First time in Houston, and I kept seeing people online say Ninfa's is overrated. But every local I asked 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. read more

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FAJITAS 7. As a native Houstonian, I was 10 when Ninfa's opened (1973). Growing up, we ate there several 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. read more

The spot where the fajitas was made famous. Where Texmex became a cultural phenomenon. Very good vibes here, the restaurant keeps expanding to accommodate more guests. Service was amazing, quick sharp, and making sure we are comfortable and content. I took a dear friend from Pittsburgh here. Gave her alil education. We couldn't stop eating the chips and salsa. Ordered the beef fajitas and it blew her mind away. We each had a house Margarita to wash it all down. read more

Ninfa's has been on my bucket list for some time as I love fajitas and what better place to have them at the birth place. The restaurant has loads of history and the building has character. Reservations can be made on line and worked well. The service was excellent and food tasted excellent. However my only issue was the cost $ 42.00 for steak fajitas is excessive in my opinion and overpriced as it seems you are paying for a bit of history. For a family of 4 with a couple of margaritas the bill was well over $250.00. If you like Fajitas it is worth a visit but it isn't cheap. read more

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Long waits, hard to find parking, yet 5 stars... let me explain... We came here on a weekend there was some sort of craft market across the street and because of that parking was crazy. I parked and an attendant told me it was supposed to be valet... oops! But he let me stay there and then brought me my car back after we ate. The vibe was cute! Very dated (but in a fun Vintage way) ambiance on the outside and very rustic Tex Mex vibe on the inside. They told us it would be 45 minutes and it was probably closer to an hour and 15 but we checked out the market across the street while we waited. We finally got seated and met our waiter, who I believe was named Jose (I should not have waited this long to do my review!) and he was awesome! Funny, attentive, and super friendly. We ordered the Queso Flameado as a starter. I had never had it nor ever seen anything like it but oh my goodness, it was DELICOUS. I ordered the Antiquas (cheese enchiladas) as my main meal and not only were they so good, but the portion size was huge as well. For $17 I definitely got my money's worth! I left full, happy, and would definitely come back the next time I'm visiting Houston. Well worth the wait! read more

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Traditional and Iconic Mexican restaurant . Established in 1973. We came for the World Cup murals that saw on IG and ended up checking out the restaurant and decided to stay. So glad we did since had amazing cappuccino and tacos that were definitely worth the drive. Castro took great care of us and had our food out before we could even blink. Pretty cool decorations inside with pictures throughout restaurant of their life through the years . Making it 50 years plus in Houston is an accomplishment and definitely a bucket list restaurant worth returning. read more

The Original Ninfa's on Navigation - Mexican Near Me - Houston, Texas

Cannot believe I haven't tried this local iconic restaurant established in the 1970s. We came to look at the Ninfa sponsored World cup murals and ended up having Sunday Brunch. Castro was phenomenal and our food orders were taken quickly and with care. Loved the deliszioso tacos with potatoes eggs verde salsa and avocado for $7. Unbelievable! Cappuccino decorated for $6.Yummm. Decor was authentically styled in booths and wall. Ready to come back. read more

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When things are very hyped up I tend to ignore it but maybe that's the hipster in me. This place is so hyped up so I was nervous to try it and it was decent but I believe it to be overhyped to me because I have had better. Chips and salsa 5/5- This was a great start to the meal. The green sauce was fantastic and the chips came out hot. Margarita 4/5- Good and strong very limey and nice tajin rim Charro beans 3/5- Pretty mid flavor like just basic. And they came out lukewarm warm teetering on cold. I've had way better. Fajitas 3/5- I really wanted to love these. They look great and the cook was perfection but the flavor was super plain. I felt the need to add salt.... My partner agreed too. Not good. I won't be back but I appreciate it for what it is! read more

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We're in Houston for the World Cup and were recommended Original Ninfa's by both a coworker and our Lyft driver. We visited around 5:00 PM on a Sunday and were pleasantly surprised to be seated immediately for a party of two without a reservation. The restaurant is huge, and despite being very busy, the service was efficient. We were seated in one of the back dining rooms and greeted with complimentary chips and salsa, both of which were delicious. The atmosphere was fantastic--packed with World Cup fans, with what felt like everyone wearing a soccer jersey. As fellow futebol fans, we loved the energy. Being from California, we're fortunate to have access to some excellent Mexican food, so we were a little hesitant about trying Tex-Mex. I ordered the chicken fajitas with flour tortillas and a passion fruit margarita. The chicken had a smoky flavor and a sauce that gave the dish a distinctly Texas-style twist. The flour tortillas were outstanding, and the refried beans and rice were just as enjoyable. The passion fruit margarita was also a standout and something I'd definitely order again. Overall, this was a great dining experience and a place I'd recommend for the atmosphere alone. The restaurant appears well-equipped to accommodate large groups, making it a great option for gatherings. Next time, I'd love to return with a bigger group and take advantage of one of their margarita pitchers! read more

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What we ordered: * Navigation margarita * Grilled Quail with charro beans Service * Very and helpful staff * Seated immediately Ambience * Family style feel * Cozy atmosphere Really great tasting food. You can tell they make a lot of things in house and care about their ingredients. Food was well worth the price and portions were good. read more

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It is an experience like no other. The first time I went was like I became apart of the restaurant. No, really. I cannot fathom how good I felt being here. read more

A great Houston Area Tex-Mex Restaurant, with the best Tacos Al Carbon and Fajitas that you have ever had. The restaurant was a fairly good and prosperous dive at one point, and then outgrew its britches and moved into the current location, on Navigation St. Save a booth for the next party in The Bayou City. read more

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This place was a nice treat. I had never been to the original location, and we really loved the queso. My friend had the fajitas (which he loved) and I loved the enchiladas. This place is perfect. read more

Happy Cinco De Mayo! Met the ladies here to celebrate, & break bread. Thank you Jamila for selecting this original location of the Original Ninfas, to host, (our last supper, before your relocation from Houston to Florida.). A place I grew up in as a little girl in Beaumont but never have I've visit this "original" location. Stepping in to this spot felt like a restaurant in the country of Mexico. I ordered the El Henry. I absolutely loved my dish, only thing I would've chance was the cheese enchilada definitely would've swap for a chicken or beef one, or maybe even a flaunta. I really like the Mexican rice, it had little potatoes and carrots in it. Some of the best Mexican yellow rice I've had. They offer a cinco de mayo drink special. The only thing that seem to make it special was the drinks apparently were limited edition menu items. Nothing was special about the prices. The regular menu drinks were a dollar(s) less. The margarita I ordered first was peach coconut. I didn't taste the coconut at all. I swap for the peach strawberry ($14 or 15) which was great, sweet& strong. One did me just right. You get to select up to two flavors for additional $2 (for both verse each, that's a plus. Not worded on menu). If you select a third flavor an additional $2 would be added ($4 in total) I appreciate separate tickets provided after confirmation and no additional gratuity automatically added, which he got tip equally the same or more. When asked about the "empty" patio that was available, he informed us that the entire deck was reserved. Upon departing I noticed from the parking lot individual tables, of separate parties were occupying only 3 tables. It was 8 of us sitting at 2 tables. Which the table was pushed up against the wall, and one side was inaccessible, which took away spacing. Service was lovely space was really tight. Good thing some of the ladies didn't order full meals. Definitely wouldn't have been able to fit every plate. read more

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Very Overwhelming! Parking: They have a lot, but on a Friday I had to park on the street and walk a ways. I would not go again on a Friday. They do have valet, but it's paid. Ambiance: upon walking in, it was chaos and sooooo many people standing up and sitting down. Walking around with drinks. I felt like I was in a club. A server made her way to me to take my Togo order. While waiting, I grabbed a drink at the bar and just made the happy hour cut off. Service was great as I was able to get my order and it was a large order. Everything was correct. The house margarita was ok, I wish I had gotten the hibiscus flavor. Order; Crab Tostadas Mixed Fajitas Snapper Mole Enchilada Ninfa 2 Tacos Margarita Mix The only thing I would order again is the crab tostadas and the beef fajitas. The chicken had no flavor at all. The charros beans and rice were not anything special. I was not a fan of either. Overall, we are not planning to order from here again. It just wasn't what Mark Weins made it seem like on his review. Also, whoever the driver was practically could not wait for me to turn around. Sorry, I had to take a pic. Very rude. read more

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Came in to order a Togo margarita & was told I had to order food. Fine, so I ordered the queso & chips by recommendation of one of the employees. Got all the way home and to my surprise I see my to go margarita and a little thing of queso without any chips.... On my receipt it's marked CCQ, as in chips con queso. Why would they make someone order a food item with a Togo margarita and not even include the chips?! If that was the case they should have clarified upon taking my order. Absolutely insane and a rip off if you ask me. Just a complete waste of money and time. read more

Ninfas has my heart forever and always. We got the fajitas large to share for two people and it was more than enough with food to take home. Will have to ask for more tortillas next time - flour of course! I had a friend visiting and she got the combo that included a chicken flauta and she was raving about that bite for days. read more

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Come here every year!! Great original Ninfas! Service is good and so are the drinks! Fast paced bar and good food! Love the tacos Al carbon! And the Delicioso was exactly that! The green sauce on the chicken enchiladas suiza was perfect!! That taquito was delicious and the beef taco Al carbon was good twice!! lol! Try the flan! It's a cross between cheesecake and crème brûlée! read more

The Original Ninfa's on Navigation - Delicioso! - Mexican Near Me - Houston, Texas

Had to try the original fajitas! Ordered the beef fajitas tacos a la Ninfa and they came prewraped in the tortilla. All the sides were good, but not out of the ordinary. The beef, however, was cooked to perfection. The portion size is also bigger than it seems. Agua fresca was tasty as well Very friendly service and cute atmosphere. read more

The Original Ninfa's on Navigation - Two Taco Al Carbon - Beef* - Mexican Near Me - Houston, Texas

The food was amazing and service was awesome. Staff was so polite and professional. I loved the atmosphere and with the age of the place. The restaurant was very well kept!!! read more

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Was recommended this spot by a Houston native and it didn't disappoint! Classic spot that still does the traditional clothes dress up that you know was started for white patrons back in the day - which hey get your money! What's more important is the food, I got the seafood plate that had multiple seafood items - pricey but understandable b/c it's seafood! The crab tostada was yum and so were the shrimps. I'm from LA and know that this is not the same as the Mexican food I have regularly, this is Tex-Mex and taste Tex-Mex, a blend of American and Mexican flavors. Big fan, glad I checked it out. read more

The Original Ninfa's on Navigation - Plato Costeo - Mexican Near Me - Houston, Texas

welcoming and lively atmosphere and music! Our server gave us great recommendations and the food came out piping hot. Flavors were on point but some of the meats left a bit of an oily feel in the mouth. We were stuffed and in a food coma afterwards!! read more

The Original Ninfa's on Navigation - Mexican Near Me - Houston, Texas

Ninfa's is nothing short of a Houston institution, and it continues to deliver. Despite its growth and popularity, it continues to prepare excellent food and great drinks. While justifiably renowned for its fajitas, I decided to try something different and ordered the enchiladas suizas. They did not disappoint: pulled chicken and chiles encased in fresh tortillas, and blanketed in a delicious tomatillo sauce. The cocktails are all on-poimt, and the selection of tequillas is one of the best. Service is efficient and professional, and the space is comfortable while old school (in a good way). Low warm lighting prevails, and the atmosphere is relaxed. read more

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This will be my spot for Tex-Mex if I'm having any cravings! On a Thursday night, this place was packed! Seemed like there was plenty of seating, and a variety of it - suitable for couples, small groups, and large birthday parties. The complimentary chips and salsa was superb, with the tortilla chips thick and with some heft to them. Both salsas were the perfect spicy/mild combo. Chicken Mole Enchiladas 4.5/5 -- so tasty and rich. The chicken was tender and the tortilla soaked up the delicious sauce. I will say the flavor of the mole was light in comparison to other mole sauces I've had. I also wish there was more sauce! The dish came with beans and rice - very standard, but great pairings. Fajita Burger - 4.5/5 - definitely would not think to order a burger at Tex-Mex, but hey, the flavors worked great. The burger meat was seasoned with typical fajita seasonings and the meat itself was smaller cuts of fajita beef. It also came with two large hunks of potato wedges. It was good, but would rather have a different cut of fries with the burger. This burger is definitely worth trying! read more

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The food was excellent we ordered beef, empanadas, chicken wings margaritas empanadas and wings. The service is great. The ambience was great and happy hour. Margaritas are the best definitely will be back. Ernesto, the bartender excellent will be back sooner than later. read more

The Original Ninfa's is still ridiculously good. Food was awesome, margaritas were dangerous in the way a good margarita should be, and they have a shuttle to Astros games, which is huge because nothing ruins a nice buzz faster than trying to figure out where the hell you parked downtown. I'm also probably biased because I worked at the Ninfa's in Waco years ago. To this day, I can still roll an entire queso flameado appetizer using only two spoons without touching the food. That is a real skill I possess. Has it helped me professionally? No. Has anyone ever asked me to demonstrate it as an adult? Also no. But if society collapses and the new economy is based entirely around tableside queso flameado preparation, I'm going to be a very powerful man. Great food. Great margs. Astros shuttle. Five stars. read more

Atmosphere: We went on a Thursday night and the place was packed! Almost every table was taken, though it didn't look like anyone was stuck waiting long. Thankfully, we had a reservation. Parking in the lot was tricky, but valet was available. Food: Best fajita meat ever- it honestly tasted like steak! I swear, I would eat that everyday. Am I being dramatic? Maybe. We ordered the marinated and grilled beef skirt steak and it was everything: juicy, tender, perfectly charred with little fatty edges that melted in your mouth. The tortillas, on the other hand, were a bit tough, so we ended up just eating the meat on its own and fully savoring it. We also tried the enchiladas suizas, made with roasted chicken, Monterey Jack cheese, and a tomatillo poblano sauce. They were... okay. The tomatillo sauce was a bit overpowering, and personally I prefer a creamier style of enchilada. Both entrées came with rice and your choice of beans, which made for the perfect portion size. The chips and salsa kept coming the whole night, and the creamy green salsa was absolutely addictive. Service: Our server was incredibly sweet. The only hiccup was that she didn't seem to fully understand us at times. We had to repeat a couple of requests but honestly, no big deal. She was kind and attentive, which made up for it. read more

The Original Ninfa's on Navigation - Suizas Enchiladas and Beef Fajitas - Medium* - Mexican Near Me - Houston, Texas

Amazing fajitas, the steak and shrimp fajitas were fantastic, better than I remembered them. When we arrived at Ninfa's on a busy Friday night, we were greeted in the serving team did their best to get a seated within a few minutes. While waiting for a table to open, we've watched the two women team making and grilling fresh tortillas. With expert precision, they made hundreds of tortillas as we watched. Our server was efficient took our our order and in a few minutes, we had sizzling fajitas at the table....With all of the anticipated queso, chips, salsa, and condiments for our fajitas. The flavor of our steak fajitas was excellent, after dinner Ninfa's offers a free shuttle bus to the baseball park. They drop you off and pick you up after the game. Unfortunately, Houston did not win, but we thoroughly enjoyed the meal before the game. If you're looking for traditional Mexican dinner, do not miss Ninfa's. read more

We were seated very quickly. The restaurant was extremely busy. Our server quickly greeted us and took our drink orders. We ordered queso asada and grilled oysters, both came out very quickly were very hot and fresh. The panela was warm and creamy. The oysters were hot with cheese and bacon. For entrees we both ordered the Tejas Combo. The plates came out hot and very fresh. The plate had beef fajitas, a beef taco, cheese enchilada, beans and rice. A huge amount of food. I would definitely recommend. The service, quality, and prices were great! read more

The Original Ninfa's on Navigation - Tejas Combo - Mexican Near Me - Houston, Texas

Beef fajitas is the best! The server Jose Luis is very welcoming, super nice experience of Tex-Mex, will find a chance to come back again. read more

The Original Ninfa's on Navigation - Mexican Near Me - Houston, Texas

I've always loved the OG Ninfa's. Would gladly over-pay for their queso any day of the week. But, thissss...this isn't it. What showed up on my doorstep as the "El Henry" last night. Tragic loss. read more

The Original Ninfa's on Navigation - Yikes...it went straight in the garbage. Not sure the coons will even be down for this. - Mexican Near Me - Houston, Texas

Delicious tex-mex. It's fun to dine at the spot that invented fajitas! They weren't life-changing or entirely different from other places that had really good fajitas, in my opinion. I was impressed by how HUGE this place is, and quickly service is here. Nice free chips at the start of the meal... we wolfed those down pretty quick. The enchiladas were tasty as well. read more

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Ninfa's is our default spot for lunch, dinner... even brunch. My recent go-to is their adobo chicken. This was a childhood favorite dish of mine, but Ninfa's kicks it up a notch with it's carbon-style version. It's served with rice, beans, and an avo-cucumber salad... this dish can easily be shared by two people, considering you'll likely fill up on chips and salsas. While I think Pappasito's has the best chips; and TBD for the best queso (Ninfa's serves yellow, and I prefer the white queso.), they offer a chef-driven menu that goes beyond Tex-Mex. read more

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Young slim Latino waiter was almost perfect until we asked to order a kids meal at the end of our meal. Mind you we ordered two appetizers and fajitas for two and beverages not waters. He started saying we have a age restriction and I stopped him mid sentence..."it's a to go order and it's not for me" smh. We still had meat on the skillet as well. I think that made the whole experience sour. If I was trying to be cheap I would've ordered waters and no appetizers and ordered a kids meal instead of fajitas for two then you could've mentioned the age restriction because then it would of been applicable. He was doing too much while not comprehending. read more

You already know this is the #1 spot if you're in the area. If you're not in the area, then it's worth the trip. There's a reason they are featured in so many good shows and vlogs. read more

Overall, I enjoyed my visit to Ninfa's. I love Mexican food so I know I had to get fajitas when visiting Houston. A friend in Houston recommended Ninfas and I'm glad I went. The restaurant is pretty large and we sat immediately with a reservation. The guac was really good and fresh with the chips. The table loved it so much, we ordered 2. The biggest issue I had with Ninfas was that their food included ingredients that aren't on the menu. Fajitas are naturally gluten free with corn tortillas, but Ninfas adds a gravy with soy sauce on their fajitas. That's fine, but that's not listed anywhere on the menu, which was disappointing. Once I spotted the gravy, the chef himself came out to discuss the ingredients, which I really appreciated. The corn tortillas were fantastic. Overall, I'd go back and recommend if you're visiting Houston read more

The Original Ninfa's on Navigation - Rice and Beans - Mexican Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Give me ground beef enchiladas! The beef fajitas are super flavorful. As a Tex Mex connoisseur, I would put those tortillas up against anybody's. Wait staff always has chips on the table. The restaurant is clean and authentic and moving. read more

A coworker took me here for lunch while I was in town. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere with plenty of seating both inside and outside. I was actually surprised by how busy it was for a weekday lunch--it's clearly a popular spot. We were seated right away, and our server brought out chips and salsa to start, which were fresh and tasty. I ordered the Chicken Fajitas, but unfortunately, they just weren't to my liking. The presentation was fine, but the flavor didn't quite hit the mark for me. Overall, the experience was decent--friendly service and a lively vibe--but I probably wouldn't go out of my way to order the fajitas again. read more

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This is by far one of my favorite Mexican places I have ever tried. The chips are fantastic. You will eat so many chips before you even get to your entree. Highly recommend the classic two tacos, they are so fantastic. They have a parking lot attached and also valet. Came on a saturday night, wait was about 30 minutes. read more

The Original Ninfa's on Navigation - Two Taco Al Carbon - Beef* - Mexican Near Me - Houston, Texas

Stopped in with reservations on a Saturday night and had a wonderful evening! We started with a pitcher of the house margaritas. They were pretty good, but nothing special. A friend and I shared the steak fajita plate and added the "berry" topping on the side which was tomatoes, onions, jalapeños and mushrooms in a sauce that was absolutely amazing! The steak was also perfectly cooked. Highly recommend this dish. Friends got the enchiladas suizas, the Tejas combo and tacos mariscos. All of the entrees were pretty tasty. The seafood was slightly fishy though. Service was also great! read more

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