When I was leaving Uberrito – the former Mission Burrito – the other day at lunch, a glance across the street quickly reminded me how much we Houstonians still love Tex-Mex even as our restaurant options have grown substantially over the years, and Tex-Mex gets far less ink (or pixels) among the local food press. Just within single block where I was sitting are four places that serve at least some Tex-Mex, albeit is different fashions: Uberrito, serving the locally honed version of the big burrito that might have gotten its start in San Francisco, but has become part of the local scene in the past couple of decades; a branch of the Tex-Mex stalwart Cyclone Anaya’s that has gone somewhat upscale in its most recent incarnation; Jax Grill, which serves a lot of hamburgers, but also a lot of fajitas and nachos; and a location of a favorite of many for fajitas, Lupe Tortilla’s.
This is all within one block of Durham, a couple of blocks south of the I-10 feeder, along a several block stretch of roads that contain nearly a score of restaurants. Go another block, and easily within a couple block radius, is another Tex-Mex restaurant, the longstanding Cadillac Bar. Not as good as it once was before the Landry’s organization helped to suck most of its charm and a certain amount of quality, it still draws folks.
Though the Houston dining scene has long been far more than Tex-Mex, steaks and barbecue – and many more intriguing heart-healthy or waistline-friendly options – a great many diners still enjoy these on a nearly regular basis. If this concentration of Tex-Mex purveyors is any indication, and I think it is, Tex-Mex is food we still enjoy as much as any other, even we might boast about enjoying it as much. At the very least, a cold margarita will still provide some comfort on those hot and humid days that we see far too often, even now in February.
Kind of a crappy photo since I was too lazy to take a proper one: from Uberrito with Cyclone Anaya's to the left, and Jax Grill to the right. Lupe Tortilla's is even further to the right of Jax Grill, out of sight.
This is all within one block of Durham, a couple of blocks south of the I-10 feeder, along a several block stretch of roads that contain nearly a score of restaurants. Go another block, and easily within a couple block radius, is another Tex-Mex restaurant, the longstanding Cadillac Bar. Not as good as it once was before the Landry’s organization helped to suck most of its charm and a certain amount of quality, it still draws folks.
Though the Houston dining scene has long been far more than Tex-Mex, steaks and barbecue – and many more intriguing heart-healthy or waistline-friendly options – a great many diners still enjoy these on a nearly regular basis. If this concentration of Tex-Mex purveyors is any indication, and I think it is, Tex-Mex is food we still enjoy as much as any other, even we might boast about enjoying it as much. At the very least, a cold margarita will still provide some comfort on those hot and humid days that we see far too often, even now in February.
Kind of a crappy photo since I was too lazy to take a proper one: from Uberrito with Cyclone Anaya's to the left, and Jax Grill to the right. Lupe Tortilla's is even further to the right of Jax Grill, out of sight.
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