Best Mexican and Tex-Mex Restaurants on Washington Avenue

Washington Avenue in Houston's Rice Military and Washington Corridor neighborhoods stretches roughly two miles from Shepherd Drive to Westcott Street, about a mile west of downtown. Along that strip and its immediately adjacent blocks — Durham Drive one block east, Shepherd Drive along the eastern edge — you will find ten verified open Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants covering the full range: a Ninfa Laurenzo-dynasty cantina, a counter taqueria that opens at 5 a.m., al pastor on a live trompo, interior Mexican barbacoa from a FIFA World Cup 2026-cited spot, and creative tacos open until 3 a.m. This guide covers every verified open pick along the corridor as of October 2026.

How we define the corridor

For this guide, the Washington Avenue corridor means Washington Avenue itself from Shepherd Drive (77007) west to Westcott Street, plus Shepherd Drive from the Washington intersection south to Memorial Drive, and Durham Drive between I-10 and Washington. Every pick is in or immediately adjacent to the 77007 zip code, within about a mile of each other. The strip is known locally as a bar and restaurant corridor; the Mexican options here anchor its daytime and late-night ends.

How we chose

Each restaurant had to serve Mexican or Tex-Mex food and be confirmed currently open on its own official website or official social page as of October 2026. We looked at the full corridor and found a field thinned by recent closures — Molina's Cantina at 4720 Washington Ave, Federales, and Ula's Mexican all shuttered within the past decade. The ten picks here span the range of styles: sit-down Tex-Mex, counter taquerias, interior Mexican, and creative taco bars. For each, we note what to order and what makes the stop worth it.

On Washington Avenue itself

El Tiempo Cantina — 5602 Washington Ave

El Tiempo Cantina is the corridor's flagship sit-down Tex-Mex restaurant, and its origin traces directly to the Ninfa Laurenzo dynasty. The Laurenzo family introduced grilled skirt steak in flour tortillas — the dish Mama Ninfa called "tacos al carbon" — to the wider Houston public at their Navigation Boulevard restaurant in 1973. El Tiempo carries that tradition forward with mesquite-grilled fajitas, scratch enchiladas and tamales, and the house Pedrito margarita, which the restaurant builds around Hornitos Reposado. The Washington Ave location sits at the western end of the strip, near Westcott Street. Weekend brunch runs Saturday and Sunday mornings. Typical hours: Monday–Thursday 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday to 10 p.m., Saturday–Sunday from 9:30 a.m. Check the official site before you go.

What to order: Mesquite-grilled fajita plate, Chile Relleno A La Ninfa (stuffed with pork carnitas, pecans, raisins, and cinnamon), and the Pedrito margarita.

El Tiempo Taqueria — 5526 Washington Ave

A few steps from the cantina, El Tiempo Taqueria is a separate counter-service concept that opens at 5 a.m. — one of the earliest starts on the entire corridor. Tacos, tortas, and Tex-Mex classics at quick-service prices. Typically open Monday–Saturday from 5 a.m. to around 6 p.m.; closed Sundays. Confirm hours on the official site before going.

What to order: Barbacoa taco, chorizo and egg, or bean and cheese for a quick and inexpensive start.

Velvet Taco — 4819 Washington Ave

Velvet Taco is the corridor's late-night anchor, typically open until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays — the longest hours on this list (check the official site for current hours). The menu is creative and globally-inspired rather than traditional Tex-Mex, but the format is tacos on made-from-scratch tortillas with a full bar. The draw is the WTF (Weekly Taco Feature), which changes every week and builds genuine social buzz. Expect a lively crowd that skews toward the late end of Washington Ave's dining spectrum and plenty of vegetarian options.

What to order: Whatever the WTF is this week; the Buffalo Chicken Taco for a reliable crowd-pleaser.

Laurenzo's Restaurant — 4412 Washington Ave

Laurenzo's blends Tex-Mex classics with Italian-American dishes — think prime rib quesadillas, Gulf seafood, and pasta alongside enchiladas and queso — in a room that reflects the Laurenzo family's dual heritage. The restaurant is linked to the Ninfa Laurenzo family tree: Mama Ninfa's descendants still carry the name in multiple Houston concepts. It is not a pure Mexican restaurant, but the chile-braised plates and queso are legitimately made. Typical hours: Monday–Thursday 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday to 10 p.m. Check the current listing before visiting.

What to order: The queso, fajita plate, and the daily seafood special.

Tacodeli — 1902 Washington Ave (Sawyer Yards)

At the eastern end of the Washington Ave strip, inside the Sawyer Yards arts complex near I-10, Tacodeli has been operating long enough to qualify as a Houston institution. The brand was founded in Austin in 1999, but this location's longevity has made it a neighborhood anchor. The draw is the house-made Doña Sauce — a roasted chile de arbol blend — which has genuine cult status in Houston's breakfast taco world. Typically open from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; check the official site before you go. The patio is pet-friendly. Breakfast tacos are served until 3 p.m. on weekends.

What to order: The Otto taco (refried black beans, double bacon, avocado, jack cheese), migas with pasture-raised eggs, and always the Doña Sauce.

At Shepherd Drive (the eastern gateway)

Shepherd Drive marks the eastern edge of the Washington Ave corridor. Four Mexican spots cluster within a few blocks of each other along Shepherd, covering everything from Mexico City–style al pastor to classic Tex-Mex to near-around-the-clock Cuban-Mexican tacos.

Tio Trompo — 316 Shepherd Dr

A live trompo — the vertical rotating spit that is the defining feature of Mexico City taqueria culture — turns visibly in the dining room at Tio Trompo. Al pastor is shaved directly from the cone of marinated pork to order. Beyond al pastor: tacos arabes (marinated pork on pita bread, a tradition brought to Puebla by Lebanese immigrants), barbacoa, and breakfast tacos served all day. Typically open Tuesday–Saturday 8 a.m.–8 p.m.; check the official site for current hours. Fast, inexpensive, and cash-friendly. The visible trompo is the insider tip: most Houston taqueiros keep the spit hidden in back; here you watch it spin while you wait.

What to order: Al pastor straight from the live trompo, tacos arabes, and barbacoa on weekends.

Polanquito — 404 Shepherd Dr

Named for the Polanco district in Mexico City, Polanquito serves interior Mexican cooking rather than Tex-Mex — lamb barbacoa tacos, cochinita pibil, mole poblano, enfrijoladas (tortillas in black bean sauce), and iced horchata lattes made in-house. The kitchen was cited as a featured sustainable restaurant for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Houston, according to the restaurant. It is a brunch-skewed operation: typically open Tuesday–Thursday 10 a.m.–3 p.m., Friday–Saturday to 8 p.m., and Sunday to 4 p.m.; closed Mondays. Check the official site before you go. Worth going out of your way for if your preference is interior Mexican over Tex-Mex.

What to order: Lamb barbacoa tacos, cochinita pibil, and the horchata latte.

El Rey Taqueria — 910 Shepherd Dr

El Rey is a Houston mini-chain that has been running for more than two decades. The Shepherd location keeps near-late-night hours (check the official site for current times). The menu is unusual: Cuban elements — a Cuban sandwich — sit alongside tacos, fajitas, and breakfast plates, making it a practical stop at almost any hour. It is not a specialty restaurant, but it is reliably open, inexpensive, and covers the full spectrum from early breakfast to after-bar tacos.

What to order: Breakfast tacos, a fajita plate, or the Cuban sandwich if you want something off-script.

Lupe Tortilla — 1511 Shepherd Dr

Founded in 1983 in a 1940s farmhouse in Addicks on Houston's western edge, Lupe Tortilla built its reputation on one dish: the lime-pepper marinated beef fajita, served with hand-rolled flour tortillas pressed and cooked to order. The Shepherd location anchors the southeastern corner of the Washington Ave corridor where Shepherd meets Memorial Drive. The lime-and-pepper marinade and in-house tortillas have been widely imitated, but the original recipe is still made here. Typical hours: Monday–Thursday and Sunday 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday–Saturday 11 a.m.–10 p.m., with brunch from 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday; check the official site before you go.

What to order: Beef fajita plate with hand-rolled flour tortillas and the house margarita made with fresh-squeezed lime.

On Durham Drive (the classic corner)

Cyclone Anaya's Tex-Mex Kitchen — 1710 Durham Dr

Cyclone Anaya's has the best origin story of any restaurant on this strip. According to the restaurant's history, Jesus Becerra Valencia was a professional wrestler who fought under the name Cyclone Anaya in Mexico City and Chicago, until a career-ending injury brought him to Houston. He and his wife Carolina opened a Tex-Mex restaurant in 1961 near the corner of Durham and Washington — essentially the same intersection where the revived brand operates today. The restaurant also claims to have invented the Houston Jumbo Margarita, the giant hand-shaken format that became a city institution. Those two claims alone make it the most quotable stop on the corridor.

What to order: Enchiladas Anaya's (ancho chile sauce, slow-cooked onion, sautéed mushrooms), mesquite-grilled fajita plate, and the house-shaken jumbo margarita.

Save this: Washington Ave Tex-Mex crawl

Never drive between stops after drinking — use a rideshare or designate a driver. This route moves east to west along the corridor.

Morning (weekend)

• Tacodeli (1902 Washington Ave) — open from 6:30 a.m.; Otto taco and Doña Sauce to start.
• El Tiempo Taqueria (5526 Washington Ave) — for a second breakfast taco round at 5 a.m. or later.

Midday

• Tio Trompo (316 Shepherd Dr) — watch the trompo spin, eat al pastor tacos.
• Polanquito (404 Shepherd Dr) — lamb barbacoa and an horchata latte one block away.

Evening

• Cyclone Anaya's (1710 Durham Dr) — jumbo margarita and enchiladas Anaya's before dinner.
• El Tiempo Cantina (5602 Washington Ave) — fajitas and the Pedrito margarita for a proper sit-down finish.

Late night

• Velvet Taco (4819 Washington Ave) — open until 3 a.m. on weekends; the WTF taco as a final stop.

More eating in Houston

For the city-wide Mexican picture, see best Mexican restaurants in Houston and best Tex-Mex in Houston. For brunch options across the city, see best brunch in Houston. The Memorial area restaurant guide covers the immediate neighborhood west of the corridor. For happy hours along the strip, see best happy hours in Houston.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Mexican restaurant on Washington Avenue in Houston?

El Tiempo Cantina at 5602 Washington Ave is the corridor's flagship sit-down Tex-Mex restaurant, part of the Ninfa Laurenzo family dynasty. For Mexico City-style al pastor, Tio Trompo at 316 Shepherd Dr (at the eastern edge of the strip) is the standout choice.

Is El Tiempo Cantina on Washington Avenue open for brunch?

Yes. El Tiempo Cantina at 5602 Washington Ave typically serves brunch on Saturdays and Sundays starting at 9:30 a.m. Check the official site at eltiempocantina.com for current hours before you go.

What Mexican restaurants on Washington Avenue are open late?

Velvet Taco at 4819 Washington Ave is the latest option, open until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. El Rey Taqueria at 910 Shepherd Dr (at the eastern end of the corridor) keeps near-late-night hours most days; check the official site for current times.

What is the difference between El Tiempo Cantina and El Tiempo Taqueria on Washington Avenue?

El Tiempo Cantina (5602 Washington Ave) is a full sit-down Tex-Mex restaurant with a bar, brunch, and the full Ninfa Laurenzo family menu. El Tiempo Taqueria (5526 Washington Ave, a few steps away) is a separate counter-service spot that opens at 5 a.m. and focuses on quick, inexpensive breakfast tacos and tortas.

What is the history of Cyclone Anaya's on Washington Avenue?

Cyclone Anaya's was founded in 1961 by Jesus Becerra Valencia, a professional wrestler who competed under the name Cyclone Anaya in Mexico City and Chicago before a career-ending injury brought him to Houston. He and his wife Carolina opened the original restaurant at the corner of Durham and Washington; the revived brand operates at essentially the same intersection today.

Is there a Mexican restaurant on Washington Avenue that serves interior Mexican food (not Tex-Mex)?

Yes. Polanquito at 404 Shepherd Dr, at the eastern edge of the Washington Ave corridor, serves interior Mexican cooking — lamb barbacoa tacos, cochinita pibil, mole poblano, and enfrijoladas — rather than Tex-Mex. Tio Trompo at 316 Shepherd Dr serves Mexico City-style al pastor from a live trompo and tacos arabes.