Best Tacos in the Galleria and Uptown, Houston

The Galleria and Uptown area of Houston—centered on Post Oak Boulevard and the Westheimer corridor, bounded roughly by I-69 to the south, I-10 to the north, Kirby Drive to the east, and Gessner Drive to the west—has nine taco spots confirmed open as of October 2026. They range from a late-night street taco counter on West Alabama to a Tex-Mex institution that has been on the same Westheimer block since 1964.

This is not the densest taco zone in the city. The Heights and east Houston have more trucks per block. But the Galleria and Uptown area has its own taco culture, and the nine spots below are all worth knowing.

The quick list

• Best late-night street tacos: Tacos Tierra Caliente, 2003 W Alabama St
• Best breakfast and all-day tacos: Tacos A Go Go, 2231 S Voss Rd—open daily 7 AM–10 PM with a drive-thru
• Most creative fillings: Velvet Taco, 2626 W Loop South—open until 3 AM on weekends
• Best fajita tacos: Pappasito's Cantina on Richmond Ave, or The Original Ninfa's Uptown on Post Oak Blvd
• In business since 1964: El Patio, longest-running Tex-Mex in the Galleria corridor
• Best for a Tex-Mex dinner: El Tiempo Cantina or Armando's

How we chose

We focused on places where tacos are the point or the clear headliner—taquerias, taco counters, and Tex-Mex restaurants where the fajita taco defines the experience. Each spot was confirmed open as of October 2026 via its own official website, a current Yelp listing, or an active online-ordering page. Every address falls within the Galleria and Uptown zone as defined above. We note when a pick is at the edge of the boundary.

Tacos A Go Go — South Voss

2231 S Voss Rd · Galleria/Uptown · daily 7 AM–10 PM

Tacos A Go Go opened its Voss location in January 2026 as part of the chain's 20th-anniversary expansion. It is the only spot on this list with a dedicated drive-thru pickup window, which makes it useful before or after a Galleria shopping day. The menu runs from street tacos—lamb barbacoa, carne guisada, al pastor, pollo tinga—to Tex Tacos: beef fajita, chicken fajita, Texas Brisket, grilled shrimp, blackened fish. The bar opens at 11 AM; happy hour runs 2–5 PM with $5 margaritas.

Order: The Texas Brisket Taco or the Lamb Barbacoa street taco. Breakfast tacos are served from 7 AM until 11 AM daily.

Tacos Tierra Caliente

2003 W Alabama St · eastern Galleria/Uptown boundary · Sunday–Thursday 7:30 AM–10 PM, Friday–Saturday 7:30 AM–11 PM

Tacos Tierra Caliente is a no-frills counter taqueria with more than 1,000 Yelp reviews and a steady following. The setup: order at the window, get your tacos on a paper plate. The fillings—al pastor, barbacoa, carnitas, chicharrón—come on handmade tortillas. This is the closest thing to a traditional street taco counter in the Galleria/Uptown area. It sits at the eastern edge of the zone, near the Kirby/Weslayan line. Bring cash; seating is minimal.

Order: Al pastor, barbacoa, or carnitas. One of each is not overkill.

Velvet Taco — Galleria

2626 W Loop South, Suite 120 · Galleria · Sunday–Wednesday 10:30 AM–midnight, Thursday 10:30 AM–1 AM, Friday–Saturday 10:30 AM–3 AM

Velvet Taco sits on the West Loop in the middle of the Galleria corridor and is open later than anywhere else on this list—until 3 AM on Friday and Saturday. The permanent menu runs to a Chicken and Waffle taco, Spicy Tikka Chicken taco, and Korean BBQ taco. A rotating Weekly Taco Feature changes regularly. It is the most creative option in the zone and the most useful for a post-Galleria evening.

Order: The current Weekly Taco Feature plus the Spicy Tikka Chicken for comparison.

El Tiempo Cantina — Galleria

6100 Westheimer Rd, Suite 100 · Galleria · check eltiempocantina.com for current hours

El Tiempo Cantina is a Houston Tex-Mex institution and its Galleria location on Westheimer is the most central pick on this list. The puffy taco—a fried, puffed tortilla shell filled with beef picadillo or chicken tinga—is El Tiempo's signature and one of the defining Tex-Mex taco formats in Houston. The fajita plates are serious business for groups.

Order: Puffy tacos first. Add a fajita plate if there are two of you.

The Laurenzo family connection: El Tiempo is operated by members of the Laurenzo family—the same family behind The Original Ninfa's on Navigation Boulevard. Mama Ninfa Laurenzo is credited with popularizing the fajita taco in Houston in 1973 on Navigation Boulevard. Both El Tiempo and Ninfa's trace their taco DNA to that same kitchen. It is one of the most consequential family legacies in Houston food history, and most people eating puffy tacos on Westheimer don't know they're a part of it.

The Original Ninfa's Uptown

1700 Post Oak Blvd · Galleria/Uptown · check ninfas.com for current hours · valet parking available

The Post Oak Blvd location of The Original Ninfa's sits in the center of the Uptown corridor and brings the wood-fired Tex-Mex cooking that made the Navigation Boulevard original famous. Chef Patricia Delgado leads the kitchen. The fajita taco—grilled beef or chicken, fresh flour tortilla, guacamole, pico de gallo—is the standard against which most Houston Tex-Mex is measured. Valet parking is available on Post Oak.

Order: The fajita tacos. This is the direct descendant of what Mama Ninfa Laurenzo put on the menu in 1973.

Pappasito's Cantina — Richmond

6445 Richmond Ave · Galleria/Uptown · typically 11 AM–10 PM Sunday–Thursday, 11 AM–11 PM Friday–Saturday

The Richmond Ave Pappasito's is one of the Houston originals in the Pappas family restaurant empire, sitting between Hillcroft and Fountain View squarely inside the Galleria/Uptown zone. The fajita taco—beef or chicken, served with guacamole and flour tortillas—is the headliner. Portions are large, margaritas are strong, and weekend waits run long. Go early or late.

Order: Beef fajita tacos with guacamole. Don't skip the queso.

El Patio

6444 Westheimer Rd · Galleria · Monday–Wednesday 11 AM–10 PM, Thursday–Saturday 11 AM–11 PM, Sunday 11 AM–10 PM

El Patio has been on this Westheimer block since 1964—more than six decades at the same address, outlasting every wave of restaurant openings and closings around it. The menu is classic Tex-Mex: combination plates, enchiladas, tacos. It is not a taco-truck concept, but it is the longest-running Tex-Mex restaurant in the Galleria corridor and the one your parents' Houston knows.

Order: Ask the server for the taco options from the combination plates.

Armando's

2630 Westheimer Rd · eastern Galleria/Uptown · Monday–Wednesday 4 PM–9 PM, Thursday 4 PM–1 AM, Friday–Saturday 4 PM–10 PM · closed Sunday

Armando's is a dinner-only Tex-Mex restaurant that opened in 1978 near the Westheimer and Shepherd intersection, at the eastern edge of the Galleria/Uptown zone closest to River Oaks. The carne asada—char-grilled skirt steak—is the draw, served with warm tortillas for table-side taco assembly. The room has old-school Houston energy: dark wood, dim lighting, regulars who have been coming for decades.

Order: Carne asada. Build your own tacos at the table. Dinner only; don't arrive before 4 PM.

Cyclone Anaya's — City Centre

800 Town and Country Blvd · just west of the Galleria · Sunday 10 AM–11 PM, Monday–Friday 11 AM–11 PM, Saturday 10 AM–11 PM

City Centre is about a mile west of the Galleria, just beyond the I-610 West Loop, but it draws heavily from the Uptown crowd. Cyclone Anaya's taco menu is one of the more complete in the area: a Brisket Taco (smoked brisket, ancho guajillo sauce, spicy slaw), Bomba Shrimp Taco, Blackened Mahi Taco, Tacos Al Pastor, and Tacos Al Carbon. Weekend brunch starts at 10 AM.

Order: The Brisket Taco or the Bomba Shrimp Taco.

Boundary note: This location is technically west of I-610, outside the Uptown Management District proper. We include it because it is the closest full taco menu to the Galleria on the west side and is frequented by the same crowd.

Save this: a Galleria taco day

Plan by time of day rather than geography. Use a rideshare for the evening stops.

Morning through afternoon

1. Start at Tacos A Go Go on South Voss before 11 AM for breakfast tacos. Drive-thru available.
2. By late morning or lunch, Velvet Taco on the West Loop opens at 10:30 AM with the week's WTF taco.
3. Mid-afternoon, Tacos Tierra Caliente on W Alabama for street tacos before the evening crowds arrive.

Dinner

1. Pappasito's on Richmond or El Tiempo on Westheimer for fajita tacos and margaritas. Both handle large groups.
2. Cap the night at Velvet Taco, open until midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 3 AM on weekends.

Before you go: a quick checklist

• Tacos A Go Go (Voss): Drive-thru available. Bar opens at 11 AM; happy hour 2–5 PM.
• Tacos Tierra Caliente: Cash preferred. Counter service, minimal seating.
• Velvet Taco: Open until 3 AM Friday–Saturday. Weekly Taco Feature changes regularly.
• El Tiempo: Puffy tacos are the signature. Check hours—the official site has been intermittently inaccessible.
• Ninfa's Uptown: Valet parking on Post Oak Blvd. Wood-fired cooking.
• Pappasito's: Large portions. Weekend waits are common—go early or late.
• El Patio: Oldest spot on the list, open since 1964. Classic combo plates.
• Armando's: Dinner only, closed Sundays. Eastern boundary of the zone, closest to River Oaks.
• Cyclone Anaya's (City Centre): Just west of I-610. Weekend brunch from 10 AM.

More to eat in the Galleria and Uptown

For a broader picture of the neighborhood, check our Galleria and Uptown restaurant guide and the best Tex-Mex in Houston. The streets just east of Kirby are covered in our Upper Kirby restaurant guide and River Oaks restaurant guide. For an overview of the neighborhood itself, see the Galleria/Uptown area guide. If you're also shopping, our Galleria shopping guide has the full picture.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best tacos in the Galleria area of Houston?

Nine taco spots are confirmed open in the Galleria and Uptown area as of October 2026: Tacos A Go Go (2231 S Voss Rd, drive-thru, daily 7 AM–10 PM), Velvet Taco (2626 W Loop South, open until 3 AM on weekends), El Tiempo Cantina (6100 Westheimer, known for puffy tacos), Pappasito's Cantina (6445 Richmond Ave, fajita tacos), The Original Ninfa's Uptown (1700 Post Oak Blvd), Tacos Tierra Caliente (2003 W Alabama, late-night counter), El Patio (6444 Westheimer, since 1964), Armando's (2630 Westheimer, dinner only), and Cyclone Anaya's (800 Town and Country Blvd, just west of the 610 loop).

Where can I get late-night tacos near the Galleria?

Velvet Taco at 2626 W Loop South is open until midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 3 AM on Friday and Saturday. Tacos Tierra Caliente at 2003 W Alabama St is open until 10 PM Sunday through Thursday and until 11 PM on weekends.

Is there a taco truck in the Galleria or Uptown area?

Tacos Tierra Caliente at 2003 W Alabama St operates as a walk-up taco counter in the style of a food truck—order at the window, get tacos on a paper plate. Tacos A Go Go at 2231 S Voss Rd has a drive-thru pickup window. The Galleria and Uptown area has fewer traditional trucks than neighborhoods like the Heights or east Houston, but both spots fill that role.

What is the oldest Mexican restaurant in the Galleria area?

El Patio at 6444 Westheimer Rd has been in business since 1964, making it the longest-running Tex-Mex restaurant in the Galleria corridor. It is open Monday through Sunday for lunch and dinner.

Where can I get breakfast tacos near the Galleria?

Tacos A Go Go at 2231 S Voss Rd serves breakfast tacos daily from 7 AM until 11 AM. Tacos Tierra Caliente at 2003 W Alabama St also opens at 7:30 AM. Cyclone Anaya's at 800 Town and Country Blvd (just west of I-610) serves weekend brunch from 10 AM.

What is the connection between El Tiempo Cantina and The Original Ninfa's?

Both restaurants are connected to the Laurenzo family. Mama Ninfa Laurenzo founded The Original Ninfa's on Navigation Boulevard, where she is credited with popularizing the fajita taco in Houston in 1973. El Tiempo Cantina was later opened by Laurenzo family members and carries forward the same Tex-Mex tradition, including the signature puffy taco.