Tia Maria's

For some reason, Tia Maria’s gets no love. Why is that? Located where Mangum, Dacoma, and US290 all converge, Tia Maria’s has been serving decent Tex Mex cuisine for at least 20 years. Force me to categorize even further, Tia Maria’s falls squarely in the category I refer to as “goopy Mexican.” Enchiladas smothered in cheese, Queso with pickled Jalapenos, Quesadillas stuffed with lots of cheese. Add to that cold beers and cement thick Margaritas and you have a template for classic, no fuss Tex Mex.

If this all sounds strangely familiar, you must be a Tony’s Mexican fan. Located just a few short miles from Tia Maria’s, Tony’s Mexican has the same blueprint: Add one part comfort food cheese enchiladas, one part stupid strong margaritas… boom, lines out the door and waits aplenty.

I’m not here to be a hater, but rather to provide perspective. There are many styles of Mexican and Tex Mex available in the Heights area. On Airline, Tampico and Connies serve fantastic Mexican seafood, while Teotihuacan excels at an amazing variety of Parillada dishes. Tony’s has built a loyal following on their cheese enchiladas alone.

Up the road at Tia Maria’s, the cheese enchiladas hold their own. Stuffed with an unsophisticated gooey cheese, smothered in chili gravy and topped with even more cheese, these are Houston’s answer to a cheez whiz covered Philly Steak and Cheese.

Second half of the Acapulco special: Cheese enchiladas, tamal, rice, and beans

Teotihuacan Mexican Cafe (Breakfast)

Sometime last week, one of the Houston Chowhounds asked on Twitter: If you had to pick one Tex Mex restaurant in Houston for one night, which would it be? I answered the original Ninfas on Navigation, but Café Teotihuacan was my 1a.

Much has been written about Teotihuacan (or ta-HOO’-a-HOO’-a as we lovingly call it) that it almost seems redundant to mention. The corn tortillas, the bargain parilladas… all are worth the attention they have received.

9 out of 10 times I find myself at Teotihuacan, it is breakfast time. In fact, last September, just 14 short hours before Hurricane Ike would strike, there we were. Teotihuacan was eerily quiet that morning, not surprising as it wasn't a Kroger with its shelves picked clean or I-45 to Dallas. The world was about to end, and I wanted me some eggs and corn tortillas!

Oh man those corn tortillas rock the house, and this just in, they go just as well with their breakfast dishes. For some reason I have yet to figure out, breakfast at Teotihuacan doesn’t get any press. The prices are ridiculously low and the portion sizes have returned (thankfully!) to their previously unmanageable size. For the last year or so, I have noticed some subtle changes for the worse: prices have inched slightly higher, the dining room (and outside seating areas) has become more crowded, portion sizes and quality was down. Last Saturday, I was glad to see a return to form.

"Dear corn tortilla, I love you."

Service can be an issue, which might explain the drop in quality. Hopefully the major issues have been recently addressed, but you should be advised that the service can be curt and the wait for food can seem unusually long. Make sure to ask for the red salsa before your breakfast arrives, or you may be consuming lukewarm eggs several minutes later.

Bonus: For those looking for a more authentic experience, Teotihuacan also serves Menudo for breakfast.

Details

1511 Airline Dr
(713) 426-4420‎
8AM-10PM 7 Days