I have learned that the places that look a little suspicious from the outside often end up being…read morethe biggest surprises when it comes to food. This place is definitely not located in a fancy area, and I have to admit, I had second thoughts the moment I pulled into the crowded and chaotic parking lot. Located in the heart of Latino Town in Spring Branch, the atmosphere immediately reminded me of back home (Venezuela). The vibe is different, authentic, and familiar in the best way. I trusted the process because this spot had been on my list for a while, and I'm so glad I gave it a chance. Once you make it through the parking adventure and walk inside, you are pleasantly surprised by a small, quaint, clean, and charming restaurant. The aroma coming from the kitchen was enough to convince me I had made the right choice. We were seated right away during a busy lunch hour. The staff works together as a team, and the service was efficient and attentive. But, of course, the star of the show was the food. I had a steak cooked to perfection with sweet plantains, and it was absolutely delicious. They offer an extensive menu featuring flavors from Argentina to Venezuela, with plenty of options to choose from. Everything came out fresh, flavorful, and in a timely manner. If you are in the Spring Branch area and craving grilled, savory, authentic food, this is definitely a place to check out. I will absolutely be coming back. A true hidden gem!

And we're off! Today we kicked off our "A to Z International Dining Adventure"! We're planning to…read moreeat our way around the world, choosing a different country for each letter of the alphabet at restaurants around town. Houston has an amazing international dining scene and we won't have any problem finding food to match all 26 countries. Today we started with "A is for Argentina" at Pampa Grill & Market in Houston on Hammerly. We were thrilled to start our journey with newlyweds our son and daughter‑in‑law. We all shared freshly baked bread with chimichura sauce and marinated vegetables salsa criolla, delicious empanadas of all sorts, the Argentina Grill parrillada platter, and flan and Nutella crepes for dessert. Pampa Grill & Market is a beloved family-owned neighborhood gem run by Argentine owners. Definitely a fabulous experience all around. Pampa serves wine, but they also allow BYOB, so we brought a delicious 2022 Decero Remelinos Malbec and John and Katherine brought a lovely white blend, also from Argentina. Weare going to have so much fun taking this food journey together! "B" takes us to Brazil in the next couple weeks. Stay tuned!

We've been coming here more and more this year after realizing they serve affordable breakfast and…read morelunch. I have most recently enjoyed their enchiladas norteñas and flautas Regia. The Jamaica juice is very refreshing and flavorful. I appreciate that they bring out three salsas with their chips--and it's hard to pick a favorite! There's a warm red, and cool roasted and green salsas. If you want delicious, affordable Mexican food, this is a great option. Normally seeing some reviews that mention bugs would make me squeamish, but it seems they have changed management and there are not the cleanliness issues they once had over 5 years ago.

We had a large group of ladies come in for our Christmas gathering. It was 40 of us. The food was…read moreso good and authentic. Our waitress was super helpful on making a decision of what we wanted to order, we had such a great time. The food was delicious and I loved how spacious the private room was.

Wonderful experience, you'll be greeted as you enter by the owners they are so nice. The food was…read moregreat they have a Guatemala menu they offer garnachas chuchitos y many more I ordered pupusas chuchitos tamal and tamarind and mango drink it tasted good. The ambience is quiet.

Ordered on DoorDash for the first time so I can't attest to customer service. Here's what I…read moreordered: Chicken fajitas: 1/5 chicken strips tasted like they were previously frozen, not a lot of flavor. The rice and beans that it comes with were bland. I did like the grilled green bell pepper. It doesn't come with cheese like most places, which was fine for me (more of an fyi). The tortillas taste like store bought. Red salsa: 1/5 kind of confusing for a Mexican restaurant to have what looks and kind of tastes like tomato sauce. It reminds me of when my company took me to their HQ in Milwaukee and fed us Mexican food. I have it one star because it does have some flavor resembling salsa. But at this point they should just give their patrons some pace picante, same texture and more flavor. Flan: 4/5 I like the flavor and the texture was almost perfect. There were some places where there's bubbles but the majority of the texture was smooth and creamy. Horchata: 5/5 I loved this horchata. It has a good flavor to it and was extra cinnamony. I wouldn't go back here or order from here again unless I was really wanting a horchata. The flan was okay but too expensive for what it is. And their Mexican food is not good, which is kind of what their specialty is.

Tamale special was my choice of order, which was excellent! Rice and beans were perfect and the…read moretemp was amazing, I love that my food was on a hot plate. Table date select the summer plate, he really enjoyed hood meal as well from the lunch menu. This was like an authentic Mexican food. I don't remember seeing breakfast tacos on the menu

Don't judge a book by its cover, that definitely applies to this restaurant. These were by far the…read morebest pupusas I've tried in Houston, freshly made and delicious I definitely recommend! --The food was so good I forgot to take a before picture!

Mama mia! You don't know how many times I glanced at this place whenever I go to next door for…read morelunch. El Cuco Restaurant sits at the corner of this quiet strip mall. It has faded signs, window bars and handwritten posters to disguise the treasures inside. I trampling into a nearly empty restaurant but filled with loud Latin music from a jukebox. There was just a couple of guys sitting at the bar looking intensely on their phones. It must be a popular restaurant bar on weekend nights. Because its operating hours matched with a local bar club few doors down and a country western dance hall behind here. As I walked in, I was greeted by a señorita didn't speak English. She asked a señora in the kitchen for help. She couldn't get the first word out. So, I spoke Spanish to them to break the embarrassing moment. Then, she handed me a menu in English and Spanish. I didn't think I had enough time to dine in, so I only looked at the pictures to order a takeout. As I sat there waiting for my food, I saw more families with kids arrived. They seemed to know their way around here. My combinado plato was perfecto. The pupusas with fresh curtidos were scrumptious. I can't wait to get more pupusa on Tuesdays when it's only a buck each. Sitting at a chair looking out thinking, why haven't I had courage to come here? It's not that bad as i thought. In fact, I'll be coming here more often than going to La Guerrero Meat Market for tacos. **14th review of 2017**

This place is amazing the food was great and the pricing was amazing. Most importantly the waitress…read morewas so nice she deserves her own 5 . I myself had quesadillas and it's 3.25 each. They fill them up with so much meat I can barely even finish the food. The atmosphere is homey it's like a good old Mexican spot that everyone will love.

Originally a hidden gem we stumbled upon after a late-night volleyball! Now this is my second time…read moreback! The service was warm and friendly, and the place has that authentic, hole-in-the-wall charm that makes you feel like you've discovered something special. The prices are incredibly reasonable, especially for the quality. When it comes to the meat, go for the al pastor. I've given the fajitas a second try, but they're still on the drier side, so I'd skip them. Bonus points for the free, refillable hot chips. And they serve your water in huge cups.

I finally had the pleasure of checking out Tex-Chick Eatery, a family-owned Puerto Rican restaurant…read morethat's been serving the community since 1982 and is now lovingly run by Titi Marilu and Grace. From the moment I stepped into this cozy spot, I instantly felt like I was back home in Puerto Rico. Just like our island, it's small, but filled with a huge heart. We spent time chatting with them about our families, childhood memories, and how happy we are that they've kept our culture alive right here in the Montrose area of Houston. We enjoyed a true Puerto Rican feast: arroz con gandules, pernil, mofongo con camarones al ajillo, pollo frito, empanadas de yuca y masa, flan de coco, limber de guanábana, and of course, more food to take home because we couldn't have it all at once! My personal favorite were the limbers with traditional flavors I don't recall ever having a limber outside of PR. This is a counter-service eatery, where you can see all the freshly prepared dishes right in front of you. You truly can't ask for better service; if there's something you're craving that's not in the menu for that day and they have time, they'll gladly make it for you! That's the kind of love and care you only find in places that cook from the heart. Prices are very reasonable although parking can be a bit tricky but that's mostly all of Montrose. Let's keep our culture thriving. s Support our local Puerto Rican businesses. WEEPA!

This small dive is one of our favorite Puerto Rican spots in Houston! Tiny but mighty with flavor…read more Authentic Puerto Rican food that will make you want to come back for more. They change the menu daily so check their Facebook page to know what they are serving. We had Mofongo with Pernil and Mofongo with bacalao (cod fish) which were delicious. Their empanadas (beef and corn beef) were light, flaky and very tasty. We had some platanos maduros (sweet plantain) and some tostones (fried green plantains). Topped the delicious meal with Malta & Flan. The parking is very sparse and the dining room only has 3 small tables and some seats along the wall. They sell till they run out so you want to go early.

Solidly average food at a good price and good service…read more I had never heard of this place despite that they've been around for over 50 years. Upon walking in they were very friendly and were able to put together a table of five for us by moving one of the tables from the other side of the restaurant. They made the salsa at the table, and by that I mean they put down the bowl and poured in salsa from what I recall is looking like an IHOP syrup container. We had queso with pickled jalapenos on the side. Not much to report on that beyond that it was a mediocre white cheese sauce. I had the tacos al carbon and got to take a bite of the McAllen enchiladas. The meat in my taco was solid, that part was probably the best part of the whole meal. Rice, guac, tortillas, all fine but nothing special. I was not a fan of the McAllen enchilada. Someone else at the table had carne asada which looked pretty solid, I think I would try that if I came back. Someone else had the polio con amigos. It looked decent. The best part about this place is the service. Super friendly, keeping your drinks and chips refilled, even the manager/owner? came to check on us. I think if you order the right thing, this could be four-star experience, especially given the good service and reasonable prices.

Food was great very fresh , service was very good they make you feel at home like family lots of…read moreregulars the prices are good