30 tex mex rooms worth the trip across United States, editor-ranked. All cuisines in United States.
The Original Ninfa's on Navigation ★ 4.7 · Houston
east-end · 2704 Navigation Blvd, Houston, TX 77003
The Original Ninfa's on Navigation in Houston is Ninfa Laurenzo's 1973 Tex-Mex room, the birthplace of the restaurant fajita, still serving skirt steak tacos.
Tip: Back patio under the strings of lights beats the front room. The bar opens 90 minutes before the dining room.
The Original Ninfa's on Navigation ★ 4.6 · Houston
east-end · 2704 Navigation Blvd, Houston, TX 77003
The Original Ninfa's on Navigation in Houston is Ninfa Laurenzo's 1973 Tex-Mex room, the birthplace of the restaurant fajita, still serving skirt steak tacos.
Tip: Sit on the back patio under the strings of lights. The front room is loud and the bar takes 90 minutes to clear at 7pm.
Joe T. Garcia's ★ 4.4 · Fort Worth
stockyards · 2201 N Commerce St, Fort Worth, TX 76164
Joe T. Garcia's is a Fort Worth institution at 2201 N Commerce St, famous for its sprawling garden patio and cash-only frozen margaritas since 1935.
Tip: Cash only, no credit cards accepted. The menu is set: enchiladas or fajitas. Arrive early on Fridays as the patio fills fast.
Joe T. Garcia's ★ 4.4 · Fort Worth
stockyards · 2201 N Commerce St, Fort Worth, TX 76164
Joe T. Garcia's is a Fort Worth institution at 2201 N Commerce St, famous for its sprawling garden patio and cash-only frozen margaritas since 1935.
Tip: Cash only, no credit cards accepted. The menu is set: enchiladas or fajitas. Arrive early on Fridays as the patio fills fast.
Mi Tierra Cafe y Panaderia ★ 4.4 · San Antonio
market-square · 218 Produce Row, San Antonio, TX 78207
Mi Tierra has run 24 hours at Market Square since the Cortez family opened it in 1941, a Tex-Mex landmark with strolling mariachis and an in-house bakery.
Tip: The dining room never closes, so a 3am plate of enchiladas after a night downtown is a San Antonio rite. Buy conchas from the front bakery counter to go.
Matt's El Rancho ★ 4.3 · Austin
south-lamar · 2613 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
Matt's El Rancho in Austin is the Martinez family's South Lamar Tex-Mex room, opened in 1952 and home of the canonical Bob Armstrong queso dip.
Tip: The patio under the oaks is huge; arrive 6pm or after 9pm to dodge the 7-to-9 wait.
Matt's El Rancho ★ 4.3 · Austin
south-lamar · 2613 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
Matt's El Rancho in Austin is the Martinez family's South Lamar Tex-Mex room since 1952, home of the Bob Armstrong queso dip and a citywide birthday-dinner.
Tip: The patio under the oaks holds 200; arrive 5:30pm to dodge the 7-to-9 family wait.
Mia's Tex-Mex ★ 4.3 · Dallas
uptown · 4334 Lemmon Ave, Dallas, TX 75219
Operating since 1981, Mia's serves the brisket tacos that became a Dallas archetype. Located in Uptown. Open mon-sat 11am-9:30pm, sun 11am-9pm.
Tip: The brisket taco was created by founder Butch Enriquez. The original recipe still runs the kitchen.
Mia's Tex-Mex ★ 4.3 · Dallas
uptown · 4334 Lemmon Ave, Dallas, TX 75219
A family-owned Lemmon Avenue institution since 1981 whose brisket taco created a Dallas archetype. Located in Uptown. Kitchen leans tex-mex.
Tip: Expect a wait on weekend evenings. The brisket taco was created by founder Butch Enriquez in 1981; the recipe is unchanged.
El Tiempo Cantina (Navigation) ★ 4.3 · Houston
east-end · 2814 Navigation Blvd, Houston, TX 77003
El Tiempo Cantina on Navigation in Houston is Roland Laurenzo's Tex-Mex room (son of Ninfa Laurenzo) next to the Original Ninfa's, with fajitas.
Tip: The Navigation flagship is the original; other locations exist citywide. Patio in cool weather.
Tex Tubb's Taco Palace ★ 4.3 · Madison
atwood · 2009 Atwood Ave, Madison, WI 53704
Tex Tubb's Taco Palace on Atwood Avenue, Kevin Tubb's Austin-style taqueria since 2006, serves tacos and burritos plus house-made limeade and horchata.
Tip: Happy hour brings Mexican beer specials; weekend dinner is the busiest, weeknight lunch the calmest.
Tex Tubb's Taco Palace ★ 4.3 · Madison
atwood · 2009 Atwood Ave, Madison, WI 53704
Tex Tubb's Taco Palace on Atwood, Kevin Tubb's Austin-style taqueria since 2006, runs tacos and burritos plus house-made limeade and horchata east side.
Tip: Happy hour runs Mexican beer specials; weekend dinner is the busiest, weeknight lunch the calmest.
Herrera's Cafe ★ 4.2 · Dallas
oak-cliff · 2853 W Illinois Ave, Dallas, TX 75233
An Oak Cliff Tex-Mex hole-in-the-wall on W Illinois Avenue, serving loyal customers since 1949. Open mon-thu 8am-10pm, fri-sat 8am-11pm, sun 8am-10pm.
Tip: This is a cash-friendly neighbourhood place. Parking fills early on weekends. Worth the wait.
Herrera's Cafe ★ 4.2 · Dallas
oak-cliff · 2853 W Illinois Ave, Dallas, TX 75233
An Oak Cliff Tex-Mex hold-out in the same W Illinois Avenue spot since 1949. The enchiladas here are as honest as Tex-Mex gets: chili gravy, fresh tortillas.
Tip: Cash-friendly neighbourhood spot. Closed Sunday-Tuesday. The combination plate feeds two people if you order chips to start.
Ray's Drive Inn ★ 4.2 · San Antonio
west-side · 822 SW 19th St, San Antonio, TX 78207
Ray's Drive Inn on the West Side has claimed the original puffy taco since Ray Lopez opened it in 1956, home of the deep-fried puffed-masa shell.
Tip: The puffy taco is the only order that matters here. Eat it fast while the shell is still crisp and hot.
Garcia's Mexican Food ★ 4.2 · San Antonio
west-side · 842 Fredericksburg Rd, San Antonio, TX 78201
Garcia's Mexican Food has served classic Tex-Mex near Woodlawn Lake since 1962, a small family room known for breakfast tacos and carne guisada.
Tip: Cash-friendly and small, with a loyal breakfast crowd. Get the carne guisada taco on a fresh flour tortilla.
Mexican Inn Cafe ★ 4.1 · Fort Worth
south-main · 1625 8th Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76104
Mexican Inn Cafe is a Fort Worth Tex-Mex institution at 8th Ave that has served the same reliably comforting enchiladas and combination plates since 1936.
Tip: The 8th Ave location has the most neighbourhood character. Combination plates with two or three items are the best value on the menu.
Rosario's ComidaMex & Bar ★ 4.1 · San Antonio
southtown · 722 S St Mary's St, San Antonio, TX 78205
Rosario's is a two-storey Southtown Tex-Mex room with a rooftop bar, where enchiladas verdes, fajitas and frozen margaritas anchor a buzzy First Friday crowd.
Tip: Head upstairs to the rooftop bar for downtown views. First Friday in Southtown turns the place into a party.
Henry's Puffy Tacos ★ 4.1 · San Antonio
west-side · 3202 W Woodlawn Ave, San Antonio, TX 78228
Henry's Puffy Tacos on West Woodlawn is the family rival to Ray's in the puffy-taco story, serving the crisp puffed-masa shell as a plate with rice and beans.
Tip: The puffy tacos come hot and fast. Add a side of rice and beans for the full West Side plate.
Eddie's Taco House ★ 4.1 · San Antonio
south-side · 402 W Cevallos St, San Antonio, TX 78204
Eddie's Taco House is a South Side breakfast-and-lunch counter where the carne guisada and the cult weenie-and-egg breakfast taco draw a steady morning crowd.
Tip: The weenie-and-egg taco sounds odd and is a local favourite. Come early; the breakfast crowd is steady.
Rojo ★ 4.0 · Birmingham
highland-park · 2921 Highland Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35205
Rojo on Highland Avenue in Highland Park has run a casual Tex-Mex menu since 2002 with the canonical Highland Park patio and a strong frozen margarita pour.
El Fenix ★ 4.0 · Dallas
uptown · 1601 McKinney Ave, Dallas, TX 75202
Founded 1918 by Mike Martinez, El Fenix is the oldest Tex-Mex chain in the US, credited with formalising the enchilada-chili-gravy combination plate Dallas.
Tip: The McKinney Ave location is the flagship. The weekday lunch combo runs under $12 and changes daily.
El Fenix ★ 4.0 · Dallas
uptown · 1601 McKinney Ave, Dallas, TX 75202
Founded 1918 by Mike Martinez, this is the restaurant most historians credit with formalising the Tex-Mex combination plate in Dallas. Located in Uptown.
Tip: The weekday lunch combo runs under $12. The chili gravy here is the reference version for the style.
Fuzzy's Taco Shop ★ 4.0 · Fort Worth
berry-street · 2917 W Berry St, Fort Worth, TX 76109
Fuzzy's Taco Shop on W Berry St is the original Fort Worth location where this much-loved local Tex-Mex taco-and-margarita chain was born in 2003.
Tip: Happy hour runs Monday through Friday; items under $5 and margaritas for $3. The dog-friendly patio is open year-round.
Tommy's Restaurant ★ 4.0 · San Antonio
north-side · 6702 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio, TX 78216
Tommy's Restaurant is the Tex-Mex spot whose 'Big Red and Barbacoa' sign made the combo a San Antonio shorthand, serving barbacoa tacos on flour tortillas.
Tip: Order barbacoa with a Big Red for the full local ritual. Weekend mornings draw the longest lines.
Lucy's Cafe ★ 4.0 · San Antonio
north-side · 2517 West Ave, San Antonio, TX 78201
Lucy's Cafe on the north side is a cash-friendly Tex-Mex counter busy at breakfast, where the bean and cheese with bacon taco is the local favourite order.
Tip: The bean and cheese with bacon is the order locals swear by. Cash-friendly and busy at breakfast.
Mendez Cafe ★ 4.0 · San Antonio
south-side · 201 Bartholomew Ave, San Antonio, TX 78211
Mendez Cafe in the South Side is a tex-mex spot San Antonio locals rate, with carne guisada taco in spicy gravy the order to make on a first visit here.
Tip: The carne guisada taco is the reason to come. It is a small, busy room, so expect a short morning wait.
Blanco Cafe ★ 3.9 · San Antonio
tobin-hill · 1720 Blanco Rd, San Antonio, TX 78212
Blanco Cafe is a cash-friendly Tobin Hill Tex-Mex counter where the carne guisada plate, enchiladas and chalupas come cheap to a loyal early-lunch crowd.
Tip: Cash is welcome and prices are low. The carne guisada is the order; come for an early lunch before the crowd.
Rolando's Super Tacos ★ 3.9 · San Antonio
north-side · 919 W Hildebrand Ave, San Antonio, TX 78201
Rolando's Super Tacos on West Hildebrand is known for El Gigante, a massive five-ingredient breakfast taco that doubles as a full meal at counter prices.
Tip: El Gigante is the gimmick and the draw; one is a full meal. Order at the counter and add a cup of beans.
Pete's Tako House ★ 3.9 · San Antonio
south-side · 502 Brooklyn Ave, San Antonio, TX 78215
Pete's Tako House on the South Side is a Tex-Mex counter best for breakfast tacos before the lunch rush, with the carne guisada plate the bigger sit-down.
Tip: Come for breakfast tacos before the lunch rush. The carne guisada plate is the bigger meal.