Best Mexican and Tex-Mex Restaurants in Montrose

Montrose contains more ways to eat Mexican food than most entire Houston neighborhoods. The square mile between Allen Parkway and US-59 holds Hugo Ortega's regional Mexican flagship, a Mexico City bistro open since 2012, a Tex-Mex institution from 1977, two taquerias open past midnight, and two Mexico City cocktail bars that arrived on Westheimer in 2026. This guide covers eight confirmed-open spots, organized by style.

How we define Montrose in this guide: Allen Parkway to the north, US-59 (Southwest Freeway) to the south, Main Street to the east, and Shepherd Drive to the west. Spots sitting directly on Shepherd or Main are included as boundary picks.

How we chose

Every restaurant on this list was confirmed open via its official website or a verified 2026 listing with posted hours and a Montrose or boundary address. We organized by style because the neighborhood genuinely supports all four: interior regional Mexican, classic Tex-Mex, taquerias, and modern Mexico City bars. We left out El Real Tex-Mex Café (permanently closed since October 2019) and Superica (the Montrose location confirmed permanently closed in 2026).

Interior and regional Mexican

Hugo's

1600 Westheimer Rd · Montrose · closed Monday; Tue–Wed dinner from 3 p.m.; Thu–Sat lunch from 11:30 a.m.; Sun brunch from 10 a.m. · hugosrestaurant.net

Hugo Ortega opened Hugo's in 2002 as a showcase for the regional cooking of Mexico — not the Tex-Mex version, but the moles, slow braises, and Oaxacan preparations from across the country. Two decades later it remains the Houston benchmark for that style.

Order the cochinita pibil — Yucatan-style pork braised slowly in achiote paste and bitter orange, one of Mexico's oldest preparations — or the slow-roasted lamb barbacoa. The chapulines (sautéed grasshoppers seasoned with herbs, lime, and cheese) are a classic Oaxacan appetizer Ortega serves because they are genuinely good; Houston diners either love them on the first order or need a second one to decide.

The Sunday buffet brunch sets up multiple stations with proteins, salsas, pastries, and a mezcal and tequila bar. It books out most weekends — reserve at hugosrestaurant.net. Hugo's sits near the top of the date night restaurants in Houston list for a reason.

Best for: regional Mexican cooking at its most serious; Sunday brunch; a meal worth reserving ahead.

Cuchara

214 Fairview St · Montrose · Tue–Thu 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Sat–Sun brunch 10 a.m.–4 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. · cuchararestaurant.com

Cuchara (Spanish for 'spoon') has been a women-owned Mexico City bistro on Fairview since 2012 — one of the longer-running kitchen projects in the neighborhood. The cooking is Mexico City home food: enfrijoladas con tasajo (corn tortillas in black bean sauce, topped with dried beef from Oaxaca), tacos de alambre (spiced beef with peppers and onions in small tortillas), mole negro, and a pozole rojo built on a proper pork broth. Dessert is spicy chocolate fritters with vanilla ice cream.

The last Thursday of every month is an all-day brunch; the first Tuesday runs a curated Taco Tuesday menu. Cuchara appears on the Montrose brunch guide for exactly these reasons.

Best for: Mexico City home cooking; Taco Tuesdays; the hibiscus and tamarindo margaritas.

Classic Tex-Mex

Chapultepec Lupita

813 Richmond Ave · Montrose · open daily 7 a.m.–4 a.m. (Mon–Tue until 1 a.m.) · chapultepeclupita.netwaiter.com

Chapultepec Lupita has been on Richmond Avenue since 1977. The kitchen closes at 4 a.m. Thursday through Sunday — one of the very few full-service Tex-Mex kitchens in Houston that keeps honest late-night hours. The menu is steady: enchiladas, fajitas, combination plates, chips and queso, and a tequila list of roughly 60 bottles with about 20 margarita variations.

This is not destination cooking the way Hugo's is destination Mexican. It is the place you need at midnight when you want full plates, not a drive-through. The late-night food guide for Houston has more options across the city for those nights.

Best for: post-midnight Tex-Mex; a large tequila and margarita selection; one of Houston's few kitchens that has kept late-night hours for nearly five decades.

Taquerias

El Rey Taqueria

910 Shepherd Dr · western edge of Montrose at Shepherd · Mon–Sat 7 a.m.–midnight, Sun 7 a.m.–10 p.m. · elreytaqueria.com

El Rey was founded by Cuban immigrants, which is why the menu has a Cuban Taco alongside standard breakfast and lunch options. The Cuban Taco is ropa vieja — flank steak slow-braised with tomatoes, peppers, and olives in the Cuban tradition — folded into a warm flour tortilla. It is the order that draws regulars from across Houston to a taqueria on Shepherd. The grilled shrimp taco and the house green jalapeño sauce are also repeat orders.

The kitchen opens at 7 a.m. daily and stays open until midnight Monday through Saturday. For more of what Houston does with tacos, the best tacos in Houston guide covers the full range.

Best for: the Cuban Taco; breakfast tacos from 7 a.m.; late-night eating until midnight.

Torchy's Tacos

2411 S Shepherd Dr · on Shepherd at the Montrose western boundary · Mon–Thu 8 a.m.–9:30 p.m., Fri 8 a.m.–11 p.m., Sat 9 a.m.–11 p.m., Sun 9 a.m.–9:30 p.m. · torchystacos.com

Torchy's started as a single Austin trailer and now has dozens of Texas locations. The Shepherd Drive outpost is one of Houston's busier ones. The format is Tex-Mex with a taco-truck sensibility: big flavors, unusual protein combinations, and a queso blanco that most regulars order as a side on everything.

The Dirty Sanchez (scrambled eggs, fried poblano, black beans, guacamole, queso fresco) is the go-to breakfast order. The Fried Avocado and Baja Shrimp handle the lunch rush. Weekend hours run to 11 p.m., one of the later kitchens along the Shepherd strip.

Best for: queso on everything; late-ish weekend tacos; the Dirty Sanchez for breakfast.

Tacos A Go Go

3704 Main St · eastern edge of Montrose at Midtown · open daily 7 a.m.–10 p.m. · tacosagogo.com

Main Street is the eastern boundary, and Tacos A Go Go sits on it at the Westheimer intersection — technically the first block of Midtown, but a short walk from central Montrose. The Migas Taco is the order that built the reputation: scrambled eggs with crispy tortilla strips, pico de gallo, and queso on a fresh flour tortilla. The Lamb Barbacoa Taco and Texas Brisket Taco carry the lunch service. The house green sauce is proprietary and worth ordering extra on everything.

Best for: the Migas Taco; breakfast and lunch; the green sauce.

Modern Mexico City

Eleven Eleven

1111 Westheimer Rd · Montrose (Tower Theater building) · open daily 4 p.m.–2 a.m.

The Tower Theater at 1111 Westheimer opened in 1939 as a neighborhood movie house and has been a Montrose landmark ever since. The cocktail bar and kitchen that moved in during May 2026 brings the Mexico City omakase-cocktail format to Houston: small-production mezcals, clarified and carbonated drinks with precise presentation, and food from chef Emmanuel Chavez, who also runs Tatémo in Houston. The menu runs ribeye tacos, tuna tostadas, carnitas tacos, and pollo al pastor wings — small plates designed to pair with serious drinks, not to replace a full dinner.

Best for: a cocktail-forward evening; chef-driven small plates; a 2 a.m. close.

Bar Xolo

Westheimer Rd · Montrose · Sun–Wed 4–11 p.m., Thu–Sat 4 p.m.–1 a.m.; Fri–Sat brunch 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

Bar Xolo opened in February 2026 as a Mexico City-style small-plates bar on Westheimer. The menu runs pulpo in white mole, blue-corn potato tacos with Oaxaca cheese, and a cocktail program built around small-production agave spirits — clarified drinks, carbonated preparations, presented with the care of a wine list. The food is designed to accompany the cocktails, not compete with them.

If you are planning a date night in Montrose, Bar Xolo and Eleven Eleven are the two spots where the drink is the main event.

Best for: Mexico City cocktails with food; agave spirits; drinks-focused date nights.

Save this: the Westheimer crawl

Three stops within walking distance for a Friday or Saturday evening:

1. Dinner at Cuchara (214 Fairview St) — Mexico City home cooking; order the enfrijoladas or the mole negro.
2. Drinks at Eleven Eleven (1111 Westheimer, Tower Theater) — one round of mezcal cocktails and a plate of carnitas tacos.
3. Final drink at Bar Xolo (Westheimer) — a clarified cocktail and the pulpo in white mole.

All three are within comfortable walking distance on the Westheimer corridor. Walk or take a rideshare between stops.

Quick checklist before you go

• Hugo's is closed Monday for lunch; reserve for Sunday brunch — it books out most weekends.
• Chapultepec Lupita is the only kitchen here open past 1 a.m., closing at 4 a.m. Thursday through Sunday.
• El Rey Taqueria opens at 7 a.m. daily — the earliest breakfast tacos on this list.
• Eleven Eleven and Bar Xolo are newer arrivals to Westheimer; confirm hours before you go.
• Street parking on Westheimer fills by 7 p.m. on weekend evenings. Park early or use the garage off Montrose Blvd.

More eating in Montrose and Houston

For the full Montrose picture, start with the Montrose restaurant guide and the Montrose brunch guide. For Mexican food across the city, the best Mexican restaurants in Houston guide and the best Tex-Mex in Houston guide cover what is worth driving for. The cheap eats guide has budget picks citywide.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best restaurant for regional Mexican cooking in Montrose?

Hugo's at 1600 Westheimer Rd is the most serious option in Montrose. Chef Hugo Ortega built the menu around Oaxacan, Yucatan, and Mexico City preparations — including cochinita pibil, slow-roasted lamb barbacoa, and chapulines. Hugo's has operated in Montrose since 2002.

Where can I get late-night Mexican food in Montrose?

Chapultepec Lupita at 813 Richmond Ave stays open until 4 a.m. Thursday through Sunday, serving full Tex-Mex combination plates. El Rey Taqueria on Shepherd closes at midnight Monday through Saturday. Both are confirmed open as of October 2026.

Are there good taquerias in Montrose?

Yes. El Rey Taqueria at 910 Shepherd Dr opens at 7 a.m. daily and is best known for its Cuban Taco (ropa vieja in a flour tortilla). Torchy's Tacos at 2411 S Shepherd Dr stays open until 11 p.m. on weekends. Tacos A Go Go at 3704 Main St is on the Montrose–Midtown boundary and opens at 7 a.m. daily.

Where can I find Mexico City-style cocktail bars in Montrose?

Two opened in 2026. Eleven Eleven at 1111 Westheimer Rd (Tower Theater building) features food by chef Emmanuel Chavez and a mezcal-focused cocktail program; it closes at 2 a.m. Bar Xolo, also on Westheimer in Montrose, serves pulpo in white mole and blue-corn tacos alongside clarified agave cocktails; it closes at 1 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Does Hugo's take reservations, and where is it?

Hugo's is at 1600 Westheimer Rd, Houston TX 77006, in the heart of Montrose. Reservations are recommended and can be made at hugosrestaurant.net. Sunday brunch in particular books out most weekends.

How long has Chapultepec Lupita been open in Montrose?

Chapultepec Lupita has been on Richmond Avenue in Montrose since 1977 — nearly five decades. It serves classic Tex-Mex with about 60 tequilas and 20 margarita variations, and it keeps some of the latest kitchen hours in the neighborhood.