Best Latin Restaurants in Houston: Pupusas, Arepas, Ceviche and More

Houston has a Latin American food scene that has almost nothing to do with fajitas. Salvadoran families have been pressing pupusas here for decades, Colombian bakeries open before the office towers do, and on one stretch of the west side you can eat your way from Buenos Aires to Montevideo to Medellín without leaving Westchase.

This guide is for the night you want something other than Tex-Mex. It's the shortlist we'd hand a friend: ten places, sorted by part of town, covering El Salvador, Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and a South American kitchen that cooks seven countries at once. Every one was checked as open on its own official website.

The quick list

• For pupusas and Saturday-night salsa: Gloria's Latin Cuisine in Midtown.
• For arepas and cachapas: Gusto Gourmet on South Shepherd.
• For a full Colombian breakfast: Mi Pueblito, which opens at 8am every day.
• For ceviche, lomo saltado and a tour of South America on one menu: Andes Café at POST Market downtown.
• For Cuban comfort food: Rincon Criollo on the west side, or Buena Vista Cuban Cafe downtown.
• For an Argentine empanada: The Original Marini's Empanada House.
• For a Uruguayan steak night: Saldivia's South American Grill.
• For a celebration dinner: Churrascos or Casa do Brasil.

How we chose

We looked for restaurants with a clear identity, a dish worth crossing town for, and a menu rooted in a specific country rather than a generic "Latin" mash-up. Each pick had to show current hours or an active menu on its own official website when we last checked. We left out several well-loved names whose official sites have lapsed or couldn't be checked, rather than guess.

Hours change, so treat every schedule here as "typically" and check the restaurant's site before you go. Looking for Mexican food instead? Start with our guide to the best Mexican restaurants in Houston, or go classic with the best Tex-Mex in Houston.

Downtown and Midtown

Gloria's Latin Cuisine

Midtown, 2616 Louisiana St · Salvadoran and Tex-Mex · open daily

Gloria's is the easiest place in the inner Loop to start with Salvadoran food. Order the pupusas, hand-pressed corn tortillas stuffed with cheese, pork or both, served the proper way with curtido (a tangy cabbage slaw) and tomato salsa. The Salvadoran tamales come wrapped in banana leaves and filled with chicken and potatoes.

I didn't know that: Gloria's started in Dallas, in an old gas station in Oak Cliff in 1986, but its story begins in Houston. According to the restaurant, founders Gloria and José Fuentes both arrived from El Salvador and met here in 1978.

Insider tip: stay late on a Saturday. From 11pm to 2am, the Midtown location typically turns into a Salsa Night with live Latin music and DJs. There's also a weekday happy hour in the afternoon.

Best for: a first taste of Salvadoran food, then dancing. More nearby in our Midtown restaurant guide.

Andes Café

Downtown, inside POST Market, 401 Franklin St · South American · brunch and dinner

Andes is named for the mountain range that links seven South American countries, and the menu really does travel. Every dish is tagged with its country: Peruvian fish ceviche in ají amarillo tiger's milk, Ecuadorian shrimp ceviche served with plantain chips and popcorn, Venezuelan cachapas, Colombian empanadas, Chilean chorrillana fries, and Peruvian pollo a la brasa with the house ají sauce.

Insider tip: the chef, a Quito native, completed an apprenticeship at Maido in Lima, the restaurant says, which is why the Peruvian side of the menu is the place to start. Try the lomo saltado, wok-sautéed beef with onions, tomatoes and fries over rice.

Best for: a mixed group where everyone wants something different. Make a night of it with our downtown restaurant guide or our guide to Houston food halls.

Buena Vista Cuban Cafe

Downtown, 800 Capitol St · Cuban · lunch and dinner

Buena Vista brings Cuban home cooking into a downtown dining room, which makes it a handy pick for a weekday lunch or a pre-show dinner.

Insider tip: time it for the weekday happy hour, which typically runs mid-afternoon after the lunch service winds down. Check the restaurant's site for current times.

Best for: a Cuban sandwich or ropa vieja without leaving downtown.

Upper Kirby and the Galleria

Gusto Gourmet

Upper Kirby area, 3306 S Shepherd Dr · Venezuelan · open daily, closes early

Gusto Gourmet began in 2012 in a home kitchen, according to its owners, and grew into a counter-service favorite for Venezuelan comfort food. The arepas are made fresh daily and are naturally gluten-free. Order an Arepa Reina Pepeada (chicken and avocado salad) or the Arepa Pabellón, which stuffs the classic Venezuelan pabellón combination of shredded beef, black beans and plantain into one corn pocket. Get a side of tequeños, the crisp cheese sticks every Venezuelan party runs on.

Insider tip: go early. It typically closes at 7pm on weekdays and early on Sundays, and it's a strong breakfast stop.

Best for: a cheap, filling lunch. More budget picks in our cheap eats guide.

Casa do Brasil

Galleria area, 2800 Sage Rd · Brazilian steakhouse · lunch and dinner

Casa do Brasil does the full churrascaria ritual: gaucho chefs carve skewered, fire-roasted meats tableside, and the salad bar runs to more than 50 items. The restaurant runs weekly specials, including a kids-eat-free night, so check the calendar before you book.

Best for: birthdays and big appetites. Nearby options are in our Galleria and Uptown guide.

Westchase and the west side: South America in a few miles

This is the stretch to save. Three of our picks sit within a short drive of each other in Westchase, and between them they cover Colombia, Argentina and Uruguay.

Mi Pueblito

Westchase, 9425 Richmond Ave · Colombian · open daily from 8am (also in Katy)

Mi Pueblito opened in 2000 with a simple mission: keep Colombian cooking alive in the United States. The order is the bandeja paisa, Colombia's famous everything-plate of grilled steak, pork belly, sausage, beans, rice, fried egg, plantain, avocado and an arepa. On a cooler day, get the ajiaco, the Bogotá chicken-and-potato soup.

Insider tip: there's a Colombian bakery on site, baking breads and sweet rolls fresh every morning, so pick up a box on your way out.

Best for: a weekend breakfast that lasts until lunch.

The Original Marini's Empanada House

Westchase, 10001 Westheimer Rd · Argentine empanadas · closed Sundays

Marini's has been hand-crafting Argentine-style empanadas since 1969, by its own account, and it shows in the range. Start with the classic Beef "Gaucho" (ground beef, egg, olives and onion) or the Humita, a sweet-corn filling, then try a Houston crossover like the Texas BBQ. Save room for a dessert empanada.

Insider tip: read the sign. Marini's says first-timers are customers, second-timers are known, third-timers are friends, and from the fourth visit on you're family.

Best for: a quick lunch or a box for a party. It typically closes early in the evening, so don't plan a late dinner here.

Saldivia's South American Grill

Westchase, 10850 Westheimer Rd · Uruguayan and Argentine grill · closed Sundays

Saldivia's is a parrilla, a South American grill house, and it leans Uruguayan. Order the entraña, the traditional Uruguayan skirt steak, or go big with a parrillada for two, a mixed grill of steaks, sausage and sweetbreads. Start with provoleta, baked provolone that arrives bubbling.

I didn't know that: the chivito, a steak sandwich piled with ham and a fried egg, is the national dish of Uruguay, according to Saldivia's menu. It's on the sandwich list here.

Best for: watching a match. The restaurant hosts watch parties, and it asks you to call ahead to make sure your game will be on.

Rincon Criollo

West Houston, 2150 S Hwy 6, and Katy Freeway · Cuban

A Cuban family opened Rincon Criollo in 2009, and it's the west side's go-to for the classics: ropa vieja, lechón asado and rabo encendido, Cuban-style braised oxtail. Finish with a Cuban coffee.

Best for: a family dinner that tastes like somebody's grandmother cooked it.

Worth the drive

Churrascos

Memorial City, Sugar Land and The Woodlands · Latin American steakhouse

Churrascos has been a Houston special-occasion spot since 1988 (it marks the date as 8.8.88), cooking a Latin American parrilla with flavors from Argentina, Nicaragua, Peru and beyond. The signature is a chimichurri-marinated center-cut tenderloin, and the restaurant calls its tres leches famous for a reason. Starters run to empanadas and ceviches.

Best for: anniversaries and client dinners. Compare it with the picks in our best steakhouses in Houston guide.

Save this: a Westchase South America crawl

Plan this for a Saturday, because Marini's and Saldivia's both close on Sundays.

1. Morning, Colombia: breakfast at Mi Pueblito on Richmond Ave, then a bag of pastries from the bakery.
2. Lunch, Argentina: two empanadas at Marini's on Westheimer. Get one classic Gaucho and one dessert.
3. Dinner, Uruguay: Saldivia's for entraña or a parrillada for two.
4. Late night, El Salvador: drive in to Gloria's in Midtown for Salsa Night, which typically starts at 11pm.

Before you go: a quick checklist

• Check hours on the restaurant's own site. Several of these places close early or take Sundays off.
• Order the signature first: pupusas (El Salvador), arepas (Venezuela), bandeja paisa (Colombia), ropa vieja (Cuba), entraña (Uruguay), ceviche (Peru).
• Gluten-free? Corn arepas and pupusas are naturally made from corn masa, but ask about the kitchen.
• Want to keep exploring? Our food crawler's guide to Houston's international districts maps more neighborhoods to eat through.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get pupusas in Houston?

Gloria's Latin Cuisine in Midtown (2616 Louisiana St) serves Salvadoran pupusas stuffed with cheese, pork or both, with curtido and salsa. Houston also has many neighborhood pupuserías, especially on the southwest side.

Where can I find Venezuelan arepas in Houston?

Gusto Gourmet on South Shepherd Drive makes arepas fresh daily, plus cachapas and tequeños. Andes Café at POST Market also serves a Venezuelan arepa and cachapa.

What is the best Colombian restaurant in Houston?

Our pick is Mi Pueblito on Richmond Avenue, open since 2000, for bandeja paisa, ajiaco and its in-house Colombian bakery. It also has a Katy location.

Where is good Cuban food in Houston?

Rincon Criollo, opened by a Cuban family in 2009, has locations on South Highway 6 and the Katy Freeway. Buena Vista Cuban Cafe is downtown at 800 Capitol St.

Where can I get Peruvian ceviche in Houston?

Andes Café at POST Market serves Peruvian fish ceviche, a mixed ceviche, lomo saltado and pollo a la brasa. Churrascos also lists ceviches among its starters.

What part of Houston has the most South American restaurants?

Westchase is a good place to start: Mi Pueblito (Colombian), Marini's (Argentine empanadas) and Saldivia's (Uruguayan grill) are all within a short drive of each other there.