Best Mexican and Tex-Mex Restaurants in Pasadena, TX

Pasadena, TX has ten verified Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants worth knowing — sit-down Tex-Mex institutions, family taquerias open from breakfast through late night, an interior Mexican kitchen with Mole Poblano, and a small Zacatecan birria spot that brings you free café de olla with every table order. Here's the shortlist, with what to order at each one.

One thing most people outside the city don't know: Casa Olé wasn't born in Houston. The chain that has served the Gulf Coast for more than 50 years was founded right here in Pasadena in 1973. The original Spencer Highway location is still open.

How we defined Pasadena

Pasadena is an independent city east of Houston in Harris County, with zip codes 77501–77508. Its main corridors are Spencer Highway, Southmore Avenue, Red Bluff Road, and Fairmont Parkway. We did not include restaurants in Clear Lake, Deer Park, La Porte, Friendswood, or Pearland — each has its own guide. Every restaurant on this list has a Pasadena address and was confirmed open as of October 2026.

How we chose

We looked for places with current hours posted on an official website or official social account, a clear reason to go, and something that earns the drive. We covered the full range — Tex-Mex combination plates, taquerias serving handmade-tortilla tacos from early morning, interior Mexican cooking, and one highly specific regional specialist. We left out any place where we couldn't confirm current operating hours from a first-party source.

The quick list

• For the Tex-Mex origin story: Casa Olé, Spencer Highway — the original 1973 location
• For families with kids: Jimmy Changas, Center Street — indoor playground, full bar
• For a long margarita-and-fajitas dinner: Don Pepe's Mexican Bar & Grill, Fairmont Pkwy
• For handmade-tortilla tacos, any hour: Taquerias Arandas, Southmore Avenue
• For a classic no-frills taqueria breakfast: Taqueria El Sol de Jalisco, Southmore Avenue
• For gorditas and the Jalisco Burrito: Taqueria Puro Jalisco, South Richey Street
• For quesabirria and brisket tacos: Primos Taco House, Queens Road
• For interior Mexican — mole, carne guisada, enchiladas suizas: Doña Chela #3, Spencer Highway
• For Zacatecan birria + free café de olla: Birria Patro Jaramillo, Pasadena Boulevard
• For marinated meats to cook at home or eat on the spot: La Michoacana Meat Market, Spencer Highway

Sit-down Tex-Mex

Casa Olé — 7750 Spencer Highway

Pasadena's founding Tex-Mex chain · open daily

Casa Olé was founded in Pasadena in 1973, and the Spencer Highway address is that original location. The menu is a full Tex-Mex spread: combination plates with tamales, cheese enchiladas, crispy beef tacos, and bean chalupas on one plate; chile con queso served in a dish; frozen margaritas. A second Pasadena location operates at 4018 Spencer Highway if the original is busy.

Best for: out-of-town visitors who want to try the place where the chain started, or anyone who grew up eating the combination plate.

Check current hours at casaole.com before you go.

Jimmy Changas — 5144 Center Street

Full Tex-Mex with a kids' playground · open daily

Jimmy Changas runs the full Tex-Mex menu — fajitas, enchiladas, tacos, combination plates — alongside a full bar with margaritas. The indoor kids' playground makes this the practical choice when the whole family is along. Gluten-free and vegetarian options are listed on the menu. Hours are typically Sunday through Thursday 11 am to 9 pm, Friday and Saturday until 10 pm; check the official site before you go.

Best for: families. See jimmychangas.com for the current menu.

Don Pepe's Mexican Bar & Grill — 4940 Fairmont Parkway

Sit-down cantina · typically open daily

Don Pepe's is the right choice when you want a longer meal with a proper margarita. The menu runs from cantina nachos and quesadillas through enchiladas and fajitas. Hours are typically Monday through Thursday 10 am–8:45 pm, Friday 10 am–9:45 pm, Saturday 9 am–9:45 pm, Sunday 9 am–8:45 pm — check donpepesbargrilltx.com for any updates.

Best for: a relaxed weeknight dinner when you want chips, queso, and a margarita without rushing.

Taquerias

Taquerias Arandas — 2828 Southmore Avenue

Handmade tortillas · open until midnight Friday and Saturday

The Taquerias Arandas story starts with Houston, not a corporate office. According to the company, founder Jose Camarena and his wife launched their first taqueria in Houston in 1981 after mortgaging their personal possessions — and he asked his first customer to pay upfront so he could run across the street for more ingredients. Today Arandas operates 26 Texas locations. The Pasadena location keeps that original ethos: handmade tortillas, tacos, fajitas, menudo, and chilaquiles at breakfast, open until 2 am on weekends.

What to order: any taco — the tortillas are made in-house. Menudo on weekend mornings. Chilaquiles for breakfast.

See taqueriasarandas.com for locations and hours.

Taqueria El Sol de Jalisco — 501 W. Southmore Avenue

Classic taqueria · open daily from early morning

El Sol de Jalisco is the kind of place you go for a $2 breakfast taco before work and again at 9 pm for a carne asada plate. Hours are typically daily from 7 am to 10 pm. The menu covers tacos al pastor, carne asada, grilled chicken, queso flameado, and huevos con chorizo for breakfast. The tortillas are handmade. There's a salsa bar.

What to order: tacos al pastor, queso flameado, or a full breakfast plate.

Check hours at taqueriaelsoldejalisco1.netwaiter.com before a late visit.

Taqueria Puro Jalisco — 1629 S. Richey Street

Interior Mexican and Tex-Mex hybrid · open from 7 am daily

Puro Jalisco bridges interior Mexican and Tex-Mex cooking in the same menu. You can order the Jalisco Burrito (covered in chile con queso) or the Super California Burrito alongside Caldo de Res or camarones al mojo de ajo. Gorditas are a standout here. Hours are typically Sunday through Thursday 7 am to 10 pm, Friday and Saturday until 11 pm.

What to order: gorditas, the Jalisco Burrito, or shrimp in garlic butter.

See the full menu at taqueriapurojaliscotx.com.

Primos Taco House — 723 Queens Road

Quesabirria, brisket tacos, barbacoa · open daily from 7 am

Primos is the place to know if you want birria tacos and brisket tacos under the same roof. The menu also runs to barbacoa and breakfast tortas.

What to order: quesabirria tacos, brisket tacos, or the barbacoa plate.

Call ahead to confirm current hours.

Interior Mexican

Doña Chela Restaurant #3 — 7222 Spencer Highway

Mole, enchiladas suizas, carne guisada · private dining room available

Doña Chela is the place on this list for interior Mexican cooking — not Tex-Mex combination plates, but mole poblano, enchiladas suizas verdes, asado de puerco (pork in red pepper sauce), and carne guisada mexicana (beef simmered with salsa and jalapeño). Tortillas are made fresh. The restaurant also offers a private dining room, which is unusual at this price point. Hours are typically Monday through Thursday 10 am to 9 pm, Friday 10 am to 11 pm, Saturday 8 am to 11 pm, Sunday 8 am to 9 pm.

What to order: mole poblano, enchiladas suizas, or the shrimp coctel.

Order online at donachela3.com.

For the specialists

Birria Patro Jaramillo — 616 Pasadena Boulevard

Zacatecan birria · free café de olla with dine-in orders

Birria Patro Jaramillo is a small family-run operation where the parents cook and the daughters work front-of-house. The birria here is Zacatecan-style, which is distinct from the Jalisco version that went viral on social media: made with beef, braised in a dark dried-chile broth, with a richer, darker consomé. Every dine-in order comes with free café de olla — cinnamon and piloncillo-spiced coffee, brewed in a clay pot. This is not the place to discover, it's already found — but it's the kind of spot that becomes your specific recommendation to people who think they've tried all the birria in town.

What to order: quesabirria taco dorado combo, the birria plate with consomé for dipping, and let them bring the café de olla.

Hours are typically Monday–Tuesday and Thursday–Sunday 8:30 am to 7:30 pm, Wednesday 8:30 am to 4 pm. Call (713) 505-1051 before you go.

La Michoacana Meat Market — 3201 Spencer Highway

Carnicería + taqueria · open daily 6 am–9 pm

La Michoacana is a grocery store and carnicería first, but the in-house taqueria at the Spencer Highway location serves marinated meats — carnitas, al pastor, carne asada — alongside fresh handmade tortillas. The marinated meats to cook at home are the other reason to stop in. A second Pasadena location operates at 502 S. Shaver Street (daily 6 am–10 pm).

What to order at the taqueria: carnitas tacos or a carne asada plate. What to take home: the al pastor or carnitas, pre-marinated.

See lamichoacanameatmarket.com for hours.

Save this: Pasadena Mexican food checklist

• For the origin story: eat at the Casa Olé on Spencer Highway and know you're at the founding location.
• For breakfast: Taqueria El Sol de Jalisco or Taquerias Arandas opens at 7–7:30 am daily with handmade tortillas.
• For a full family dinner with a playground: Jimmy Changas on Center Street.
• For interior Mexican cooking: Doña Chela #3 on Spencer Highway — order the mole.
• For birria that's different from every other birria in town: Birria Patro Jaramillo on Pasadena Boulevard, and accept the café de olla.
• For late-night tacos: Taquerias Arandas stays open until 2 am on Fridays and Saturdays.
• For meat to take home: La Michoacana on Spencer Highway, marinated carnitas or al pastor.

More eating in the area

If you're heading south toward the bay, best Mexican restaurants in Clear Lake and best Mexican restaurants in League City cover the next tier down. For the broader Houston picture, start with best Mexican restaurants in Houston and the best Tex-Mex in Houston guide. If tacos are the specific mission, best tacos in Houston has the full map.

For context on the city itself, the Pasadena Strawberry Festival guide is useful if you're planning a spring trip. The festival draws more than 100,000 visitors and runs annually in late May — and yes, the tamale vendors are as popular as the strawberry shortcake.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is the oldest Mexican restaurant chain in Pasadena, TX?

Casa Olé was founded in Pasadena in 1973, making it the origin point of that chain. The original location at 7750 Spencer Highway is still open.

What is Zacatecan birria and how is it different from Jalisco birria?

Zacatecan birria is made with beef braised in a dark dried-chile broth, producing a richer, darker consomé than the Jalisco-style version. Birria Patro Jaramillo on Pasadena Boulevard specializes in it and serves free café de olla (cinnamon and piloncillo coffee) with every dine-in order.

Where can I get handmade-tortilla tacos in Pasadena, TX?

Taquerias Arandas at 2828 Southmore Avenue and Taqueria El Sol de Jalisco at 501 W. Southmore Avenue both make tortillas in-house. Arandas opens at 7:30 am and stays open until 2 am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Which Pasadena, TX Mexican restaurants are good for families with kids?

Jimmy Changas at 5144 Center Street has an indoor kids' playground, a full Tex-Mex menu, and a full bar for the adults. It is open daily.

Is there interior Mexican food (not just Tex-Mex) in Pasadena, TX?

Yes. Doña Chela Restaurant #3 at 7222 Spencer Highway serves mole poblano, enchiladas suizas verdes, asado de puerco, and carne guisada mexicana with freshly made tortillas.

Where is Pasadena, TX relative to Houston?

Pasadena is an independent city east of Houston in Harris County, accessible via Spencer Highway or Red Bluff Road from downtown Houston. It borders Deer Park, La Porte, Friendswood, and Clear Lake.