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    Tacos La Bala

    3.4 (69 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Open • 7:30 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    TACOS LA BALA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Very loud
    Good for kids

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    Horrible experience. El menudo has no taste at all. Taco d tripa is so old and bad I left it all. I only ate the breakfast taco I ordered.

    The food is horribe. I ordered a menudo, un taco de tripa y uno de huevo con jamón. The menudo has no flavor taste like water. The taco the tripa is looks terrible. The ambiance overall looks sad and not clean. Really bad experience.

    Bala clava
    Fox E.

    I wish I was a Mexican Scholar, Studying La Bala, I wish my favourite waitress was working, I would call her I'd spend my rent money on tacos and gorditas And live in Squalor. I wish I had a couple more dollars, I'd spend them at La Bala, I wish I dated girls that eat here, I would holler, I wish I had a fight every night with a guy from La Bala (I'm a brawler) I wish I owned a sea-bound trawler I'd catch fish for La Bala I wish I had a fisherman's wife back home, I would call her Cause then I'd be bluecollar Like a window installer Or a graffiti scrawler (The guys who paint on the wall... er...) Anyway, I'm not trying to be a troller Or a Yelp-review mauler I just think that all-er Y'all should stroll-er Down to La Bala Eat a bunch of tortas and gorditas and remember when your tummy was smaller. WHAT. Houston's best Mexican food. Right here. Right now. Real f**king cheap. If the waitresses had night jobs as dominatrices then it'd be Tacos La Ballbuster. If Lebron James bought this place, it'd be Tacos La Baller. If it was the setting for an offbeat Australian 90s movie, it'd be Tacos La Strictly Ballroom. And if I go into the place to rob it, but instead of taking money, I just take all their food... then I'll probably wear a Tacos La Balaclava. If you only eat one item from one Mexican restaurant in your life, eat the Cochinita Pibil Torta from this location of Tacos La Bala. It really is that good. Not only the best Torta I've ever had, but also quite possibly the best sandwich of any kind I've ever had. You must also try the tacos here, try a Gordita with Deshebrada, and you must order the heavenly Charro Beans too. What to get: Torta de Cochinita Pibil - anything de Cochinita Pibil - anything de Deshebrada - other good meats: Fajita is delicious - what else to get: any Gordita or Torta or Taco, especially with Coch P or Desh (desh desh desh says MC Mirella) - and always get Charro Beans, theirs are some of the best Avoid: we don't love their barbacoa as much, and I'm not into the legendary Torta De La Barda, authentic Tampico style but just not my thing. I'm a Mexican food fanatic (not Tex Mex, but Mex Mex) and my porn star wife is full blood Mexicana. We eat this lard-filled barrel-tummy-inducing cuisine far too regularly for our own good. So we know. This is the #1. This is real Mexican food, right out of coastal Tampico and steaming hot onto your plate, and not only the best Houston has to offer, but also the best I've ever had. So, whenever I'm in *any* Mexican place that *isn't* this place, I start rapping: I wish I was a little bit taller I wish this was La Bala I wish I knew a girl who worked there, I would call her I wish I had Pibil in a Taco with Salsa Cuz I'm a taco-truck crawler One of the best Gorditas I've ever had, and easily the best Torta I've ever had (the Cochinita Pibil). Cheap and deceptively stuffed despite it's small size, served on a Bolillo instead of a "Telera". As in an oval Mexican roll (absolute heaven). The Cochinita Pibil here is one of the tastiest meats I've ever had. The salsas (light green and red) combine to perfection. Both are very spice, the green is the queen, and the one to apply liberally. As I said, the star item and the reason I keep coming back is the utterly incredible Torta de Cochinita Pibil. It's only five or six dollars which is ridiculous considering it's the best one you'll ever eat. They use a little bolillos. Some of their other tortas come on Telera Bread, which is wonderful too, but not like that little luscious bolillo. Service is lovely and prices are insanely cheap. Every other restaurant is doubling or tripling in price, understandably so. Bala remains a dirt-cheap bargain and the best Mex food in Texas! Barbi Barbieri says: "Anything with pibil is delicious! The torta is super good! The charro beans are so tasty! I love this place so much, I could write them a Balad!" In conclusion: La Bala is simply the very best that there is. I've never had a better Mexican meal in my life. So if you really miss King Of Pop Michael JACKO And if you think that Trump was shady and WACKO And why is weed illegal but not TOBACCO? And why is everyone stoned in COLORADO? And why was Connery hot to Lorraine BRACCO? And why did the Ravens bench Joe FLACCO? And why dya need a shovel when I gave you a BACK HOE? And why live in a Maison when you could live in a CHATEAU? And why get Herbal Jelly when you can get ALOE? And why move to Belfast when you can live in GLASGOW? And why does Trinidad cling on to TOBAGO? And why does Buffalo Sauce taste better than TABASCO? And why the hell is Asda cheaper than TESCO? And why does foreskin not cast a FORESHADOW? And why'd you visit Warsaw but ignore KRAKOW? And why'd you call my porn goddess a CRACK HO? If you ever got with her, I'm sure she'd have a CRAP O Your gf has a lot of those, it's IPSO FACTO This rap has worn me out, I refuse to take a NAP DOE But if you're in Houston, get a LA BALA TACO WHAT

    Barbacoa taco

    Great barbacoa and trompo tacos! I like my tacos in flour so they were great, the corn tortillas were good too. Definitely recommend if you want some quick affordable tacos on the go, especially after shopping at HEB next door

    Extremely rude disgusting human being!
    Manuel R.

    HORRIBLE SERVICE!!! My tortillas fell onto the floor and I requested fresh tortillas and the obese cashier was extremely RUDE and arrogant! Never coming here again!!

    Don't let the other reviews fool you. I thought it was weird that it got 3.5 stars from yelp, but 4.4 from Google. Something must be off because this place is great! The staff was kind in taking my order, and the food came out hot and delicious. The prices ($1.40 per taco?!) are amazing to boot. The seating area is bare bones but it adds to the authenticity of the place. The only thing that could make it even better is if they had a self serve condiments bar. But even without it, it was great.

    Barbacoa tacos
    Gin Y.

    I've tried this spot twice for takeout. During this pandemic, they didn't allow dine in. They have plexiglass to protect employees and customers. The staff wore masks as well. My favorite here was their barbacoa tacos with onions, cilantro, and lime. I always opt for corn tortillas because I find them more fragrant. The barbacoa meat was moist and delicious as well. They have two different sauces that can go with their tacos: green or red. But, I always choose the green avocado sauce because it's creamy and spicy. The heat keeps building as you keep eating it. My family got their fajita tacos with flour tortillas. But, I found their meat more dry and tortillas not as fragrant. They enjoyed the spicy red sauce with their tacos. In addition, we did try their huge burrito. But, it had more fillers in them, like refried beans, veggies, and rice. In my opinion, I'd rather taste more meat. So, I'll just stick with their tacos. Overall, this is a great spot to get affordable and delicious tacos to go. Come and check them out.

    No in door dining, take away only.
    Thomas S.

    Probably the cheapest and tastiest Tex-Mex foods the Mrs and I had in Houston in several years. We had street tacos ( trompo & conchinita pibil ) at $1.45 each, trompo burrito at $4.25, and large shrimp soup at $7.99. Everything were seasoned well and all tasted great. Those prices were ridiculous low for Houston. This shack did not short changed us in proteins to cover the low prices. The interior had seen better days, but it was relatively clean in the dining room. No dine in, just take away for now. Employees were friendly and properly masked. We will return for sure.

    Beef fajita tostada
    Candice R.

    We kept seeing this place when going to HEB, and after checking reviews and posted pics, we decided to give it a try. It was pretty darn good and tastes authentic, no Tex-Mex. We're both full for the cheap!

    Tacos

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    7 months ago

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    7 months ago

    Great place, excellent food. Fresh like homemade. Ema was great helping me with the food order and amazing customer service

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    5 years ago

    Excellent service. The waters are natural and the food is made in a timely manner with great taste.

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    3 years ago

    la atención muy mala de parte quien te entraga la comida le pregunte que si era un taco o medio taco me contesto que así lo servian

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    The Original Ninfa's on Navigation - Steak

    The Original Ninfa's on Navigation

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

    Fast seating even when full. Enough time to walk to the bar order margaritas then be seatedread more

    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.

    Photos
    The Original Ninfa's on Navigation - Decor

    Decor

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

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    Maderas - Kitchen & Cantina - Barbacoa and Carnita Taco

    Maderas - Kitchen & Cantina

    4.2(296 reviews)
    11.3 mi•Midtown, Fourth Ward, Montrose
    •$$

    Food was great, drinks were so good, vibes were so chill and service was great, definitely…read morereturning for brunch!!

    Not my first time at Maderas. That's why I came back because it was excellent and my friends heard…read moreme rave about it and they suggested we come here. Arrived on Sunday evening around 7:30. Was sat immediately. Not my first time here so I knew the menu, my friends did not. So they needed time to see what drinks they wanted because they like cocktails and the menu is not small and they had to choose which ones they wanted because the options are good. When they decided, the cocktails straggled out. Two came out but the other two did not, They just sat at the bar as my friends sat with there with their drinks in front of them waiting on ours so we can toast to a wonderful day with a new member of the group. You would have thought the other staff would step in or at least the bartender would see that the waiter was in the weeds and needed help. That's when I knew we should have not come. The food was all lukw warm. The appetizer of queso was like warm with chunks of cheese floating around and some of the chips were fresh and others stale. A mixed bag you can say. My Flautas where luke warm, so was the side of beans and rice. My friends said their tacos were okay. My friend who got the Caesar Salad, there was no dressing on the salad not was there a side of dressing that came with it. We had to ask for it. I did not have the energy to try to keep wrangling the waiter. If you want to shut the kitchen down early because the day was long I get it. Let the customer know, I get it. I used to wait tables to but I would never give people luke warm food or luke service. The staff seems not to have one anothers back. I did not eat my food, I took my food home to reheat it so I could eat it at the proper temperature. My friend took his salad home because he had more Caesar dressing at home. Left a bad taste in my mouth and very disappointed. The service and food from the last time compared to this visit was night and day. Total miss. $200.00 thrown away. I paid because I could not let my friends waiste there money on someplace I raved about. Maderas is really a small cute spot. It's rare I have bad service when I go out to eat because I am not a difficult customer and I know I am not the only one they are serving. I will wait for good food and sit back and enjoy the atmosphere and my friends until it arrives. I would not put pressure on the staff or the kitchen. Also I will not arrive just before closing and make a resteraunt and it's staff stay open late because I am hungry. I rather come when the staff and the restaurant wants to recieve customers.

    Photos
    Maderas - Kitchen & Cantina - Right side entry

    Right side entry

    Maderas - Kitchen & Cantina - Rice & Beans

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    Mexican Sugar Houston Montrose - Brunch tacos

    Mexican Sugar Houston Montrose

    4.2(691 reviews)
    10.5 mi•Montrose, River Oaks
    •$$$

    Visited for Houston restaurant week…read more It was our first time trying this place out. After being seated, it took 20 minutes for the server to come to our table and take our drink order. It took another 20 minutes to get the restaurant week menu we had asked for. The food and drinks were good and the ambience was nice, however, the service really tainted the whole experience.

    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.

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    Mexican Sugar Houston Montrose - Machete Margarita

    Machete Margarita

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    Arepas

    Mexican Sugar Houston Montrose - Mexican Sugar - beautiful lighting

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    Maximo - Tostada

    Maximo

    4.6(177 reviews)
    7.8 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.

    Photos
    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(682 reviews)
    9.9 mi•The Heights
    •$$

    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!

    Dona Leti's is truly one of Houston's absolute gems, and it will ALWAYS be my go-to! From the owner…read moreto every single member of the staff, the hospitality is unmatched. You are not simply served here--you are welcomed, appreciated, and treated like family. Three weeks ago, I was actually headed here wanting to celebrate, but life changed in an instant with the passing of my dad. Today, I finally made it back, and what a beautiful full-circle moment it was. One of the greatest gifts was being able to see Julio, the owner, celebrating his own special day. That made the experience even more meaningful. The food is consistently AMAZING, the atmosphere is warm and inviting, and the service goes above and beyond every single time. You can feel the love, pride, and genuine care that has been poured into this establishment. I love EVERYTHING about Dona Leti's--the food, the people, the energy, the hospitality, and the way they make every visit feel special. Five stars simply aren't enough. If you're looking for incredible food and an experience that feels like home, Dona Leti's is the place. Forever a customer and forever recommending this Houston favorite!

    Photos
    Dona Leti's - Bar

    Bar

    Dona Leti's - Street Taco

    Street Taco

    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.

    Tacos La Bala - mexican - Updated October 2026

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