Find loaded queso bowls, tacos, and Tex-Mex combo platters galore at this restaurant that has locations in Garden Oaks and Greenway Plaza. With rotating lunch specials, any day is a good day to visit, but weekend brunch is an especially good time, with items like breakfast quesadillas, carne guisada and eggs, and mimosa refills for a penny.

Goode Co. restaurants are known for their mesquite-grilled meats and seafood, and the group’s new Tex-Mex restaurant in the Heights is no different. Highlights include the braised and crisped pork carnitas, which are marinated and prepared over a three-day process, and chicken flautas stuffed with smoked chicken. For a truly epic feast, splurge on the parrillada familiar, which combines a pound of fajitas with jalapeño cheese smoked sausage, Texas quail, jumbo Gulf shrimp, and a half-pound of pork carnitas.

Start with a ranch water and queso fundido, before digging into heartier mains at this lively Heights restaurant and patio. Superica takes a playful approach to classic Tex-Mex cuisine with dishes like hot tamales served with chili gravy and Saltines, a puffy taco dinner platter, and cheesy enchiladas topped with a fried egg.

Margaritas made with fresh juice, al pastor tacos, ceviche, fajitas, and mole enchiladas aren’t the only highlights at this stunning restaurant that mimics a glass treehouse. The picturesque dining room, bedecked with chandeliers, makes this restaurant feels like an elegant getaway. Don’t sleep on dessert — the flan will melt in your mouth.

It's impossible to have a discussion about Tex-Mex (and Mexican fare in general) without bringing up the Original Ninfa's on Navigation. Credited with introducing the country to fajitas, calling them tacos al carbon, it’s vital to try the iconic dish at least once. That being said, make room for enchiladas, available a la carte, and the Ninfarita, Ninfa’s signature margarita, made with Espolon Blanco Tequila, fresh-squeezed lime juice, agave nectar, and Cointreau.

Launched by the same family that brought Houston the Original Ninfa’s, El Tiempo is similarly known for its potent margaritas and sizzling fajita platters. Choose between the standard beef, chicken, spicy shrimp, or veggie fajitas, or amp things up with filet mignon, salmon fajitas with mango chimichurri, or seared spicy ahi tuna topped with mole. Take it to the next level with fajita add-ons, like the “la tana,” a mixture of serrano peppers, garlic, and cheese.

This decades-old, family-owned haunt, with locations across the city, is a Houston institution. The menu boasts a sea of Tex-Mex traditions with prices that are easy on your wallet. Start a meal with Katie’s t-sip dip, the restaurant’s chile con queso topped with scoops of ground beef and guac, and then choose from enchiladas, fajitas, tacos, and more. Add the restaurant’s famed puffy taco, smothered in queso, for a true Los Tios moment.

A part of the Pappas franchise, Pappasito’s Cantina has been serving up Tex-Mex fare since the 1970s, and it’s fair to say they know what Houstonians like. Homemade tortilla chips with warm red salsa are hard to resist, but appetizers like chicharrones con queso and the sweet and spicy ribs are worthy starters. Tacos and enchiladas are fool-proof options, but here, the fajitas are the star of the show. Choose between steak, typically cooked medium, well-seasoned chicken, grilled quail, or shrimp. Can’t decide? Get a platter with a sampling of each, and round out your meal with a tres leches.

Coined as “new Western cuisine”, this charming West U. gem started off as a food truck, and has developed into one of the most innovative restaurants in town. Tacos, like the al pastor and 44 Farms beef barbacoa, are built on heirloom corn tortillas, made in house daily. Drawing inspiration from the roots of Texas cooking, chef Tony Luhrman presents interesting plates like crispy Brussels sprouts with pickled Fresno chilies, Oaxacan black beans, and a barbacoa grilled cheese.

This time-honored restaurant, which dates back to the early 1940s, continues to be one of the best bets for Tex-Mex eats in Houston. The menu is vast, and the prices are hard to beat. Start off with a bowl of chicken tortilla soup or a platter of taquitos — both under $10 — and then finish strong with one of the Tex-Mex platters. The Mexico City dinner features a beef taco, a cheese enchilada, a bean tostada, and a tamale, with guacamole, chili con queso, rice and beans, and has been on the menu from the beginning.

The little brother of Houston’s Armandos, Mandito’s brings comforting Tex-Mex to Bellaire with fajitas, enchiladas, chile con queso, and twice-refried beans, as well as its “world famous” burrito bowl. The experience wouldn’t be complete without a drink, so be sure to delve into a margarita, served frozen or on the rocks, and if you’re picky, be sure to take advantage of the “make it a margarita” option, which allows you to customize your beverage with any agave spirit or sotol on the menu, and choose one of their five special salts to line the rim.

Gringo’s features around a dozen locations across the Houston area, but if you’re interested in seeing where it all began, head to the original in Pearland. Each outpost showcases Old West meets Mexican art and antiques while delivering Tex-Mex favorites like taquitos, grilled seafood, and some of the best fajitas and margaritas Houston has to offer. If you’re feeling festive, try the star-spangled banner, a combination of strawberry and lime margarita, swirled with blue curacao. End your visit with complimentary soft-serve ice cream.