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.

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!

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.

This is our go-to place for Mexican food, or Tex-Mex. The El Presidente is a large steak with all…read morethe trimmings...comes out on a hot skillet still cooking! The fajita burritos with refried beans, pico, cheese or red sauce is also super delicious. The chips and warm salsa will get you too. The margaritas are stiff and get the job done. The staff are very friendly and aim to please. This is a regular place for us and I don't plan on changing any time soon. The place is fairly large and fairly spaced out. Let me know if you can pronounce the name....

Ay dios mío. La comida aquí es perfecto. Gracias Perla!…read more I met friends here for a late dinner and was blown away by the drinks and the food. Even with a party of five our food was brought out less than twenty minutes after ordering. In addition to the fajitas for one that were so good that my mom ate my leftovers, my cucumber spice margarita was superb. I would come back for that and the shrimp alone.

It was our first time trying this restaurant and we loved it! The fajitas were delicious and full…read moreof flavor. Belinda was super sweet and attentive, and you can clearly tell she cares about her customers and making sure they have a great experience. We'll definitely be back!

We were greeted and welcomed warmly and received excellent service. Our glasses were never empty. I…read morehad the amazing Mixed Green Salad with Cilantro Lime dressing and Grilled Salmon - the salmon was seasoned and grilled to perfection, easily one of the best grilled salmon fillets that I have ever tasted. Hubby thoroughly enjoyed the Beef Enchilada and Chicken Taco Al Carbon with rice and charro beans. I had to photograph our friend's Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes with Shrimp and Lump Crab because it was so beautiful. She assured me that it tasted as good as it looked.

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.

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.

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!

Get the pork belly bites and their cocktails are delicious…read more If you're here on a Sunday for brunch and have a sweet tooth the French toast is unforgettable. No other French toast will come close. Their homemade sauces make more tantalizing. If you like salty spicy, get the jojo sauce. I don't think it's on the menu And to finish, personally I like cocktails but their fresh filled churros are super fun. And can't beat the fresh factor! Brandon is an excellent attentive server. He knows the menu in and out. He'll steer you right. It's a neighborhood gem

Visited Ambriza for the first time and it honestly impressed me. The ambiance is really nice --…read morewarm, lively, and just a cool place to sit and enjoy a meal. Service was top‑notch, especially from Maritza, who took great care of us the entire time. Since it was our first visit, they surprised us with complimentary street corn, and it was fantastic. We ordered the veggie and the Pastel Azteca. Everything tasted fresh, and the chicken was cooked perfectly. I didn't love the Pastel Azteca, but I've never had it before, so that's more about my taste than the dish itself. Overall, great service, great vibe, and really good food. I'd definitely come back.

Anytime you greet me at the door, it's a plus! Another hidden gem in Houston, the customer is Grade…read moreA and the food along with soft and not too loud music playing to fit restaurant. I love the fact that they were ready with vegan options and they did not miss. My dish was the Bow tie pasta loaded with veggies and flavor that transport you what you would think fearing in Italy would be like. Me thinking I would need a doggy bag and my stomach saying not today. The food freshly prepared and served. Also my cup stayed filled as well. They also have sufficient parking at the facility, so no valeting or pay meters. This one definitely goes on the list of returns. So, until the next time!! Bye - Bye!

This restaurant is located in the museum district. It's right by the Chips came out first and came…read morewith salsa and ranch. Both sauces were surprising spicy, especially the salsa. Love it. We came for lunch which is MON-FRI 11AM-3PM. I got the PICK TWO $19 - crispy beef taco & jalapeño cheese tamale. It also comes with rice, refried beans, and guacamole salad. We also ordered the chili con queso w chicken and smoked chicken enchiladas.

Fabulous queso, Fresh tortillas. Salsa awesome, I had filet my girlfriend steak tacos also awesome…read more It's her new favorite place and she's a native Houstonian.

Service and food were amazing! Ashley was very personable & made my experience very comfortable.read more