Best Tacos in Montrose: Taquerias and Trucks Worth Finding

The best tacos in Montrose, Houston are spread across a tight rectangle of streets: the neighborhood runs from Richmond Avenue on the north to the Southwest Freeway (US-59) on the south, Shepherd Drive on the west and Main Street on the east. Within those four boundaries you have a 24-hour drive-thru, a truck that hasn’t moved corners in 20-plus years, a century-old bakery that closes at 2 p.m., and a James Beard Award-winning kitchen. Eight spots made this list after we checked each one’s official site or official social account for current hours.

For a wider view of the neighborhood’s food scene, see our best restaurants in Montrose guide. For tacos across all of Houston, start with best tacos in Houston.

The quick list

• Best truck: Tacos Tierra Caliente, W Alabama at the West Alabama Ice House
• Best for 3 a.m.: The Taco Stand, 1503 Westheimer (drive-thru open until 5 a.m. Fri–Sat)
• Best breakfast-only: La Guadalupana Bakery, 2109 Dunlavy (closes at 2 p.m.)
• Best for the Fried Chicken taco: Torchy’s South Shepherd, 2411 S. Shepherd (western edge)
• Best legacy Tex-Mex: Chapultepec Lupita, 813 Richmond (since 1977)
• Best taquitos (special occasion): Hugo’s, 1600 Westheimer
• Best for late-night fusion: Velvet Taco, Westheimer Rd
• Best tacos al carbón: El Tiempo Cantina, Westheimer

How we chose

Every spot on this list is inside Montrose as we define it (Richmond to US-59, Shepherd to Main) or on the immediate boundary. We checked each restaurant’s own website or official Instagram for posted hours before including it. We left out El Real Tex-Mex (permanently closed), Mixteco Grill (closed), and any spot whose official web presence had gone dark. "Taquerias and trucks" is the focus, but Montrose is dense enough that a couple of full-service restaurants with excellent tacos earned a place.

Tacos Tierra Caliente

Truck · 2003 W Alabama St, Houston TX 77098 · Mon–Thu and Sun 8 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri–Sat until 11 p.m. · Breakfast tacos until 11 a.m.

Tacos Tierra Caliente has held the same corner across from the West Alabama Ice House for more than two decades. Street tacos are typically $2.75 each, served on doubled-up corn tortillas with cilantro, white onion, and two housemade salsas, one mild and one that will clear your sinuses. The al pastor comes off a vertical trompo (the rotating spit that is the Mexican standard for the cut); the barbacoa is slow-cooked to the point of falling apart; and the chicharrón simmered in salsa is the quiet favorite among regulars.

What to order: Al pastor for the trompo-roasted experience, barbacoa if you want the most tender bite, chicharrón in salsa if you’re a regular.

The hook: Two decades at one corner, $2.75 a taco, and a trompo that still draws a line past midnight on weekends. It is the Platonic ideal of a Houston street-taco truck, and it sits in Montrose.

For more truck picks: Best food trucks in Houston and taco trucks Houston.

The Taco Stand

Taqueria with drive-thru · 1503 Westheimer Rd, Houston TX 77006 · Mon–Thu 6 a.m.–midnight, Fri 6 a.m.–5 a.m., Sat 5 a.m.–5 a.m., Sun 5 a.m.–midnight · Breakfast tacos Mon–Fri until 11 a.m., Sat–Sun until 2 p.m.

The Taco Stand makes its tortillas in-house, both flour and corn, and that matters more at 4 a.m. than it would at noon. The Montrose location at 1503 Westheimer is the only spot in the neighborhood with a drive-thru and late-night hours that extend into the early morning hours on weekends. The menu covers breakfast tacos (fully customizable), street tacos (al pastor, carne asada), and bowls. Prices are approachable; check the official site before you go because the late-night menu can differ from the daytime one.

What to order: House-made flour tortilla breakfast taco with egg and your choice of protein, or the carne asada street taco late at night.

Insider tip: The 5 a.m. close on Friday and Saturday nights makes this the last taco in Montrose. Pair it with our late-night food in Houston guide.

La Guadalupana Bakery & Café

Breakfast and lunch café · 2109 Dunlavy St, Houston TX 77006 · Tue–Sun 7 a.m.–2 p.m., closed Mondays

La Guadalupana sits inside Montrose on Dunlavy Street and closes at 2 p.m., which means you have a window. The kitchen serves authentic Mexican breakfast and lunch: carne guisada (braised beef in a chile-tomato sauce, spooned into fresh tortillas), huevos rancheros, machaca norteña, chilaquiles, and huaraches (oblong masa bases loaded with toppings). The glass case holds pan dulce, the Mexican sweet rolls that make a legitimately good reason to arrive early.

What to order: Carne guisada taco for the signature item, chilaquiles if you want something more composed, pan dulce to finish.

The hook: Homemade Mexican food at taco-truck prices inside a bakery. The combination almost doesn’t exist in Houston anymore. Show up before noon.

Pair with our best brunch in Montrose guide for the full morning picture.

Chapultepec Lupita

Tex-Mex restaurant · 813 Richmond Ave, Houston TX 77006 (northern edge of Montrose) · Open daily from 7 a.m., with late hours through the week (Wed–Sun open until 4 a.m.)

Chapultepec Lupita opened in 1977, which makes it roughly as old as Montrose’s reputation as Houston’s most interesting neighborhood. Richmond Avenue is the northern boundary of Montrose proper, and this spot sits right on it. The tacos al carbón are the core order: fajita beef or chicken, guacamole, pico, grilled on a plancha. There are also alambres (grilled steak or chicken with peppers and melted cheese, scooped into tortillas), chilaquiles early in the morning, and menudo on weekends.

What to order: Tacos al carbón, or alambres if you want the pepper-and-cheese version. Menudo on weekend mornings.

The hook: It’s been open since 1977, which in restaurant years is Mesozoic. At 2 a.m. on a Saturday, the combination of late-night tacos and an extensive tequila list has no competition in Montrose.

For more neighborhood history: exploring Montrose: a rich history.

Torchy’s Tacos

Fast-casual taqueria · 2411 S. Shepherd Dr, Houston TX 77019 (western edge of Montrose) · 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. · Drive-thru available

Torchy’s launched as an Austin food truck in 2006 and is now a Texas-wide chain, but the Trailer Park taco—fried chicken, green chiles, poblano sauce, pico, on a flour tortilla—remains the best version of what it is. The South Shepherd location sits on the western boundary of Montrose at Shepherd and roughly West Alabama. Order the Trailer Park “trashy” to swap the lettuce for queso. The Democrat (beef barbacoa, avocado, cotija, tomatillo salsa, corn tortilla) is the other reliable order. The drive-thru makes this the practical daytime option for the neighborhood.

What to order: Trailer Park taco (order it trashy), Democrat taco, Green Chile Queso on the side.

Hugo’s

Regional Mexican restaurant · 1600 Westheimer Rd, Houston TX 77006 · Typically Tue–Sat from midday or afternoon, Sun from late morning; check the official site before going

Hugo’s belongs on this list because its taquitos de pollo are worth the price of admission. Chef Hugo Ortega, a James Beard Award winner for Best Chef: Southwest, serves regional Mexican cooking—Oaxacan, Yucatecan, interior Mexico—not Tex-Mex. The taquitos de pollo are the most-ordered item: fried chicken rolled in wafer-crisp shells, topped with avocado-tomatillo salsa, crema, and queso fresco. They are $20-range tacos in a sit-down setting, and they are worth it as a once-in-a-while Montrose destination. The tacos dorados de papa (pan-fried potato tacos, pickled onions, avocado-tomatillo salsa) are the vegetarian equivalent.

What to order: Taquitos de pollo (fried chicken taquitos), tacos dorados de papa, or the lechon (braised suckling pig served with tortillas).

The hook: James Beard-winning chef, regional Mexican technique, the best taquitos in Montrose. This is the special-occasion taco stop.

Read more in our Hugo’s Houston deep-dive.

Velvet Taco

Fast-casual taqueria · Westheimer Rd, Houston TX 77006 · Typically Sun–Wed until midnight, Thu until 1 a.m., Fri–Sat until 4 a.m.

Velvet Taco is a Dallas-born chain built on the premise that the taco shell is the best delivery vehicle for any cuisine, Mexican or not. The Spicy Tikka Chicken (crispy tenders, tikka sauce, basmati rice, raita crema, Thai basil) is the house signature and one of the most copied tacos in Houston. The Quesa Birria (pulled pork, gruyère, queso listo, served with birria consómé for dipping) is the other standout. The Westheimer location’s 4 a.m. Friday–Saturday close makes it the late-night counterpart to The Taco Stand. A Weekly Taco Feature (WTF taco) rotates every Tuesday.

What to order: Spicy Tikka Chicken, Quesa Birria, WTF taco of the week.

Insider tip: The WTF taco is never on the menu longer than a week. Worth checking the current rotation before you go.

El Tiempo Cantina

Tex-Mex restaurant · Westheimer Rd, Montrose, Houston TX 77006 · Typically Mon–Thu 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Fri 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Sat–Sun from 9:30 a.m.; check the official site

El Tiempo Cantina was founded by the son of Ninfa Laurenzo, whose original Navigation restaurant (now The Original Ninfa’s) is credited with introducing the fajita plate to Houston in 1973. The Westheimer location is the Montrose outpost of that legacy. Tacos al carbón off the mesquite wood-fire grill are the centerpiece: the smoke from the wood fire is something a flat-top cannot replicate. Weekend brunch starts at 9:30 a.m. with tamales and breakfast plates.

What to order: Tacos al carbón (fajita beef or chicken from the mesquite grill), tamales, chalupas.

The hook: The mesquite smoke is the point. You can taste the difference between a wood-fire and a gas grill in a taco.

For the full Tex-Mex context: best Tex-Mex in Houston.

Save this: the Montrose taco crawl

Don’t drive between stops if you’re drinking. Rideshare or walk; Montrose is compact enough.

Morning run (opens early, closes early)

1. Start at La Guadalupana (opens 7 a.m.) for a carne guisada taco and pan dulce.
2. Walk or rideshare to Tacos Tierra Caliente for al pastor off the trompo (opens 8 a.m., breakfast tacos until 11 a.m.).
3. Finish at El Tiempo Cantina (opens 9:30 a.m. weekends) for the mesquite tacos al carbón and a margarita.

Late-night run (starts 10 p.m. or later)

1. Start at Chapultepec Lupita on Richmond for tacos al carbón and tequila (open from 7 a.m., late hours Wed–Sun).
2. Hit Velvet Taco on Westheimer for the Tikka Chicken or current WTF taco (open until 4 a.m. Fri–Sat).
3. End at The Taco Stand drive-thru on Westheimer for a flour-tortilla carne asada taco on the way home (open until 5 a.m. Fri–Sat).

A checklist before you go

• La Guadalupana closes at 2 p.m. and is closed Mondays. Go before noon.
• Tacos Tierra Caliente posts current hours on its website; truck hours can vary.
• Torchy’s and The Taco Stand have drive-thrus if you’re with the car.
• Hugo’s requires a reservation for weekends and dinner; call ahead or use their reservations page.
• El Tiempo mesquite grill: the smoke aroma from outside tells you the grill is running.
• Chapultepec Lupita is cash-and-card; a long tequila wait is normal on weekend evenings.

For more Montrose eating: exploring Montrose: a culinary tour of local eateries and the best Mexican restaurants in Houston.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best taco truck in Montrose Houston?

Tacos Tierra Caliente at 2003 W Alabama Street is the Montrose taco truck most locals cite. It has operated from the same corner across from the West Alabama Ice House for more than 20 years, serving al pastor, barbacoa, and chicharrón tacos typically for around $2.75 each, with breakfast tacos until 11 a.m.

Where can I get late-night tacos in Montrose?

The Taco Stand at 1503 Westheimer Rd is open until 5 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, with a drive-thru and house-made tortillas. Velvet Taco on Westheimer is also open until 4 a.m. on weekends. Chapultepec Lupita on Richmond Ave stays open until 4 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

Where can I get breakfast tacos in Montrose?

La Guadalupana Bakery at 2109 Dunlavy St opens at 7 a.m. and serves carne guisada, huevos rancheros, and machaca norteña tacos until it closes at 2 p.m. (closed Mondays). The Taco Stand at 1503 Westheimer opens at 6 a.m. with a customizable breakfast taco menu. More options in our best breakfast tacos in Houston guide.

What are the boundaries of Montrose Houston?

For this guide, Montrose runs from Richmond Avenue on the north, the Southwest Freeway (US-59) on the south, Shepherd Drive on the west, and Main Street on the east. The neighborhood’s zip code is 77006.

What is the most famous taco in Montrose?

Hugo’s taquitos de pollo (fried chicken taquitos with avocado-tomatillo salsa, crema, and queso fresco) at 1600 Westheimer Rd are probably the most talked-about. Chef Hugo Ortega won a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest. Torchy’s Trailer Park taco (fried chicken, green chiles, poblano sauce) has a wider following across the city.

Does Montrose have any 24-hour tacos?

Not quite 24 hours, but close. The Taco Stand opens at 6 a.m. and stays open until 5 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights (open until midnight other nights). Chapultepec Lupita is open until 4 a.m. on Wednesday through Sunday. Together they cover most of the clock.