I was craving for birrias one day and really didn't know where to go. After I found La Cruderia in the middle of Chinatown, I raised suspicion. I drove by dozens of times but didn't realize it was a Mexican restaurant. I was there on a Monday afternoon and there were a few customers. I sad by the big mural. I enjoyed the taste of the birria beef. It was very tender and flavorful. The consomé was perfectly seasoned, not overpowering. I also ordered Agua Fresca de Jamaica (hibiscus tea). It was delicious and just right amount of sweetness. When I looked at the menu, menudo popped up in the soup section. I would definitely try to come back on weekends. So, I came back the following Sunday. The restaurant was packed. tVs were blasting soccer match. People, mostly male customers, filling the tables inside and a few tables on the patio. The only open seats were at the bar. I had a nice view of the TV and wait staff bring food from the kitchen. The menudo was served in a big shallow bowl on a big tray filled with chopped onions, chopped cilantro and oregano flakes. Thank goodness no jalapeños. The flavor was down right, not too thick and not greasy. Temperature was perfect. The freshly made tortillas were great. I also ordered Agua Fresca de Melón. Mmm... so delicious. Service was excellent. Every staff carried a big smile. I completely forgot that I was in Chinatown. I wish every restaurant in Chinatown could be this good. read more

See all

Cute, cozy taco spot tucked away in Bellaire. Service was attentive and quick. What we ordered: - Chicharrón con guacamole - Pork belly was a little tough to chew, but still tasty. The guac was the highlight. 7/10 - Esquites - Creamy and flavorful overall, but the corn tasted a bit stale. 7/10 - Cochinita tacos - Slow-roasted pork was tender and juicy, loved the pickled onions. Sauce packs heat, but I liked it on the side. 9/10 Solid spot for a casual taco craving! read more

See all

Top of my list for authentic Mexican food!! Their tortilla soup is the absolute best and we love their taco's gobar. I can go on and on! We bring our friends and family here and they love it! Those that are out of town and super impressed with the flavors! Don't skip this one. They are located close to Chinatown in houston. Just off of 59/69 before guessner. Love this place read more

La Cruderia - Tortilla soup best in Houston!! - Mexican Near Me - Houston, Texas

Amazing ceviche - best in Houston. Cant get enough of this place. Try the mango habanero shrimp and fish (upon request) and you shall not be disappointed. So good that we keep coming back. Also pictured chilaquiles. Tacos are fantastic and a great lunch and happy hour menu too. A+++ I would give this place 6 stars if I could. Great friendly service not a flashy place but high quality food and a fantastic atmosphere nice TV's a friendly bar and small patio. This place is legit. read more

La Cruderia - Chilaquiles Verdes - Mexican Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

Though it's only been around a handful of years, La Cruderia has made a lot of noise as a bonafide destination in the city, which is no small feat for a restaurant in the heart of Chinatown. A family run affair from siblings Norma and Jorge Laredo, they've managed to showcase regional Mexican cuisine resuilting in small plates, fresh ingredients, and big flavors. The place isn't large, but they've managed to make something out of the space. There are handful of tables surrounding a nice large bar, complete with outdoor seating and no shortage of parking spaces. The staff is friendly, bilingual, and undoubtedly hip. They have a steady stream of regulars, a solid portion of which are from the surrounding area (#1). There are too many Mexican restaurants that end up serving the same thing, but La Cruderia is going coastal with their offerings, along with a good number of Yucatan and eastern Mexican cuisine. I had heard of their legendary ceviche, but the menu was so much more robust with items such as tacos de chapulines (#2), one of my all-time faves in cochinita pibil, aguachiles, and an excellent vegetarian selection. The drinks are also a highlight, from micheladas to an excellent tequila selection, this is definitely a place to enjoy adult beverages with what amounts of a nice food spread. The menu is so vast that it's truly an adventure and one should seize the moment with every visit. I'd recommend bringing other mouths to spread the love and food, but if a solo visit is a must, then let it be during lunch where they have various specials. Things have been on the up and up for the Laredos, who have taken their botanero approach to another location in Spring Branch. I've been impressed with their efforts here and look forward to checking them out again sooner than later. ___________ (#1) When one can win over the local crowd and still attract outside interest, it's a bonafide winner. (#2) They can jump and they can be eaten. Just sayin. read more

See all

La Cruderia is a great place to visit. The shrimp empanadas were crispy, fluffy, and a nice twist. Street tacos were fresh and authentic. The enchiladas were good but fell a bit short than the other dishes. I felt the chicken was a bit dry and sauce not as flavorful as I hoped. Overall it had an authentic atmosphere, great lunch specials, and happy hour make this spot a must-visit. Definitely want to come back. read more

See all

I was excited to find out they serve taco de chapulin ( grasshopper taco) and it was good. Price range is very reasonable or on the cheap side . Service was nice . read more

La Cruderia - Mexican Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

Food? Absolutely solid -- fresh, flavorful, and surprisingly affordable. Service and atmosphere? Completely missed the mark. A customer sat a few seats away blasting music from his phone on full volume while the restaurant already had music playing. It was disruptive the entire time and made it hard to enjoy the meal. What made it worse was the staff response. We mentioned it when checking out, and instead of addressing it, we were met with a dismissive smile and nothing was done. That tells me everything I need to know about how this place is managed. Good food can only carry a place so far -- if you're going to dine in, expect a "anything goes" environment. Great flavors, but not a place I'd return to for the experience. ¿La comida? Muy buena -- fresca, con buen sabor y sorprendentemente a buen precio. ¿El servicio y el ambiente? Muy por debajo de lo esperado. Un cliente estaba sentado a unos asientos de distancia con música a todo volumen desde su teléfono, mientras el restaurante ya tenía música puesta. Fue molesto todo el tiempo y arruinó completamente la experiencia. Lo peor fue la reacción del personal. Lo comentamos al pagar y, en lugar de hacer algo al respecto, simplemente lo ignoraron con una sonrisa. Eso dice mucho de cómo manejan el lugar. La buena comida no lo es todo -- si vas a comer ahí, prepárate para un ambiente donde "todo se vale". Buen sabor, pero no regresaría por la experiencia. read more

La Cruderia - Playing his German Polka Banda on blast from his phone. Mohow - Mexican Near Me - Houston, Texas

Service was top notch. Food was even better. Spicy salsas. My wife loved the aguachile and street tacos. My empanada and burrito were delicioso. The tres leches was tres bien. Come check them out! read more

La Cruderia - Taco de Chapulines - Mexican Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

Very good food!! Super affordable! Love their happy hour deals! Highly recommend the ceviche here! read more

La Cruderia - Mexican Near Me - Houston, Texas

First time trying this place cause we had no idea where to eat and it was an absolute 10/10. Place was clean and we were immediately attended. Our waiter was so nice I wish I had gotten her name cause she was awesome. As for the food we loved every bit of it even my little ones enjoyed it especially the dessert!! read more

See all

The meat was simply delicious the staff was very attentive and friendly I found it a bit inconvenient to eat from the very small serving bowls. The food portion was a bit small the ambiance was inviting read more

Good people/service with a relaxed setting. All our food was fresh and great tasting. It's a perfect place for getting together with a smaller group of friends/family for some good Mexican food. The specialty seems to be seafood dishes and micheladas. read more

See all

Love this place . I am Asian I have little picky my flavor but I love this place very much . Service and food as drink so awesome . This my favorites most Mexican Restaurant in my locals business. read more

Loved the space and the drinks were amazing!!! Definitely will come back next time I'm on that side of town. read more

See all

My my my we ordered so much food and I will say this is one of the best Latin seafood places I've been to now they have two locations in Spring Branch and on Belair Boulevard. Many many options of different types of food, tacos, oysters quesadillas, you name it . read more

La Cruderia - Mexican Near Me - Houston, Texas

What a gem! I've driven past this like a bajillion times in the way to Chinatown and my eyes have slid on past it - no longer! He wanted oysters, I wanted ceviche, the child was generally being a pain so we paid him no mind on this adventure. Yelp spoke to us, and off we went. Cute shaded patio, nice inside - music at a very reasonable level. Not overly crowded for a Friday night. Our server was sweet and efficient. We got what we came for - oysters and that ceviche (mango habanero - and while I prefer the spicy, I very much appreciate that they offer to let you put the habanero on the side if your party may be spice averse). We also got tacos, fish and birria. Everything was good. Super reasonable price point for everything and we left stuffed. Definitely will be back! read more

Really good ceviche and aquachile! Generous portions. Huge size shrimps. Plenty of parking and nice patio. read more

La Cruderia - Mexican Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

My first time visiting this place, the waitress was very kind. It's a bit small, the drinks had good flavor, but the food could use a bit more seasoning in the carne asada tacos. read more

La Cruderia - Mexican Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

Customer service was good but the food was not that great. I tried this place based on it being a top rated restaurant in the area of Houston. I had the birria tacos and birria street tacos and it wasn't as flavorful as I've had at other places. Idk what the rave was about but it didn't satisfy my taste buds for tacos read more

Came here craving some really good steak tacos one evening and was left underwhelmed. I went through the drive thru so I don't know if that affected my experience at all, I don't see why it would. Maybe I caught them on a bad day. Also got the mango habanero ceviche... Yea, just underwhelmed. Other than that, employees just seemed indifferent. I didn't have to wait very long for the food, and my total came out to 20 even, though I didn't receive a receipt. read more

Good food - one of two of my top birria places. The quesadilla tacos are amazing. The atmosphere on Fridays & Saturdays is lively with everyone feeling a friendly vibe. The staff is courteous and fun friendly. I really like the music. Margaritas are very good and price reasonable. I'm glad they moved up their weekend opening time, in response to patron's request. The menu is large and offers a variety of dishes. For example, three different kinds of ceviche!! Get out of your regular Mex food zone and try their FRESH seafood dishes: Shrimp and fish tacos, or baked oyster dishes. Enjoy! read more

Amazing food by chef Norma very authentic ! My favorite thing is the chicharrones they bring instead of salsa chips read more

La Cruderia - Mexican Near Me - Houston, Texas

My mom and I wanted a perfect lunch on a beautiful day and we found it! We sat out on the porch and had a delicious lunch - ceviche, tortilla soup and street tacos - delicious! Followed by the creamiest tres leches! Leo was so helpful and recommended the perfect dishes. I can't wait to come back for my next ceviche - and champulines! read more

Love this place. Really good Mango-nada's and street tacos. Decent Mexican food and not bad on the price. read more

Popped in between my sons basketball games due to the reviews and it did not disappoint! Service was good, food was good and the drinks were also good. The carajillo was really well done. read more

La Cruderia - Carajillo - Mexican Near Me - Houston, Texas

Best Mexican food in town! Totally recommended! Thumbs up! Micheladas are also awesome!

I found this biz via the LatinX biz tag on Yelp, and I'm glad I did. Coerced by Beard Papas down the street, as well as the Korean BBQ, and hot pot in the shopping center, I've passed by more times than I'd like to admit. At lunchtime on a Friday I found parking plentiful (the restaurant shares a lot with the businesses of Time Square shopping center (Korean bbq, hot pot, massage.)) As far as the restaurant itself, I was impressed by the welcoming patio brightly colored interior boasting a few TVs, murals, and decor. Dairy Queen no more. Menus are offered table side via QR code, and although I took my order to go, seating was plentiful yet intimate. I'm a sucker for good customer service, and although I was not checked in on by the owner, I noticed her checking in and circling back with other customers. I was warmly greeted and the gentleman who took my order made sure to wish me a nice day. My advice: get the mango ceviche tostados, and do not fear the grasshopper taco! It's a beautifully seasoned and balanced treat. I'm def adding this to my revisit list. I look forward to the A1 costumer service I know they're capable of on my next visit! read more

See all

Nice casual spot with great ceviche. We tried the tostadas with mango habanero ceviche and ceviche blanco and enjoyed both. The birria tacos and shrimp empanadas were really good too. The frozen hibiscus Margarita was amazing, really strong!! Everything felt well priced, would definitely recommend! read more

See all

Nice dining area with friendly, competent service. The quesabirria, panuchos, ceviches, aguaschiles, and micheladas are all great. Also some good drink options. There's chicken and fish fingers for picky kids, but that's def not what you come for. Would be happy to stop by anytime I'm in the area. read more

See all

The food was not great and service was slow. Food gave me serious indigestion. Margarita barely had an alcohol in it.

On the Road Again This place is so authentic the menu's in Spanish! The service was great. The waitress had a good command of English and was very friendly and helpful. It's so new they were still painting the mural outside. The food was delicious and we would all eat there again if we were in town longer. read more

I have been here more than a dozen times. I could walk in and the servers would know me. But to have someone come at me ugly!! I know what I order all the time!! I recorded the order. The kitchen got it wrong. Not my fault !! I'm not happy!! Please remember your customers!! read more

La Cruderia - They got it right!! But try to charge me again!! It's okay!! - Mexican Near Me - Houston, Texas

Acabamos de estar ahi hoy en Longpoint. Nunca hemos tenido un problema con la comida y este post es critica constructiva. Trajeron la orden equivocada. La presentacion equivocada. Aun cuando al principio le comentamos que el plato no era lo que se pidio, Camarones al Chile Piquin, nos aseguro que siempre es el miso, Que si estaba correcto. Al probar nos dimos cuenta que el plato era Camarones al Ajo. Al final reconocio que la orden estaba equivocada. En lugar de traer el plato correcto, Camarones al Piquin, nos trae un pequeno bote con la salsa piquin y nos pide lo pongamos arriba de los camarones. Mala experiencia en general. read more

Overall, a so so experience. Upon arrival, we entered inside to find that only the bar area had open tables. The inside was rather small with maybe 8 tables max along with the bar. We only had one other option - to sit outside. It wasn't too bad as they had a few large fans going and it was getting to be dusk. Our server, Pablo, began by taking our drink orders. We ordered a couple of jamaica drinks along with a michelada - both were tasty. Pablo brought us complimentary chicharonnes (in place of chips) as well. We were only given one physical menu to look at - they have QR codes on the tables in order to view their menu. Here's the link : https://www.lacruderiabar.com/menu.php I requested the shrimp tacos, which were rather tasty, even for me as I don't eat much seafood. I asked for a side of the spicy Mayo concoction to dip the tacos in as well. My kiddo got elote and fries - we had originally hoped they'd have nachos, but they didn't. Overall, it was an ok experience. The service from our waiter was lacking towards the end of our dinner, which was unfortunate. The menu was rather limited, so I doubt we'll make the extra trip out. read more

See all

Came here for a girls lunch and it was delicious. The price is fair and has plenty of seating. The server was prompt. We had our food our in less than 15 minutes, but do note you must ask for the ice if you want iced water. We ordered the shrimp tacos, ceviche and a few more things. The food was fresh and tasted of good quality. The ceviche was not over cooked. No rubbery shrimp. The salsa was nice and flavorful with the correct amount of kick. Would definitely make for a great girls date lunch or even a quick date spot before the groceries. read more

See all

We have past by this place several times and don't live on this side of town so we finally decided to try it and was so worth the stop!!! It was about 4:44 when we got here and it was empty which was nice! Around 5:30ish there was a few people who came in but still nice ! They play good music and also great customer service! We sat at the bar and right away had our order filled ! We had a strawberry mojito & a cantarito they're both so good! Also loved the prices on everything nothing was outrageous & everything delicious !! We also ordered a few shots and then our food which everything was a 10/10 !!! I would def recommend coming back or trying it out if you haven't everything was tasty and the prices BOMB !!! Will be back soon read more

See all

Had a pretty good experience! We were only there for drinks and appetizers. We had the Cantarito, CucuBerry and the Flor de Mar for drinks and for appetizer we had the queso fundido with chorizo. The drinks were amazing! The bartender was also attentive and nice. She was very open to our questions, and even recommended the CucuBerry drink, which ended up being our favorite. She then recommended the corn tortillas with our queso. She informed us the tortillas were hand made. The tortillas did not disappoint! The queso was pretty good but not the best. Nonetheless, we will definitely be returning! read more

La Cruderia - Cantarito and Flor de mar drinks - Mexican Near Me - Houston, Texas

I initially had my doubts about this place. After having a margarita deciding whether to stay or not we ordered food and another margarita. The food was great! Very authentic. Service was excellent too. I will go back there again. read more

Okay. I'm disappointed that I can't take credit for finding this gem. My boyfriend went golfing nearby a few weeks ago and stumbled in here after googling "micheladas nearby." He would not shut up about how great the drinks AND food were, so I had to see for myself. And here we are... He ordered the classic michelada. I grew up fighting over tamarindo candy with my cousins, but I also love mango, so I was torn between the mango michelada and the tamarindo michelada. I asked the adorable waitress Angela which I should do and she recommended the tamarindo and I never looked back. It was SO GOOD. It had the tamarindo popsicle, chunks of tamarindo, peanuts, jicama, cucumber and an orange slice. He ordered the shrimp tacos and I went with birria tacos. They were delicious. I ate two, and I couldn't leave the third taco on the plate; it had to be consumed. After we ate, Angela chatted with us about tennis and we taught her a little about golf. She is the sweetest. This Latin owned restaurant has been open since October 2019 and I am so happy to know they survived 2020/Covid. Angela told us they're working on getting their liquor license and they also have a drive-thru for those in a rush! I felt a great family vibe here and everyone was super nice, I will definitely be back to support this local business! read more

See all