Grand Marnier.

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Passion fruit margarita with a shot of Grand Marnier.

La Cocina de TJ - mexican - Updated October 2026

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