re: Alright Texicans and Louisiana transplants

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bbq - Truth & Pinkertons tex-mex: el tiempo & original ninfa's on navigation

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Those are my favorites too.

Killen’s in Pearland does a great job on beef ribs. The brisket is good to, but technically, it’s not in the Houston city limits. I occasionally go there when I visit Houston.

OP, Maria "Ninfa" Laurenzo is widely credited with what everyone now refers to as skirt steak fajitas. Momma Ninfa closed down her tortilla shop back when I was a kid in the early 70’s to focus on opening a restaurant because so many people were wanting to eat her food. The skirt steak and quail grilled over mesquite are outstanding. The seafood dishes, mole ribs, it’s all good. The Original Ninfa’s on Navigation is not associated with other Ninfa’s in Houston and they make that pretty clear.

That El Tiempo next door to Ninfa’s is also outstanding.

If you want to go full blown authentic “Mexican” find a place serving menudo, tripe, and other organ parts in what is now referred to as authentic street tacos. Last time I was over there I wondered up in a place that had a Hispanic grocery store next door. I got the daily special which was cubed pork braised in some kind of green colored spicy type gravy with strips of cactus, rice, and charro beans. Those type of places tend to use the entire animal from nose to tail. There are places like that all around Houston. Somewhere that serves stuff like this is more real Mexican food versus what I call Tex Mex. If you are one of the few non Mexican patrons in the place you found the right spot.

The Houston BBQ scene has greatly improved from what it use to be. I got a beef rib last time I was there and it looked like something Fred and Barney would eat in the Flintstones.

I went to The Pit Room Saturday and they were really on top of their game. The beef rib was tasty and the moist brisket was on point. Man with inflation, shortages, supply chain problems, etc. the cost of eating BBQ at these kind of places is high.

You are correct the pit master can take a place from good to great.

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You mean like Pappasitos?

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I chuckled when I read your remark. Was thinking the same thing. Some people knock Pappasitos like it’s some massive chain. I believe there are only around 24 of them mostly centered around Houston and Dallas with a few locations scattered in the cities of Austin, San Antonio, and Atlanta. Christopher and Harry Pappas know how to run good restaurants. Guess if you want to get technical Pappasitos doesn’t hand roll them out they use an in store machine that they put the dough in. That’s homemade enough to me. Their cheese enchiladas are the best I’ve ever eaten, and because of my job and the travel involved, I’ve eaten at hundreds of Mexican places scattered all over Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Mexico. I absolutely love good Mexican food.

Food Truck Tacos
El Taconazo off of I-45 just north of downtown has fantastic Fajita Beef Tacos bring cash only and don’t go after dark, it’s in the hood. Around the corner is Taqueria Laredo it has inside tables but they close early. Tacos Tierra Caliente Food Truck is parked next to the West Alabama Ice House and they do a great job. TJ Biria y Mas in the heights area has good biria tacos. I preferred Tacos Doña Lena in the Spring Branch area for the biria tacos. Like others have said, you can’t go wrong with ninfa’s and el tiempo cantina next door to each other on Navigation Blvd east of Downtown. Of those two I would pick Ninfa’s because of the nostalgia.
For BBQ I’d pick Truth, Blood Brothers, Pit Room and Killen’s in Pearland.
Couple of weeks ago I tried Burns Original BBQ in the Acres Homes area, it’s in the hood but it was surprisingly good. Anthony Bourdain had visited it on one of his shows. I have a buddy that works in the area and he goes once a week, says it’s always consistent.

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Some people knock Pappasitos

Their cheese enchiladas are the best I’ve ever eaten

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Pappasitos is solid Tex-Mex. Justaniceguy is just being a turd acting like he’s just trying to educate. Load of BS. He waffled and backpedaled so much I’m guessing he’s in politics.

And yes those cheese enchiladas are great. I grew up in Sugarland and we use to go to a place in Richmond to get enchiladas. Pappasitos is the only place I’ve found as good as those.

The place we went was Casa Juan “World’s Greatest Enchiladas”

I am sure it’s gone. This was when Sugarland was 4,000 people.