Best Mexican Restaurants in Spring, TX: Tex-Mex, Tacos, Margaritas
Date Published
Here's something most people driving FM 2920 don't know: our favorite big-night Mexican dinner in Spring is served in a shopping-center suite, and the restaurant's own site lists a Michelin Bib Gourmand and a 2024 James Beard semifinalist nod among its honors. Spring is also where a three-brother Tex-Mex brand opened its very first dining room in 1987, and it's still serving fajitas at the same address.
Spring doesn't need to borrow its Mexican food from Houston or The Woodlands. This is our shortlist of Mexican restaurants in Spring, from decades-old Tex-Mex dining rooms to a 6 am taqueria, a late-night birria counter and a chef-driven dinner worth booking. Every pick lists a Spring, TX address and current hours on its own official website.
The quick list
- For a special-occasion dinner: Belly of the Beast, Mexican-American cooking from a chef trained in Los Angeles kitchens.
- For an old-school Tex-Mex night: El Palenque, El Rincon or Las Cascadas.
- For margaritas with a group: Alicia's Mexican Grille or El Chaparro.
- For a big family party: Gringo's, which has a private room for up to 85 guests.
- For breakfast tacos at dawn: Taqueria El Rodeo de Jalisco, which typically opens at 6 am.
- For late-night birria: Dripped Birria.
- For live music and micheladas: Chycho's.
- For a quick taco: Torchy's.
How we chose (and where Spring ends)
Spring isn't a city, so it has no city limits. For this guide, Spring means the unincorporated communities of north Harris County that carry a Spring, TX mailing address, from Old Town Spring and the I-45 corridor west along FM 2920, Louetta and Kuykendahl. Every restaurant here lists a Spring, TX address on its own website, in ZIP codes 77373, 77379, 77388 and 77389. We left out places in The Woodlands Township and Tomball, and spots on FM 1960 that use a Houston address. The Woodlands gets its own guide.
Each pick had to post current hours on its official site, and earn its place with something specific: a family history, a regional dish, a great margarita, a reason to choose it over the chain down the road. Hours below are what each restaurant typically lists. Check before you go, especially early in the week.
Tex-Mex institutions
El Palenque
Spring Cypress Road, 1485 Spring Cypress Rd · cantina and patio · open daily
The three Serna brothers founded El Palenque in 1987, and this Spring dining room is the original. The restaurant says it has served Spring from this address ever since. Expect a big salon, a cantina and a remodeled patio, plus the full Tex-Mex lineup of sizzling fajitas, enchiladas and margaritas.
What to order: the Parrillada Palenque, beef and chicken fajitas cooked with poblanos, onions and bacon. If you can't decide between surf and turf, the Hugo Special pairs skirt steak with grilled shrimp.
Why it's on the list: it's a real Spring original, a short drive west of Old Town Spring. Hours typically run 11 am to 9 pm Sunday through Thursday and until 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
El Rincon
Louetta Road, 9001 Louetta Rd · happy hour · open daily
El Rincon has served Spring for more than 25 years, by its own count, and it has the menu to prove it: six kinds of nachos, queso flameado with chorizo, and Camarones Bravos, jumbo shrimp stuffed with Monterey Jack and jalapeño and wrapped in bacon.
Insider tip: happy hour typically runs 11 am to 6 pm on weekdays, but on Wednesdays and Saturdays it lasts all day. Save this one for a Saturday.
Why it's on the list: a neighborhood Tex-Mex room that does the classics properly.
Las Cascadas
Cypresswood Drive, 250 Cypresswood Dr · happy hour · open daily
El Rincon's sister restaurant has more than 21 years in Spring and the same playbook: family-style Tex-Mex, a weekday lunch menu from 11 am to 3 pm, and the same generous happy hour schedule, including all day Wednesday and Saturday.
Why it's on the list: if you live on the east side of Spring, near I-45, this is your El Rincon.
Gringo's Mexican Kitchen
I-45 North, 19330 Interstate 45 N · private dining room · open daily
Gringo's has been in Texas since 1993, when founder Russell Ybarra, who the company calls its "Master Enchilada Roller," opened the first location in Pearland. Every Gringo's comes with its own margarita and spirits cantina, and the menu goes past the usual Tex-Mex. Order the Southwest Eggrolls, one of the brand's signatures.
Good to know: this location is cashless, so bring a card. The private Privado Room seats up to 85, which makes it the easy answer for a quinceañera dinner, team party or rehearsal dinner.
Why it's on the list: reliable Tex-Mex right on I-45, with room for the whole crew. Hours typically run 11 am to 9 pm Sunday through Thursday, until 10 pm Fridays and Saturdays.
Margarita nights
Alicia's Mexican Grille
Kuykendahl Road, 20920 Kuykendahl Rd · margaritas · open daily
Alicia's is the Herrera family's Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurant, and it says plainly that margaritas are "kind of our thing." Choose from classic, frozen or something seasonal from the drink menu, then order sizzling fajitas for the table.
Insider tip: Alicia's rewards program gives you $10 back for every $100 you spend, and you can redeem it at any Grupo Herrera restaurant.
Why it's on the list: our pick for a lively group dinner on the west side of Spring. Check its website for current hours.
El Chaparro Mexican Bar & Grill
Kuykendahl at Gosling, 20444 Kuykendahl Rd · breakfast all day · open daily
El Chaparro is family-owned and family-run, and its house margaritas are made with fresh lime juice and 100% agave tequila. Step up to a premium rita if you like: the jalapeño margarita and the Cadillac, made with reposado tequila, are both on the list.
Insider tip: breakfast is served all day, every day, from waffles and French toast to Mexican plates. On weekends the doors typically open at 10:30 am, which makes this a good brunch move.
Why it's on the list: margaritas worth ordering and a menu that suits a family with picky eaters.
Regional and chef-driven Mexican
Belly of the Beast
FM 2920, 5200 FM 2920 Rd · reservations · dinner Wednesday to Saturday
Chef Thomas Bille honed his craft in Los Angeles kitchens before settling in Spring, and the restaurant describes its food as rooted in growing up in Mexican households as first-generation Americans. Belly of the Beast first opened in 2020, took a two-year break, and came back with an even sharper focus on its Mexican-American roots and seasonal ingredients.
The menu changes, but expect dishes like Texas wagyu carne asada with frijoles, birria quesotacos made with Texas wagyu, and tres leches with passion fruit meringue.
Good to know: dinner is typically served Wednesday through Saturday, 5 to 9 pm, and you should book ahead.
Why it's on the list: it's our answer to "where should we go for a big night?" and, in our opinion, worth the drive from inside the Loop.
Taqueria El Rodeo de Jalisco
Kuykendahl Road, 19411 Kuykendahl Rd · opens early · open daily
The name tells you where the kitchen's heart is. Order the Enchiladas Jaliscienses, the Guadalajara-style beef chunks, or the El Rodeo Fajita Skillet with shrimp, beef and chicken fajita, sized for one to four people. There's a full breakfast menu and weekend specials too.
Insider tip: the doors typically open at 6 am every day and stay open until 11 pm, or midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. That's the earliest breakfast taco on this list.
Why it's on the list: a proper taqueria with a long menu and early hours.
Dripped Birria
Spring Stuebner Road, 6633 Spring Stuebner Rd · late night · open daily
This Houston-area birria specialist builds its recipe on a marinade of dried chiles and fresh herbs, then slow-cooks 100% halal beef for hours. Order the quesabirria tacos and dip them in the consomé. If you're feeling adventurous, try the birria ramen.
Insider tip: Dripped Birria typically lists hours that run until 4 am, so this is your after-a-show stop. Check the Spring location's hours before a late run.
Why it's on the list: serious birria, served late, without leaving Spring.
Taquerias and quick tacos
Chycho's
Aldine Westfield Road, 23206 Aldine Westfield Rd · live music · breakfast to late night
Chycho's started as a taco truck and grew into a family-owned, full-service restaurant with a sports bar, live music and a refresquería serving Mexican-style ice cream, juices and snacks. Order a michelada from the house list, which the bar calls "Las Mas Perronas Micheladas."
Insider tip: it typically opens at 7 am every day and stays open until 2 am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Why it's on the list: breakfast, lunch, dinner and a night out, all under one roof.
Torchy's Tacos
Spring Stuebner Road, 2156 Spring Stuebner Rd · quick tacos · open daily
Yes, it's a chain, but Torchy's Spring location is the easy grab-and-go taco stop on this list. Get the Green Chile Queso and a Trailer Park.
Good to know: it typically opens at 10 am on weekdays and 9 am on weekends, with dine-in, pickup and curbside.
Why it's on the list: a reliable stop when you're between soccer practices.
Save this: a Spring taco-to-tequila day
- 7 am: breakfast at Chycho's, or at El Rodeo de Jalisco if you're up by 6 am.
- Late morning: walk Old Town Spring. Our things to do in Spring guide has the shops and history.
- Lunch: El Palenque on Spring Cypress Road, close to Old Town.
- Afternoon: happy hour at El Rincon or Las Cascadas (all day on Saturdays).
- Dinner: Belly of the Beast, booked in advance, or margaritas at Alicia's or El Chaparro.
- Midnight snack: quesabirria at Dripped Birria.
One more tip: some of Spring's handiest breakfast tacos come from a gas station. Laredo Taco Company runs taco counters inside select 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes stores; use its restaurant locator to find the closest one before your morning commute.
More Spring and Mexican food guides
For more places to eat around here, start with our best restaurants in Spring, TX, and our Spring area page. Thinking about moving here? Read living in Spring, TX.
Willing to drive into the city? Compare these picks with our best Mexican restaurants in Houston, best Tex-Mex in Houston and best tacos in Houston guides, or our late-night food roundup.
Last verified: October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Mexican restaurants in Spring, TX?
Our picks include Belly of the Beast for a special dinner, El Palenque, El Rincon and Las Cascadas for classic Tex-Mex, Alicia's and El Chaparro for margaritas, and Taqueria El Rodeo de Jalisco, Chycho's and Dripped Birria for tacos.
What is the oldest Mexican restaurant on this list?
El Palenque Spring, at 1485 Spring Cypress Rd, is the brand's original location and says it has served Spring since 1987.
Where can I get Mexican food late at night in Spring?
Dripped Birria on Spring Stuebner Road typically lists hours until 4 am, and Chycho's on Aldine Westfield Road typically stays open until 2 am on Fridays and Saturdays. Check before you go.
Where can I get breakfast tacos early in Spring?
Taqueria El Rodeo de Jalisco on Kuykendahl Road typically opens at 6 am daily, and Chycho's opens at 7 am. El Chaparro serves breakfast all day.
Which Spring Mexican restaurants have the best happy hour?
El Rincon and Las Cascadas typically run happy hour from 11 am to 6 pm on weekdays and all day on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Is Belly of the Beast in Spring open for lunch?
No. It typically serves dinner only, Wednesday through Saturday from 5 to 9 pm, and takes reservations.
Where to get brunch in Spring, TX: Bloody Mary bars on the Grand Parkway, pupusas on FM 2920, and a 1902 saloon in Old Town, plus a Saturday route.
The best pizza in Spring, TX, by style: Chicago thin crust, Detroit squares, New York pies and Venezuelan pizza pastelitos, plus delivery vs dine-in tips.