2026 Fried Chicken and Homemade Sausage Picnics

Picnics & Festivals

2026 (Updated 4/2/2026)

Church Picnics

Sunday, April 26

St. Michael Catholic Church Spring Festival

Weimar Veteran’s Memorial Park (503 Park Dr, Weimar, TX 78962)

Fried chicken and sausage meal served at 11 a.m., plates $15. Auction at 1 p.m. Kids games, bounce house, antique and classic car show, country store, cake walk and more. Bingo 2-6 p.m. Live music by The Czechaholics at 11 a.m., San Antonio Combo at 2 p.m. and Matt Bonner Band at 5 p.m.

 

St. Mary's Grotto Celebration - Frydek near Sealy and Brookshire

St. Mary's Church (10471 Grotto Rd, Sealy, TX 77474)

Day begins with mass at 10 a.m. Music outside by The Shiner Hobo Band 11 a.m.-1 p.m., AL Sulak & Country Sounds 4-8 p.m. Music in the hall by The Red Ravens 1-4:30 p.m. BBQ meal served at 11 a.m., $15 per plate. Cake walk, games, raffle and music more. Live auction at 1 p.m. 

Sunday, May 3

Hostyn Mayfest

Queen of the Holy Rosary Church (936 FM 2436, La Grange, TX 78945)

Mass at 10 a.m. outdoors under the tent. Barbecue pork and sausage dinner with all the trimmings served 11 a.m.-1 p.m., drive-through 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Plates $15. Hamburgers available after 3 p.m. Auction at 1 p.m. Bingo 1:30-5:30 p.m. Games, country store, drawings, silent auction, plant wheel, cake wheel and more. Magic show at 3 p.m. Music throughout the day by Texas Sound Check and Czechaholics.

 

St. Anthony De Padua Bazzar 

Strabanek Park (Corner of 5th and Main in Danbury, TX)

 

St. Matthias Annual Bazaar 

302. S. Magnolia Blvd, Magnolia, TX 77355

 

St. Rose of Lima Fiesta 

3600 Brinkman St, Houston, TX 77018

Sunday, May 17

 

Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church and Preschool Annual Picnic

La Grange KC Hall (190 Brown St., La Grange, TX 78945)

Worship service inside the hall at 9 a.m.. Barbecue dinner, live and silent auctions, music, games and more.                            

 

Waldeck Picnic

Waldeck Lutheran Church (6915 Waldeck Church Ln, Ledbetter, TX 78946)

Chicken fried steak meal with buttered potatoes, green beans and gravy served from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Plates $15. Country store, face painting, homemade ice cream, cake walk and more. Prize drawing at 12:30 p.m. Tickets $20 or three for $50. For meal or drawing tickets call or text (979) 249-6551. Tickets are also available at Round Top Farm and Ranch and Carmine State Bank.

Sunday, May 24

Sacred Heart Parish in Hallettsville Spring Picnic

Hallettsville KC Hall (321 US-77, Hallettsville, TX 77964)

Fried chicken and stew dinner served 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. inside the hall, drive-through 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Dinner tickets $14. Cake walk, country store, religious articles booth, hamburgers, and more. Auction at 1 p.m. Music by Kovanda Czech Band on Main Pavilion from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Texas Sound Check and Red Ravens at the Biergarten Pavilion from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.

 

Shiner Spring Picnic

Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church (102 S Avenue G Shiner, TX, 77984)

Shiner’s famous three-meat dinner plate (fried chicken, stew and sausage), country store, bingo, and music throughout the day. Picnic hamburgers served in the afternoon and evening. Games and fun for the whole family. More details to be announced.

 

St. Paul Lutheran Church’s Serbin Homecoming Picnic

Serbin Picnic Grounds (1011 County Road 212 Giddings, TX, 78942)

Barbecue sold by the pound with Ladies Aid selling trimmings. English worship service at 8:30 a.m. Museum open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Games and programs for the children, barrel train rides, and more. Live music in the afternoon by Czech Melody Masters.

Sunday, June 7

Flatonia Sacred Heart Spring Picnic

Sacred Heart Church (516 S Faires St, Flatonia, TX 78941)

Kettle-fried chicken and stew dinner with potatoes, green beans, sauerkraut and dessert. Auction at 1:15 p.m. Bingo at 2 p.m. Cornhole tournament at 3 p.m. Cake walk, kids games and more. Live music in the afternoon. 

 

Holy Trinity Catholic Church of Corn Hill June Fundraiser

Holy Trinity Catholic Church (8626 FM 1105, Jarrell, TX 76537)

Holy Mass at 7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Fried chicken and sausage dinner served 11 a.m.-1 p.m., drive-through until 12:30 p.m. Plates $15 for adults/drive-through and $8 for children. Afternoon dance with music by the Jodie Mikula Orchestra (free-will donation).

 

St. Mary’s Picnic 

101 Church Street, Windthorst, TX 76389

Sunday, June 14

St. Rose of Lima Parish Picnic

Schulenburg KC Hall (405 South St, Schulenburg, TX 78956)

Fried chicken strips and sausage dinner served at 10:30 a.m. (drive-through) and 11 a.m. (dine-in). Plates $15. Live and silent auction starting at 12:30 p.m. Bingo, cake walk, country store, kids’ activities area and more. Free live music starting around 4:30 p.m. (after the auction) by The Matt Bonner Band. Hamburgers and tamales served in the afternoon and evening.

 

St. Mary’s Catholic Church Picnic

St. Mary’s Picnic Grounds (1648 FM 340, Hallettsville, Texas)

Sunday mass at 9:30 a.m. Dinner plates with stew, sausage, German potatoes, green beans, pickles, sauerkraut, bread and dessert served at 10:30 a.m., drive-through or dine-in plates $14. Bingo 2-4 p.m. Big country auction at 1 p.m. Country store opens at 10:30 a.m. Kids games throughout the afternoon. Live music by Texas Sound Check at 11 a.m., The Red Ravens at 2:30 p.m. and Dawson Debord and Southpaw at 6 p.m.

 

Saturday, June 20

St. Michael’s Lutheran Church Picnic

St. Michael’s Park (310 Frio St., Winchester, TX 78945)

Barbecue meal served 5-6:30 p.m., live auction after the meal, washer tournament, kids activities, bounce house, arts and crafts, drawing and more.

Sunday, June 21

Ammannsville Picnic

Ammannsville KJT Hall (7904 Mensik Rd, Schulenburg, TX 78956)

Ammannsville-style fried chicken and sausage dinner. Plates $15. Auction, kids games and more. Music throughout the day by Czechaholics and Mark Halata and Texavia.

Sunday, June 28

Plum Feast

Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church (126 Plum Church Rd, Plum, TX 78952)

Fried chicken and Plum’s famous homemade sausage dinner. Plates $15. Auction at 1 p.m. Country store, kids games and more. Bingo 2-5 p.m. Hamburgers served 4:30-7 p.m. Live music by Ken Brothers and Chris Janca from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and Mark Halata and Texavia from 1-5 p.m. 

Friday, July 4

St. John Picnic

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church (7026 FM 957, Schulenburg, TX 78956)

Mass at 9 a.m. Flag raising at 10 a.m. St. John’s famous fried chicken and stew dinner served at 10:30 a.m. Auction, kids games, live music starting at 10:30 a.m. by Dujka Brothers, Red Ravens, Mark Halata & Texavia and Nathan Colt Young.

Sunday, July 5

Dubina Picnic

Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church (4148 FM 1383, Schulenburg, TX 78956)

Polka mass at 9 a.m. Dubina-style fried chicken and sausage dinner served at 10:30 a.m. Live auction at 1:30 p.m., games, country store, bingo from 2-6 p.m., car show and more. Live music by Mark Halata & Texavia and The Lost Cause Band from noon to 7 p.m.

Sunday, July 19

Moravia Picnic

Ascension of our Lord Catholic Church Picnic Grounds (11159 FM 957, Schulenburg, TX 78945)

Fried chicken and stew dinner served at 10:30 a.m. Plates $14. Live auction at 1 p.m., country store, games, train rides, cake walk, bingo and hamburgers in the afternoon. Live music throughout the day by Mark Halata and Texavia and The Czechaholics.

Sunday, July 26

Camp Lone Star BBQ and Auction Fundraiser

Camp Lone Star (2016 Camp Lone Star Rd, La Grange, TX 78945)

Special music program at 10:30 a.m. Outdoor worship service under the canopy of trees at 11 a.m., followed by a barbecue dinner, live and silent auctions, fun and fellowship.

Sunday, August 2

Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church Country Festival 

1031 Church Ln, New Ulm, Texas 78950

Fried catfish meal served at 11 a.m. Country store, silent auction, ring toss, cake walk, toy raffle, kids games and more. Live auction at 1 p.m. Bingo inside the air conditioned hall beginning at noon. Hamburgers, nachos and snacks in the afternoon. Drawing at 6:30 p.m. Live music outside throughout the day. Free dance in the Diamond Center after the auction. 

Saturday, August 15

Praha Picnic

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church (821 FM 1295, Flatonia, Texas 78941)

Praha’s famous fried chicken and stew dinner. Live auction, country store, games, and more. Live music throughout the day.

Sunday, August 16

St. Monica Catholic Church Homecoming Festival 

306 S. Nolan Dr., Cameron, TX

 

St. Andrew’s Catholic Church Hillje Summer Festival 

270 St. Andrew St., El Campo, Texas 77437

Sunday, August 23

Sts. Cyril and Methodius Parish in Cistern Annual Homecoming Picnic

Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church (113 Manchester St, Flatonia, TX 78941)

Fried chicken and sausage dinner with potatoes, green beans, sauerkraut and dessert. Live auction, bingo, childrens games, country store. Live music in the afternoon.

 

St. Mary Catholic Church Bazaar

Ellinger Chamber of Commerce Hall (104 W Colorado Sky St, Ellinger, TX 78938)

Fried chicken and sausage dinner served at 10:30b a.m., drive-through or dine in. Plates $15. Live auction, silent auction, online auction, games, variety booth, raffle and more. Live polka and country music. More information available at stmaryellinger.com. Ten percent of net proceeds will be donated to charity. 

Sunday, September 6

High Hill Picnic

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church (2833 FM 2672 Schulenburg, TX 78956)

Flag raising at 9:30 a.m. Polka mass at 10:15 a.m. Fried chicken and stew dinner served at 10:30 a.m. Games and activities at 11 a.m. Auction at 1 p.m. Live music. Sweepstakes drawing every hour starting at noon. Big prizes at 8 p.m. Fireworks show at 10 a.m.

 

Fayetteville Picnic

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church (205 E Bell St, Fayetteville, TX 78940)

Barbecue beef, pork and sausage dinner served at 10:30 a.m. Country auction, games, music and more.

 

Warda Picnic

Holy Cross Lutheran Church (600 FM 1482 Giddings, TX, 78942)

Worship service at 9 a.m. in the sanctuary. Barbecue brisket, pork and chicken served beginning at 9:30 a.m. Sides available from the Ladies' Aid. Live music 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Cold refreshments, kids activities, country store, bake sale and more. Ladies Aid Silent auction 1-6 p.m. Live auction at 5:30 p.m. Hamburgers and nachos available after 4 p.m.

 

Hallettsville Fall Picnic

Hallettsville KC Hall (321 US-77, Hallettsville, TX 77964)

Fried chicken and stew dinner served 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m., tickets $14. Auction, raffled, games and fun for all ages. Music TBA. in the Polka Pavilion/Biergarten.

 

Shiner Fall Picnic

Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church (102 S Avenue G Shiner, TX, 77984)

Shiner's famous three-meat plat (fried chicken, stew, and sausage) with all the trimmings served 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Country store, games, mechanical bull, face painting, and more. Live music TBA.

 

St. Stanislaus Homecoming Festival 

9175 FM Road 1371, Chappell Hill, Texas 77426

 

Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church Parish Bazaar 

500 West Davilla, Granger, Texas 76530

 

Nada Picnic at Nativity of the Bessed Virgin Mary Church

1261 Old Nada Rd., Nada, TX 77460

Sunday, September 13

Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church Homecoming Picnic 

6633 FM 2269, Marak, Texas 76518

Sunday, September 20

Holy Rosary Catholic Church Bazaar

1416 George St., Rosenberg, Texas, 77471

89th Annual Bazaar, 10:30-5:30 p.m. BBQ meal, live and silent auction, games and more. Live music. 

 

Holman Picnic

Holman Parish Hall (9937 FM 155, La Grange, TX 78945)

Online auction and drive-through meal only. Fried chicken, sausage, buttered potatoes, sauerkraut, green beans, pickle and dessert.

 

Holy Trinity of Corn Hill Annual Bazaar

8626 FM 1105, Jarrell, TX 76537

 

St. Joseph Church Picnic 

601 N. Pecan St., Moulton, Texas, 77975

Sunday, September 27

Wendish Fest

Serbin Picnic Grounds (1011 County Road 212 Giddings, TX, 78942)

Details TBA

 

St. Mary’s Catholic Church in String Prairie 

405 St. Mary’s Rd., Rosanky, TX

Always the last Sunday in September. Mass is at 10 a.m. BBQ Brisket lunch with all the trimmings (dine-in or to go), music TBA, country store, sweet booth, ring toss, cold drinks and live auction for a fun filled afternoon

 

St. Philip the Apostle Picnic

Columbus Hall, 1458 County Rd 406, EL Campo, TX

Barbecue beef and sausage dinner served 11 a.m.-1 p.m., $15 per plate. Live auction at 12:30 p.m. Cake wheel, country store, rides and games for the kids. Live music on the Pavilion by El Campo Czechmates 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and Texas Sound Check 3-7 p.m.

 

Saturday, October 3

St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Pin Oak 

732 FM 2104, Smithville, TX

Always the first Saturday in October. Mass, BBQ pork and beef meal including homemade cole slaw, homemade noodle, beans, buttered potatoes and more begins serving at 5 p.m. (dine -in or to go). Lots of fun games to play outside and live auction begins at 6 p.m.

Sunday, October 4

Hostyn Fall Feast

Queen of the Holy Rosary Church (936 FM 2436, La Grange, TX 78945)

Fried chicken

 

Annual Mentz Picnic at St. Roch Catholic Church (1600 Frelsburg Rd, Alleyton, TX 78935). 

BBQ beef, pork and sausage dinner served at 11 a.m. Plates $15, children 10 and under $10. Hamburgers at 2 p.m. Kids' activities, silent auction, country store, and bingo. Live auction at 1 p.m. Dance inside 1-5 p.m.

 

Holy Rosary-Frenstat Annual Homecoming Bazaar & Picnic at Holy Rosary Church Grounds (8610 FM 2774, Caldwell, TX). 

Barbecue brisket and sausage meal served 11 a.m.-1 p.m., plates $15. BBQ by the pound sold 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Live music by Mark Halata & Texavia 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Live auction after the music. Silent auction, country store, kids games, pop corn, snow cones and more.

 

Fall Festival at Ascension Catholic Church (804 Pine St., Bastrop, TX) 

10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Food and drinks, cake walk, live music, auction, bingo country store and more. 

 

Sunday, October 11

Holy Cross Parish Bazaar at Riverside Hall 

14643 Buls Rd, East Bernard, TX 77435

BBQ beef, chicken and sausage served at 11 a.m. Indoor and outdoor games 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Auction at noon. Music TBA. Cash certificate and gift card drawing at 6 p.m. Plenty of pastries, refreshments and country store items. 

 

Westphalia Church Picnic at Church of the Visitation 

144 County Rd 3000, Lott, TX 76656

Meal of homemade fried chicken, sausage, westphalia noodles, green beans slaw and cake for $15 per plate, served inside 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. or drive through 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Games 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Bingo, fish pond, train ride and more. Little School Museum open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Music TBA. Live auction at 1 p.m. Shuttle service 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Sunday, October 18

St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Smithville 

204 Mills St., Smithville, TX

 

Guardian Angel Catholic Church Bazaar 

5610 Demel St., Wallis, TX 77485

 

Sunday, October 25

 

St. Michael Catholic Church Bazaar 

Columbus Hall, 13631 TX-36, Needville, Texas, 77461 

BBQ beef, sausage and fried chicken meal served at 11 a.m., $15 per plate. Music TBA.

Mexican - A Time Machine of Restaurants that Still Do Classic Tex-Mex (Many Now Closed)

Mexican - Time Machine Tex-Mex (Mexican Food, Circa 1960's Era)

This year, I chanced to check out the new Casa Vieja Mexican restaurant on Fulton in the location that housed the original Doneraki's for many years.

Anyone who has seen the movie, Ratatouille, knows the famous scene where the dish of ratatouille transports for restaurant critic back to his childhood.

Tex-Mex can have the same effect on me. Truthfully, there are a lot of things to not like about the mess that we call the combination dinner. Too much salt. Too much grease. No vegetables to speak of. Artery clogging cheese and meat. And I have joked that if an alien was dropped into Texas and served up a big old mess of Tex-Mex, he might remark, "What the heck is this on my plate?"

But for those of us who grew up here, Tex-Mex seems very right and we love it. As a kid, my family ate at an El Patio on Telephone at Park Place at least twice a week.

In the eighties, new menu items started appearing and certainly there are now many restaurants that offer fare more typical of the food of northern Mexico and other regions.  For example, the menu at the charming Morales on 76th Street could as easily be the menu of a small comedor (eatery) in Monterrey, Mexico.

With my recent very positive experience with what I fondly call Retro Tex-Mex at Casa Vieja, I thought that I would put together a list of 12 places that, if one could time travel back to 1960's Houston, these would be the combination plates that one might be served.

Now, I know that my suggestions are going to generate a lot of "why did you choose that place and not this place" comments in the comments section. Well, this is not an exclusive list. It's a starting point for your explorations around town. Some you will probably recognize. Others may be off your radar and new to you. Feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments section.

And so, here begins my list, a list of restaurants where that combo plate will have frijoles refritos, arroz a la Mexican, a flour/oil/chili powder "chili" gravy to cover the enchiladas and tamales. The tortillas for the enchiladas will have been dipped in hot out to soften and then stacked until ready to use. The rice will be slightly red from tomatoes, seasoned with cumin and hopefully, light and fluffy. The beans may be watery or slightly thick and probably made with pinto beans. If you are lucky, the crispy taco shell will be puffy and inflated like a balloon (Doña María on Navigation, Los Tios and Fiesta Loma Linda are the only places that I know of that still do these).

Don Chile (635 McCarty)

After a disappointing cheese enchilada plate at (Name Withheld) ($22 with tax and tip) last night, en route back from Clear Lake, I remembered I had made a note about a place at 635 McCarty. I don’t know how it had come to my attention. I decided to give cheese enchiladas one more try before I got back on my calorie counting. And today was the day. Steam rising from the piping hot salsa picante. Like being in a little restaurant along either side of the border in South Texas.

I wish that I could remember who had mentioned this place to me. I learned that the restaurant has been here for 37 years.

Several of the ladies on staff came over to visit and see how everything was going. Super friendly staff. Big smiles.

Don Carlos (on 76th Street)
416 76th Street
www.doncarlosrestaurants.com

On the east side of town, what is becoming known as Eado, though, we prefer the name

Canaviburg,Don Carlos has a long history of serving Tex-Mex. 

Their Monday through Friday lunch special (ten bucks!) 

enchilada plate is one of the best deals in town. Classic Tex-Mex enchiladas.

Deli House Restaurant
304 Holland Avenue, Galena Park

A tiny and fairly non-descript little place that turns out classic enchiladas with melty yellow cheese, great frijoles refritos and a couple of really well made hot sauces. Don't hesitate to veer off and try the flautas. The owner told me that the most popular dish here is/are the quesadillas, which I have yet to try. the enchilada plate brought back memories of road trips to Laredo from Austin, and stops in little towns such as Pearsall's Campbell's Cafe for just such a plate of deliciousness.

Doña María Mexican Restaurant
2601 Navigation Boulevard

First, let me direct you to The Houston Press. Do a search for Adan Medrano. He wrote six articles on the cluster of Mexican restaurants on Navigation (and it is excellent)

I recently discovered Doña María, a historically significant Houston instittution, that, I in my cluelessnes, had never visited in all my years here. Mainly, because everytime that I went, it was too crowded. But on this occasion, inclement weather made it possible to visit and find a table. And in so doing, I fell in love with their rice, beans and riff on puffy tacos.

Damn, that puffy taco plate was good. The rice and beans that accompanied it were great. As were the tacos. Crunchy. Not those softer, chewier, thick masa ones that SA is known for. A tad thicker than the ones at the (now closed) beloved Fiesta Loma Linda.

And, I saw that caldo de menudo is a daily feature. Not just on weekends.

This is a breakfast and lunch place. It closes at 2:00 pm.

El Toro Mexican Restaurants
Baytown (3 locations) and Various Locations in La Porte, Lake Jackson and other cities

Currently, one of my top 3 favorites, having recently dined at the Garth Road location in Baytown. Founded circa 1960 by Eugenio Ybarra, the food is classic Tex-Mex. And the service is spectacularly good. The oldest location on Bayway Drive still has these great, retro 60's era booths. Try the Numero Uno on the lunch menu.

La Plaza
1803 Bingle Road

Established in 1964 and serving classic Tex-Mex. A bowl of chile con queso arrives at your table with the menu. Go for the combination plate #1.

El Penjamo
6110 Lyons Avenue

My father's first store, a little 5 & 10 Variety Store, was on Lyons Avenue and my earliest memories are of this area in the 50's. On a recent visit, I discovered three Mexican restaurants along the street. El Penjamo has a menu featuring the dishes from Northern Mexico and the carne guisada plate looked really good. However, I was here for the Tex-Mex offering and ordered the #1 which was pretty amazing. Check out the color of the cheeses. Looks like they used one of those nacho cheeses for the queso and standard cheddar for the enchiladas. The meal begins with a small bean and fideo soup.

El Potosino
Galena Park, Texas) on Clinton Drive

The restaurant was established in 1970 and the recipes are the same as then so we are talking about a time machine, time warp of about 50 years. Classic old school Tex-Mex.

Don Key Mexican Restaurant
5010 Spencer Highway, Pasadena
Established in 1984. I came across this time warp treasure via their billboard on Old Galveston Road that I noticed one day when driving back into Houston.

Los Tios (Beechnut)
4840 Beechnut Street
www.lostiosrestaurant.com

Los Tios is a Houston institution and currently the only place that still make the puffy and crispy taco that was once very typical of Houston Tex-Mex. This location on Beechnut is a favorite.

Mi Sombrero
3401 N. Shepherd at 34th Street
www.misombrero.com

Mi Sombrero offers classic Tex-Mex dishes and like Don Teo, serves the Garden Oaks and Shepherd/Ella area of Houston. For my taste, a little on the salty side. But hey, it's Tex-Mex.

Lopez Mexican Restaurant
11606 Wilcrest Drive
www.vivalopez.com

Another historically significant, classic Tex-Mex institution. This one serves the Stafford, Hwy 59 at Wilcrest Houston area.

Monterey House (Beaumont, Texas)
1109 S 11th Street, Beaumont, Texas
www.monteryhousebmt.com

OMG. The holy grail. The mecca for lovers of classic, retro Tex-Mex. The franchisee bought the rights to the recipes of the original Monterey House chain in the 60's and continues to duplicate the original recipes. A must stop for anyone travelling east on Highway 10 through Beaumont. For more details, please see this link:
Monterey House - Beaumont

Larry's (Richmond, Texas)
116 E Highway 90A, Richmond

Larry Guerrero worked for Felix Tijerina back in the day, and, when he expressed interest in creating his own Mexican restaurant, Mr. Tijerina provided assistance. Ninfa Laurenzo also offered help in exchange for his buying his masa products from their family tortilleria off of Navigation.
Be sure to pick up a Larry's t-shirt when you visit. It is one of the coolest looking t-shirts in Texas.

La Hacienda (Memorial) (And also in the Greater Heights)
14759 Memorial Drive

1431 W 26th

www.lahaciendamemorial.com

If you grew up in the Memorial area, your family probably went to "La-Ha" at least once a week. It is a Tex-Mex institution for Memorialites.

Old Mexico (Northside)
3306 Hopper Road

This is about as old school as you can get. Red tortillas for the enchiladas, salsa and queso served with chips, classic rice and beans. Yep. You will want to get the enchilada plate here. Note: there isn't a sign outside so you may actually pass by Old Mexico the first time that you try to find it.

Las Hadas (Permanently Closed)
2428 Center Street, Deer Park, Texas

I really liked, and recommend you order the biggest combination plate on the menu in order to sample a little bit of everything. Although the rice wasn't as light and fluffy as I would like it to be, I thought the frijoles refritos were really good. The beef (picadillo) in the taco tasted cleaner and less greasy than in a lot of places. And the combo plate has real chile con carne gravy instead of the typical chili gravy.

Fiesta Loma Linda - (Permanently Closed)
2111 Telephone Road
http://www.fiestalomalinda.com

(We are sad to advise that, after 62 years, Fiesta Loma Linda closed in May of 2018):
Our favorite because of the classic, Houston style puffy tacos that they continue to make and make well. Originally a classic diner, the owners friendship with the owners of the now long gone Loma Linda Restaurant by Palms Center, follow the original Loma Linda recipes. 

El Paraiso (on Fairview in Montrose) ( Permanently Closed)
2320 Crocker Street

El Paraiso, too, prepares class Tex-Mex, and also offers house made moles and a few northern Mexico regional dishes.

Spanish Village Restaurant (Permanently Closed)
4720 Almeda Road
http://www.spanishvillagetx.com

With new ownership, and a new ownership, with the classic recipes prepared well, and with the closing of Fiesta Loma Linda, Spanish Village is my default go-to Mexican restaurant in Houston. As of March 2022, they have changed the way they make sauces. Now made in small batches. The larger batch prep of the past, that often led to burned tasting chili gravy, burned taco shells, burned tortilla chips, has been fixed with the newest management. One can see, from the menu, that there is a more serious focus on fajitas in place of the traditional combination plates. Birria, shrimp tacos and caldo de camarón have been added to the menu. It's funny but, what I really look forward to eating here isn't necessarily the combination plate but (imho) their most delicious shrimp soup (see photo)

Don Teo's (Permanently Closed)
2026 W. 34th Street
http://www.donteos.com

The story of Don Teo's is pretty interesting. This location was one of the original Monterey Houses in Houston, this one franchised to Don Covington. Now in his 80's, he still comes by for Tex-Mex every week. The Martinez family that own it now, Don Teo and his son, Teo Jr., worked for decades for the Monterey House chain. Junior began as a kid and worked his way through the various stations of a restaurant. He is an absolute delight to chat with and we recommend to be sure to say "Hi" when you visit.

More Notes on Doña María and from culinary historian Adán Medrano

Doña María on Navigation

This Houston institution slipped by me. I’d never been. I knew that it was historically significant to the max. On previous attempts, it was always too crowded. “Next time”, I would say. But recently, having seen a photo of their puffy taco, I knew that it was a “must”.

Damn, that puffy taco plate was good. The rice and beans that accompanied it were great. As were the tacos. Crunchy. Not those softer, chewier, thick masa ones that SA is known for. A tad thicker than the ones at the (now closed) beloved Fiesta Loma Linda.

And, I saw that caldo de menudo is a daily feature. Not just on weekends.

This is a breakfast and lunch place. It closes at 2:00 pm.

Adán Medrano, culinary historian and author of two superb books on the cuisine of Mexicano cuisine in Texas, wrote the following for The Houston Press, part of articles he did as he explored Mexican restaurants on Navigation. Here is a link to the Houston Press article:

The Houston Press - Adán Medrano

Both of Adán's books are available at the River Oaks Bookstore and also online from Amazon (support local businesses as your first priority though)

He wrote:

"Doña María Mexican Café serves the type of breakfast tacos that are at the heart of traditional Mexican American home cooking. The cafe is one in a six-cluster of restaurants on Navigation that reveal the original, indigenous culinary traditions of Houston. 

Taco choices include scrambled eggs with either chorizo, potato, chicharrón (bits of pork skin), or with country sausage, all of them cooked to order, à la minute. A delicious option for any of the tacos is to add pinto beans cooked in the traditional way, mashed and pan-roasted with very little oil, if any. As for me, I’m hopelessly in love with the straightforward combination of scrambled eggs and pinto beans, just a little salt. Why gild the lily? 

The menu offers full breakfast plates like the familiar and well-executed huevos rancheros and eggs a la Mexicana with diced fresh jalapeño, but also the lesser known machacado con huevo, this last one truly a core tradition. Machacado is made with meat that has been salted and air-dried, a technique employed for centuries in Texas, salt being central to Native American cooking. It was first employed because it was necessary for food preservation, but today it’s the flavor appeal that keeps the technique a constant one. 

My dad and most of his generation dried venison and also beef. He sliced it as thin as paper, cut it into large sheets (sábanas) then salted and air-dried it. To make machacado from these sheets, they are pounded on a mortar, crushed into strands, like thin threads. “Machacar” means to crush. Then the strands are scrambled with eggs, sometimes adding a trio of diced green chile, onions and tomato. The breakfast machado plate is served with traditional mashed pinto beans, cubed potatoes, and a side of tortillas. It’s a favorite of the regulars at Doña María and if you’ve never tried it, go ahead and step into the welcoming world of Texas Mexican cooking. 

Anna Hernandez is the owner of Doña María Mexican Café, along with her husband Juan, and they feature recipes that are traditional in Mexican American families. 

Photo by Adán Medrano 

“It’s a corner of culture,” says Anna Hernandez, who owns the restaurant with her husband, Juan. To Anna and Juan, culture means hospitality, the welcoming context that all home cooking has in common, in every part of the world. Dr. Alston Thoms, Professor of Anthropology at Texas A&M, explains that the Karankawa and Atakapa people who flourished in Houston for 2,000 years until the conquest were all groups of families. “The sense of family and community is decidedly indigenous,” he adds. At Doña María there’s a non-clubby family feeling to the small frame house that seats 50.

Doña María was founded in 1988 by María Piñeda (hence the restaurant name) and in 2005, Anna and Juan took over the business, keeping some of the recipes but replacing many with those of Anna’s family. Anna is from Houston and Juan is from Mercedes in the Rio Grande Valley, so their menu is 100 percent comida casera, home-cooking, of Texas Mexican American families.

Picadillo, ground beef with vegetables, potatoes, one of the iconic dishes of the Mexican food of Texas. 

Photo by Adán Medrano 

Picadillo and fideo are prime examples of this unique cuisine. Picadillo is ground beef stewed with onions, carrots, bell pepper, potatoes, and seasoned with a trinity of spices unique to Texas Mexican cooking, the combination of garlic, black pepper and cumin. Order that, and I’m back home, with mom and impish siblings.

Fideo is an iconic dish of Texas Mexican cooking, pan roasted vermicelli in a seasoned tomato broth. Doña María adds a slice of poached chicken breast. 

Photo by Adán Medrano 

The production secret for delivering such good-tasting picadillo without fail is the expert kitchen staff that Anna hires. The sous-chef is Ever Ochoa. She is skilled in making mole and other sauces, and she heads the cooking line. “Es puro sabor casero,” Ever says, the flavor is pure home-cooking.

Sous Chef, Ever Ochoa, prepares the mole, sauces and heads up the production line in the kitchen. 

Photo by Adán Medrano 

Fideo is another dish that is iconic in the Mexican food of Texas. Vermicelli pasta is first pan-roasted to acquire color, then boiled with tomato, onion and seasonings. Chef Ochoa adds a large slice of chicken breast, and it’s a full, scrumptious meal. Like the picadillo, fideo is so traditional that it’s an indelible taste memory of the East End community. 

No truly Texas Mexican dish is complete without flour tortillas, the wheat culinary creation born in the Texas and Mexico region that extends along a band 150 miles north and 150 miles south of the Rio Grande, once just a river to the indigenous peoples, now a geopolitical border. You know it’s an expert tortilla when it balloons magnificently on the comal, griddle. 

Griselda Delgado Lamas makes them daily at Doña María, mixing and kneading the dough before shaping small balls that she rolls out and cooks. She’ll make about 300 each day, and sometimes 500 for a big catering job. Griselda has been making the Doña María tortillas already for 10 years. She’s fast, making them in the San Antonio and Rio Grande Valley style, laying them on the griddle for a few seconds, then turning them over and watching them puff up, soft and lithesome. Simply delicious.

Traditional Texas Mexican tortillas puff up on the griddle. Master tortilla maker, Griselda Delgado Ochoa, flips them effortlessly, lightly. 

Photo by Adán Medrano 

Hours are from 7 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on weekdays and 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on weekends. The restaurant is closed on Mondays. On weekends, diners leisurely congregate in conversation outside the door, their names on a waiting list. The combination of hospitality and traditional Texas Mexican home-cooking is the formula for success.




A Gastro Obscura Article from 2016 on the taco:

The Texan Who Invented Chili Powder Also Accidentally Created the American Taco

BY DAN NOSOWITZ JANUARY 14, 2016

Dan Nosowitz

January 14, 2016

An American hard shell taco. (Photo: Luca Nebuloni/flickr)

For many Americans, a taco looks like this: a U-shaped deep-fried corn tortilla shell filled with seasoned ground beef, shredded iceberg lettuce, cheddar cheese, and maybe salsa or chopped tomatoes. It’s emoji-level recognizable, an ’80s and ’90s childhood staple. But the taco’s detractors have been taking aim in recent times. “A few years back, like watching a favorite childhood movie and noticing how terrible it really is, I finally realized that hard taco shells are a sham,” wrote Serious Eats food writer J. Kenji López-Alt in a 2011 post reminiscing about the less-than-stellar taco nights of his childhood. Anthony Bourdain has repeatedly lashed out at Taco Bell and Tex-Mex for sullying the true Mexican taco with dirty American ingredients. 

Like General Tso’s chicken or a meatball parm sandwich, it seems logical that the American taco has no real relationship to its original culture. A carnitas taco served on a paper plate in Mexico City—that’s authentic. A ground beef taco served by a Taco Bell in Indianapolis, well, that’s something else. Something worse.

But where did the American taco really come from? And what does it say about us?

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First of all, it’s a mistake to believe that the iconic hard shell taco is something that clueless white people invented. “Both Americans and Mexicans would love to believe that the hard-shell taco was a travesty of an invention by clueless gabachos. But that’s simply not the case,” says Gustavo Arellano, perhaps America’s foremost scholar on the taco. Arellano is the writer behind the advice column “Ask A Mexican,” the author of Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America, and also the editor of the OC Weekly newspaper in his native Orange County, California.

“Mexicans have been eating what we now call tacos since time immemorial,” says Arellano. “The idea of stuffing something into a tortilla—we’ve been doing that since there were tortillas, so we’re talking thousands of years ago.” But Mexican cuisine is incredibly regional, being almost as varied in climate and geography as the U.S., from deserts in the north to the tropics in the south, the Sierra Madre mountain range in the west to central valleys. And Mexican cuisine is a product of varied influences the same way American cuisine is; the many different Indian populations; the Spanish conquest; waves of immigrants from North, South, and (especially recently) Central America; French, German, and Jewish immigrants from Europe during World War II; Lebanese and other Arab immigrants who brought meat-on-a-spit traditions.

All of these blended together and were filtered through the ingredients that people had at hand. There are old ways of doing things, and newer ways. But they’re all Mexican, and for Arellano, “good” and “bad” are largely unrelated to “old” and “new.” The term “authentic” is entirely meaningless.

Taco shells. (Photo: Helen Penjam/flickr)

Tacos, says Arellano, were until the 1800s generally more popular in central and southern Mexico, where more common fillings would be pork, chicken, seafood, or vegetables. But the taco’s popularity increased in the 19th century in the north, and northern Mexicans had a different meat of choice. “All of northern Mexico is beef country,” says Arellano. “Sonora, Baja California, Nuevo Leon, Chihuahua, that’s where beef is king.” That was as true north of the border as south. “Putting a whole bunch of ground beef on a flour tortilla is a cowboy tradition,” says Robb Walsh, a Galveston-based food writer and authority on all things Texas, from barbecue to Tex-Mex. (He also, coincidentally, went to the same elementary school as Arellano before moving back to Texas.)

There are a few different types of beef tacos; carne asada, grilled hunks of beef, is most common, but lengua, tongue, along with a few other offal cuts especially from around the cow’s head are also easy to find. Ground beef, though, of the type you’d find in Taco Bell? That would be most recognizable in northern Mexico as picadillo.

Picadillo is a dish consisting primarily of minced or ground meat and is found in pretty much every country Spain ever had a hand in, from Mexico to Cuba to the Philippines. It varies from country to country and region to region; in Caribbean cuisines, especially Cuban, Dominican, and Puerto Rican, it’s often cooked with raisins and olives and served with rice. In Mexico it varies in form, sometimes served as a soup, sometimes cooked with less liquid with potatoes (sort of like a hash), and sometimes even drier and less saucy and served in a taco.

Crispy tacos, too, exist perfectly authentically, whatever that means, in Mexico, and have for quite a long time. Sometimes they’re called tacos dorados, or golden tacos, and if the taco is first rolled into a cigar shape before frying can be called a taquito or sometimes a flauta, depending on size or just local terminology. “They’re often made with potatoes and eaten during lent,” says Arellano. The main differences between tacos dorados and a Taco Bell taco is that the filling may be slightly different, and will be fried to order (and sometimes fried whole) rather than placed in a pre-fried shell. But really, they’re not all that different.

Fajitias in a packet: Old El Paso mix on sale. (Photo: Quinn Dombrowski/flickr)

In 1914, the recipe widely cited as the earliest known recipe for tacos was published, by Bertha Haffner-Ginger in a book called California Mexican-Spanish Cookbook. Her recipe describes the taco as follows:

“Made by putting chopped cooked beef and chile sauce in tortilla made of meal and flour; folded, edges sealed together with egg; fried in deep fat, chile sauce served over it.”

This would not easily recognizable as a taco today; I think most would identify this dish as an empanada. But the parts are all there, setting the stage for Old El Paso and Taco Bell.

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The story of most American adaptation of new dishes in the 19th and 20th centuries relies on two processes: preservation and mass production.

In the late 19th century, the Mexican-influenced dish of choice in the U.S. was chili con carne, not the taco. In Mexico, dried chile peppers are and have always been a major part of the cuisine, but are sold whole, to be toasted and rehydrated or otherwise prepared as the cook desires. The chief innovation that made the American taco possible was chili powder, a store-bought item not found in Mexico.

An 1894 advertisement for chili powder. (Photo: Internet Archive/flickr)

Chili powder was first sold in 1894 by its inventor, Texan-by-way-of-Germany Willie Gebhardt, for use in chili. “What people don’t seem to appreciate is that getting ingredients back then was not as easy as it is today,” says Arellano. “Today you go to your local Latino supermarket and you can get whatever. Back then, you had to improvise.” Gebhardt was unable to find the chile peppers he wanted year-round, and so bought a huge stockpile of the peppers, which were probably ancho, and ran them through a meat grinder a few times to pulverize them. He later began selling the powder already made—a huge convenience for anyone wanting to make the then-trendy chili. (German immigrants in Texas also tended to wrap their own sausages in tortillas, an early Mexican fusion cuisine, as Arellano told SF Weekly.)

The other ingredients—cumin powder, tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, ground beef—have connections to parts of northern Mexico, but to suss them out would be to ignore the real reason they were used: that’s what was readily available in America at the time. Cheddar cheese is hardly ever found in Mexico, but in the U.S., it’s the second-most-popular variety, after mozzarella. And it was already being used often in Texas, especially in concert with ground beef, in the hamburger. So, sure, cheddar cheese. That’s what’s here, why not?

The ultimate American expression of the taco: Taco Bell. (Photo: Mike Mozart/flickr)

The next major step in the development of the American taco was fast food. “Glen Bell, of Taco Bell fame, he got the idea for Taco Bell after watching the McDonald brothers get insanely rich in San Bernardino, California,” says Arellano. Bell had a hamburger and hot dog stand right across the street from a popular Mexican restaurant, and by 1951 he had reverse-engineered the taco and began selling it, including the tacos dorados popular in southern California. But, inspired by the McDonald’s ideas of interchangeable parts made in advance, Bell came up with a new idea. “Glen Bell is credited as coming up with the pre-formed taco shell,” says Walsh. And that turned out to be a turning point for the fast-food industry.

Arellano doesn’t think there’s much more to the comparison of hamburgers and tacos than that, but I can’t help seeing massive similarities between the two. These are both ground meat-based dishes served in starch out of drive-thru fast food places, making them perfect for on-the-go eating. They’re both commonly served with lettuce, tomato, onion, and cheese. They’re constructed the same way; all that needs to be done is to cook the meat and assemble everything else in the right order. “Picadillo has been part of Mexican cooking forever,” says Walsh. “I’m sure that is an older tradition than Sloppy Joes.” That’s true, and explains the origins of the food, but for an American in 1965 who wants to try ethnic food, the roots of the dish wouldn’t be clear at all. What I think they’d see is basically a hamburger in a different, more fun form. Arellano disagrees.

“Intellectuals have always underestimated Americans when it comes to Mexican food,” says Arellano. But Mexican food remains in the pantheon of foreign foodstuffs that by now are just…American food, along with elements of Italian and Chinese cuisines. “Americans have always sought out what they thought in that moment to be authentic Mexican food,” says Arellano, whether that was chili con carne in the 1880s, tamales in the 1930s, hard-shell beef tacos in the 1960s, or Mission-style burritos in the 2010s. He sees the American love of new foods, including Mexican, as an earnest attempt to explore and try new things—it’s just that, sometimes, only certain elements of those new foods are available.

Taco Bell’s breakfast menu. (Photo: Mike Mozart/flickr)

Regardless, the American taco became unavoidable by the 1960s: you could get it at a fast-food joint, or you could buy a kit from brands like Old El Paso or Ashley’s. These kits would include seasoning packets, sometimes ground beef, the tortillas (which disturbingly were sometimes sold in cans), and a mold so you could fry the shells in place. This spoke to 1950s and 1960s Americans: the taco dinner was cheap, sort of exotic but sort of familiar, and everything was basically premade.

Arellano recommends taking the taco, American and Mexican, for what it is, and not what those Arellano calls “authentistas” would like it to be. “Mexicans and Americans have romanticized Mexican food as being somehow more true and pure than American food,” he says. “And Mexican food is really the original mongrel cuisine. And that’s what makes it so delicious.” Really, there’s no part of the American taco that would preclude it from being tasty—nobody says you have to use a premade seasoning packet of stale, bland spices, or a brittle, prepackaged taco shell. Giving as little care to basically anything as Americans often do to the taco will result in lousy food, whether it’s Sloppy Joes or boeuf bourguignon.

In other words: get off the hard-shell taco’s back.

El Real Tex-Mex #7 (Now Closed)
1201 Westheimer Road
www.elrealtexmex.com

Many of the recipes at El Real came from Robb Walsh's (The Tex-Mex Cookbook) lifelong love affair with the history of and recipes of classic Tex-Mex. The flour and corn tortillas here are excellent. Be sure to go upstairs and check out the Jay Francis Collection of Tex-Mex memorabilia.

Don Key Mexican Restaurant
5010 Spencer Highway, Pasadena
Established in 1984. I came across this time warp treasure via their billboard on Old Galveston Road that I noticed one day when driving back into Houston.

Los Tios (Beechnut)
4840 Beechnut Street
www.lostiosrestaurant.com

Los Tios is a Houston institution and one of only two places that still make the puffy and crispy taco that was once very typical of Houston Tex-Mex. This location on Beechnut is a favorite.

Don Teo's (Now Closed)
2026 W. 34th Street
http://www.donteos.com

The story of Don Teo's is pretty interesting. This location was one of the original Monterey Houses in Houston, this one franchised to Don Covington. Now in his 80's, he still comes by for Tex-Mex every week. The Martinez family that own it now, Don Teo and his son, Teo Jr., worked for decades for the Monterey House chain. Junior began as a kid and worked his way through the various stations of a restaurant. He is an absolute delight to chat with and we recommend to be sure to say "Hi" when you visit.

El Paraiso (on Fairview in Montrose) (Now Closed)
2320 Crocker Street

El Paraiso, too, prepares class Tex-Mex, and also offers house made moles and a few northern Mexico regional dishes.

Don Carlos (on 76th Street)
416 76th Street
www.doncarlosrestaurants.com

On the east side of town, what is becoming known as Eado, though, we prefer the name Canaviburg,
Don Carlos has a long history of serving Tex-Mex.

Mi Sombrero
3401 N. Shepherd at 34th Street
www.misombrero.com

Mi Sombrero offers classic Tex-Mex dishes and like Don Teo, serves the Garden Oaks and Shepherd/Ella area of Houston.

Fiesta Loma Linda (Now Closed)
2111 Telephone Road
http://www.fiestalomalinda.com

Our favorite because of the classic, Houston style puffy tacos that they continue to make and make well. Originally a classic diner, the owners friendship with the owners of the now long gone Loma Linda Restaurant by Palms Center, follow the original Loma Linda recipes. And they still make the classic praline on premises. You will get one when your check comes. 

Lopez Mexican Restaurant
11606 Wilcrest Drive
www.vivalopez.com

Another historically significant, classic Tex-Mex institution. This one serves the Stafford, Hwy 59 at Wilcrest Houston area.

Monterey House (Beaumont, Texas) (Now Closed)
1109 S 11th Street, Beaumont, Texas
www.monteryhousebmt.com

The holy grail. The mecca for lovers of classic, retro Tex-Mex. The franchisee bought the rights to the recipes of the original Monterey House chain in the 60's and continues to duplicate the original recipes. A must stop for anyone travelling east on Highway 10 through Beaumont. For more details, please see this link:
Monterey House - Beaumont

Larry's (Richmond, Texas)
116 E Highway 90A, Richmond

Larry Guerrero worked for Felix Tijerina back in the day, and, when he expressed interest in creating his own Mexican restaurant, Mr. Tijerina provided assistance. Ninfa Laurenzo also offered help in exchange for his buying his masa products from their family tortilleria off of Navigation.
Be sure to pick up a Larry's t-shirt when you visit. It is one of the coolest looking t-shirts in Texas.

La Hacienda (Memorial)
14759 Memorial Drive
www.lahaciendamemorial.com

If you grew up in the Memorial area, your family probably went to "La-Ha" at least once a week. It is a Tex-Mex institution for Memorialites.