If you have family or friends in town for the holidays for a few days and want to show them some easily digestible local flavor, good Tex-Mex can be the way. Or, if they are coming from far away, they might have Houston and Texas firmly associated with steak. With El Tiempo, the local Tex-Mex chain – and the best Tex-Mex purveyors in the city – you can aptly satisfy both tastes.
Touted by a friend to a similar dish on El Tiempo’s now-expansive menu, a couple of years I ordered the Carne Asada “La Tana” – a 10-ounce or so cut of marinated skirt steak served with sautéed onions and pieces of sliced serrano peppers, some roasted garlic and then topped with melted white cheese for the first time. The beef was surprisingly tender and very flavorful, even more so with the complementary browned pieces of onion, garlic and bits of fiery pepper tempered with the melted cheese. It was terrific, one of the best beef dishes I had had in months. Bolstered by sides of charro beans and their delicious, unusual rice, plus the plentiful thin, fresh chips and their top-notch salsas, I could not finish my steak, which is very unusual for me.
Given the quality of their fajitas, especially the beef versions, I should not have been surprised at how good this dish was, it is nearly the same thing after all, but I was. And, for $25.69 at dinner, an order of the Beef Carne Asada “La Tana” is certainly among the best steak values in Houston. Given how expensive El Tiempo can be for some of their fajitas and mixed grills, this is an especially nice revelation. The dish is just $19.59 at lunchtime, where it can be perfect for sharing. The similarly, laudable regular version of the carne asada without the cheese, onions, garlic and peppers is $22.59 and $18.59 for dinner and lunch, respectively.
El Tiempo
3130 Richmond, 77098, (713) 807-1600
5602 Washington, 77007, (713) 681-3645
1308 Montrose, 77019, (713) 807-8996
322 Westheimer, 77006, (713) 807-8101
2814 Navigation Boulevard, 77003, (713) 222-6800
2605 S. Gessner, 77063, (713) 785-1220
114 Vintage Park Boulevard, 77070, (281) 374-0500
21810 Kingsland, Katy, 77450, (281) 394-4704
Touted by a friend to a similar dish on El Tiempo’s now-expansive menu, a couple of years I ordered the Carne Asada “La Tana” – a 10-ounce or so cut of marinated skirt steak served with sautéed onions and pieces of sliced serrano peppers, some roasted garlic and then topped with melted white cheese for the first time. The beef was surprisingly tender and very flavorful, even more so with the complementary browned pieces of onion, garlic and bits of fiery pepper tempered with the melted cheese. It was terrific, one of the best beef dishes I had had in months. Bolstered by sides of charro beans and their delicious, unusual rice, plus the plentiful thin, fresh chips and their top-notch salsas, I could not finish my steak, which is very unusual for me.
Given the quality of their fajitas, especially the beef versions, I should not have been surprised at how good this dish was, it is nearly the same thing after all, but I was. And, for $25.69 at dinner, an order of the Beef Carne Asada “La Tana” is certainly among the best steak values in Houston. Given how expensive El Tiempo can be for some of their fajitas and mixed grills, this is an especially nice revelation. The dish is just $19.59 at lunchtime, where it can be perfect for sharing. The similarly, laudable regular version of the carne asada without the cheese, onions, garlic and peppers is $22.59 and $18.59 for dinner and lunch, respectively.
El Tiempo
3130 Richmond, 77098, (713) 807-1600
5602 Washington, 77007, (713) 681-3645
1308 Montrose, 77019, (713) 807-8996
322 Westheimer, 77006, (713) 807-8101
2814 Navigation Boulevard, 77003, (713) 222-6800
2605 S. Gessner, 77063, (713) 785-1220
114 Vintage Park Boulevard, 77070, (281) 374-0500
21810 Kingsland, Katy, 77450, (281) 394-4704
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