"The birria ramen at Tacos Doña Lena, a casual Mexican restaurant on the northwest end of The Heights, is a thing of genius. We think about this ramen often, even on Houston’s hottest days. One spoonful of tender birria, earthy, chile-spiked consomé, and spongy ramen noodles transports you to a flavor-induced ethereal plane. It’s also covered in cheese and comes with an adorable mini corn cob that makes the experience of enjoying this bowl even better." - gianni greene, chelsea thomas, julie takahashi