Best Mexican Restaurants in Cypress, TX: Tex-Mex, Tacos, Margaritas

Cypress has no downtown, so its Mexican food lives where Cypress actually lives: on the Highway 290 feeder road, in Towne Lake and Fairfield strip centers, and in one case inside a neighborhood meat market. That's where you'll find a Tex-Mex chain that hands every guest free soft-serve, a margarita made with mezcal from the owners' own private barrel, and a family taqueria that has been making tortillas since 1981.

This is our shortlist of Mexican restaurants in Cypress: Tex-Mex dining rooms, taquerias, a modern Mexican agave bar, and the best places for a margarita. Every pick was checked as open on its own official website in October 2026.

The quick list

• For the classic Tex-Mex night out: Gringo's Mexican Kitchen on Highway 290.
• For weekend brunch with the family: Lupe Tortilla at Fairfield.
• For the margarita with a story: Alicia's Mexican Grille.
• For a date night with a serious agave list: Galiana's Casa Del Tequila at Towne Lake.
• For handmade tortillas on a weeknight: Taquerias Arandas, with two Cypress locations.
• For tacos from a meat market counter: Don Tomate on Grant Road.
• For breakfast tacos before 8am: Torchy's on Barker Cypress.
• For a quick, cheap fix on the way home: Taco Cabana on Highway 290.

How we chose

How we define Cypress: Cypress is an unincorporated part of Harris County with no city limits of its own, so we use mailing addresses. Every restaurant here has a Cypress, TX street address in the 77429 or 77433 ZIP codes, the two ZIPs our Living in Cypress guide uses to define the area. That covers the Highway 290 corridor, Fairfield, Towne Lake and Bridgeland, and the older neighborhoods to the north around Grant Road and Jones Road. Some restaurants call a location "Cypress" when its address is actually Houston, in Vintage Park or near FM 1960. We left those out.

Each pick had to show its Cypress location, with an address and current hours or online ordering, on its official website. We wanted range: sit-down Tex-Mex, a modern Mexican kitchen, family taquerias and two Texas taco chains that do one thing well. Hours change, so treat every time below as "typically" and check the restaurant's site before you go.

The Tex-Mex dining rooms

Gringo's Mexican Kitchen

Highway 290, 27030 Northwest Fwy · lunch and dinner daily · cashless

Gringo's started with an unlikely bet. In 1992 its founder took over his father's struggling restaurant property in Pearland, a building where four earlier concepts had failed, and opened Gringo's there on January 11, 1993. Today it's a Houston-area chain, and the Cypress location is a dependable family dinner. Every location has its own margarita cantina, and Gringo's says every guest gets free soft-serve ice cream. Order the Southwest Eggrolls, one of the signature items the company names on its own site, then a fajita plate.

Good to know: this location is cashless, so bring a card. It typically opens at 11am daily and runs until 9pm Sunday to Thursday, 10pm on Friday and Saturday. There's a private dining room for up to 45 people, and you can join the waitlist online.

Why it's here: the easiest yes in Cypress when you're feeding a group with mixed tastes.

Lupe Tortilla (Fairfield)

Fairfield, 28302 US-290 · lunch and dinner daily · weekend brunch

Lupe Tortilla is a Houston Tex-Mex name with locations across Texas, and its Cypress restaurant sits on Highway 290 at Fairfield. Order the fajitas. On Saturday and Sunday mornings it adds a brunch menu, typically 9am to 2pm, which makes it our pick for starting a Cypress weekend with Tex-Mex before lunch.

Good to know: happy hour typically runs Monday to Friday, 3pm to 6:30pm. Regular hours are usually 11am to 9pm Sunday to Thursday and until 10pm on Friday and Saturday.

Why it's here: weekend brunch, plus a reliable fajita dinner on the west side of Cypress.

Alicia's Mexican Grille

Highway 290, 26326 Northwest Fwy · lunch and dinner

Alicia's is run by the Herrera family, whose restaurant group also includes Galiana's (below). The menu covers both sides of the border: chile con queso and combination plates on the Tex-Mex side, ceviches and seafood on the other. If you're torn, the Antojitos Mixtos sampler brings fajita nachos, flautas, empanadas and a mini quesadilla on one plate.

The I-didn't-know-that order: the Oaxacan Margarita. It's made with mezcal from a Herrera family private barrel, according to the restaurant's drink menu. The bar also lists a house-favorite "Alicia's Perfect Margarita" built on reposado tequila and Cointreau.

Why it's here: our favorite Cypress margarita, and one you can't order anywhere outside the Herrera family's restaurants.

Modern Mexican and agave

Galiana's Casa Del Tequila

Towne Lake, 11231 Greenhouse Rd, Suite 150 · dinner nightly · happy hour weekdays

Galiana's is the Herrera family's dressier restaurant, and the one to book for a birthday or a date. The kitchen calls itself "elevated Mexican": think ceviche, medallones al poblano, esquites and bone marrow, with seafood, tacos and steaks built for sharing. The agave program is the real draw. The bar sorts its tequila by the two growing regions, Los Altos and El Valle, then adds mezcal, sotol and a shelf of prestige bottles.

Insider tip: if you love it, Galiana's runs a bottle locker program, so you can keep your own bottle behind the bar. Dinner typically starts at 4pm, the bar opens at 3pm, and weekday happy hour runs 3pm to 6pm.

Why it's here: the only place on this list where the tequila list is the main event. Make a Towne Lake evening of it with our things to do in Cypress guide.

The taquerias

Taquerias Arandas

Two Cypress locations: 13802 Fleur De Lis Blvd, Suite A, and 18037 FM 529 · breakfast through dinner

Arandas is a Houston family taqueria chain, family-run since 1981, with more than 25 Houston-area locations and two of them in Cypress. It's where you go when you want Mexican food that tastes like home cooking without the fuss: handmade flour tortillas, housemade horchata, fresh salsas made from scratch, and carne asada or fajitas off the grill. In the morning, order chilaquiles or breakfast tacos.

Good to know: hours vary by location, so check the Arandas site for the one nearest you.

Why it's here: our go-to for an easy, good-value Mexican meal in Cypress, morning to night.

Don Tomate Meat Market & More

Grant Road, 17835 Grant Rd · taqueria inside a meat market

This is the delightful one. Don Tomate is a Mexican meat market founded by the Hernandez family in February 2020, with stores in Tomball, Cypress and Magnolia, and it runs a full taqueria inside. You'll find carne asada tacos, chilaquiles and traditional mole, plus a panadería with fresh-baked bread and a full grocery aisle, all under one roof.

Insider tip: shop after you eat. The meat counter is right there, so you can take home the makings of your own weekend carne asada.

Why it's here: our favorite taco stop in Cypress, and the one your friends probably haven't heard of.

Torchy's Tacos

Barker Cypress, 9975 Barker Cypress Rd · open from early morning daily

Torchy's is a Texas taco chain with a loyal following, and the Cypress shop is an easy early-morning taco stop. It typically opens at 7:45am Monday to Thursday and 8:45am on weekends, and stays open until 10pm or 11pm. Order the Trailer Park, one of the chain's signature tacos, plus a side of green chile queso. The breakfast menu includes migas tacos and breakfast burritos.

Why it's here: breakfast tacos before school drop-off, and a late taco after a Berry Center game.

Taco Cabana

Highway 290, 25955 Northwest Fwy · fast and casual

Sometimes you just need fajita tacos and a tub of queso in ten minutes. Taco Cabana is the fast Tex-Mex chain many Texans grew up on, and its Cypress location on the Highway 290 feeder is the one for a fast, cheap fix on the drive home. Order online for pickup.

Why it's here: a fast, no-fuss Tex-Mex fix, with online ordering.

Save this: a Cypress taco-to-margarita day

Screenshot this and send it to the friend who says there's nothing to eat out on 290.

1. Breakfast (8am): breakfast tacos at Torchy's on Barker Cypress, or chilaquiles at Taquerias Arandas.
2. Late lunch (1pm): carne asada tacos at the Don Tomate taqueria on Grant Road, then pick up meat and tortillas for tomorrow.
3. Happy hour (4pm): a mezcal or tequila flight at Galiana's in Towne Lake. Walk it off by the lake.
4. Dinner (7pm): fajitas and the free soft-serve at Gringo's, or the Oaxacan Margarita at Alicia's.

Weekend version: swap breakfast for brunch at Lupe Tortilla at Fairfield, typically 9am to 2pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

Never drink and drive. Pick a designated driver or use a rideshare for the margarita stops.

Before you go: a quick checklist

• Check hours on the restaurant's own site the day you go. Galiana's opens for dinner only, and taqueria hours vary by location.
• Bring a card to Gringo's Cypress. It's cashless.
• Going on Friday night with a big group? Join Gringo's waitlist online or book a table at Galiana's.
• Want brunch? Lupe Tortilla serves it on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
• Want breakfast tacos on a weekday? Torchy's typically opens before 8am.

More Mexican food and Cypress guides

If you're willing to drive into the city, our best Tex-Mex in Houston and best Mexican restaurants in Houston guides cover the family empires and regional kitchens inside the Beltway, and our best tacos in Houston guide is the one to save for al pastor and trompo. For everything else to eat out here, start with the best restaurants in Cypress, and see our Cypress area page for more.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get a good margarita in Cypress, TX?

Alicia's Mexican Grille on Highway 290 is our pick, especially its Oaxacan Margarita made with mezcal from a Herrera family private barrel. Galiana's Casa Del Tequila in Towne Lake has the deepest tequila, mezcal and sotol list.

Which Mexican restaurants in Cypress serve brunch?

Lupe Tortilla at Fairfield (28302 US-290) serves brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, typically 9am to 2pm. Check its site before you go.

Where can I get breakfast tacos early in Cypress?

Torchy's Tacos on Barker Cypress Road typically opens at 7:45am on weekdays and 8:45am on weekends. Taquerias Arandas also serves breakfast tacos and chilaquiles.

Is Gringo's in Cypress cash only?

No, the opposite. The Gringo's on Northwest Freeway in Cypress is cashless, so bring a card or phone payment.

What ZIP codes count as Cypress, TX?

Cypress is unincorporated, so it has no city limits. Its mailing addresses use the 77429 and 77433 ZIP codes, which is how this guide defines it.