El Imperial Mexican Restaurant

I moved out of state 10 years ago, but when I come into town I'll stop by when I can. My family who still lives in Houston is very loyal to this place, all the way back from the late 90s, and they were still off 1960. Oscar is a warm and convivial host and remembers my parents from those days. The food is about the same from how I remember it growing up in those times. Not as busy, though, and we had three different waitstaff come to our table asking if we needed anything. My food came out pretty fast and was good, lots of cheese just how i like it. I Still have good memories of the food, the owner and years past and glad to see they're still going strong.

I ordered to pick up, I asked for a grill for two and it had very little meat, it was only enough for one, the sausage they give is a poor quality one from a supermarket and the beans are not mixed with anything else because they don't taste like beans, I don't know, the food is very bad and the price is not right, for example in Los Cucos you can eat much better for that price, I would not recommend this place, I will not buy there again.

The food is delicious. They have a variety of options and very accommodating. The service was exceptional. It’s a very intimate setting.We will definitely visit again. It’s hard to find great food and great customer service. I’m very thankful.

Food is pretty good, but they will get your order wrong every time. Special requests? Don’t bother because they won’t. Want them to actually follow what they put on their own menu? Good luck.

I have been coming to El imperial for probably 35 years, along with many of my friends. I love the fact that the food is still the same as it was many years ago even after they changed locations. The cheese enchiladas are my fave!

They werevquick and so courteous. Food was so delicious. Price was reasonable. For 3 people ,drinks , appetizer and 3 meals with tax was 63.00. I would go back.

Its typical tex mex. Prices were good and service was ok. It would have been better but they put items on my ticket which were actually my aunt's. Nothing really stood out as amazing. I had the taco salad and queso.

THE BEST MEXICAN RESTAURANT IN THE AREA ! I have lived in spring for over 10 years and this place never disappoints. Phenomenal service from all the servers ! Delicious food always fresh and authentic! Reasonable prices with a large selection of plates. Their happy hour menu is also great ! I love their passion fruit margarita with chamoy and tajin on the rim ! My go too will of course be the tacos ! Los tacos al carbon or their mini tacos are delicious! If you’re looking for a good mexican restaurant this is the place to be !

I just love their Nachos Imperiales. No one else makes them like this. A thick tortilla chip with picadillo meat and queso cheese are accompanied by lettuce, guacamole, and tomatoes. Set your taste buds to greasy spoon and you'll be delighted. Service is always quick and friendly. I've enjoyed eating at this hole in the wall Tex-Mex restaurant for decades.

Stumbled in here after visiting a medical office. Just wanted to place a to-go order and sit at the bar while waiting. Upon entering the restaurant, you're met by friendly hosts ready to seat you. When I mentioned the bar, I was escorted to the back area where the bar is located. It's obvious most folk don't visit the bar, but that turned into a good thing... I had the full attention of Carlos, the bartender who served me up 2 delicious margaritas while I waited for my to go order of quesadilla de pastor. Carlos also provided me with a serving of sliced oranges with chamoy and tajin... which were so delicious! While waiting I also was able to enjoy chips and salsa. The food, service, and vibe were all great!

I can't explain how amazing this restaurant has been since I moved to the area. I've gotten to know the servers, manager, and all the cooks and it honestly feels like home. And of course the food is amazing. I go with my boyfriend and we get the Parrilla for two and it always hits.

I love this place. My go-to Tex/Mex spot. Friendly staff. Great chips and salsa, tacos and ENCHILADAS!!!! They serve a delicious chicken soup at lunch. It is excellent. Give it a try.

I love this place! From the margaritas to the food to the service, it is all so very good. They serve a bean dip as well as salsa upon arrival as well as complimentary soup. It is located in an unassuming strip center at the corner of Louetta and Kuykendahl. It is worth a visit for sure.

We had the chicken fajita nachos and a glass of house merlot. The nachos were great and the wine was good for what you would expect at a neighborhood Mexican restaurant. The service was exceptional and the dining area was clean and comfortable. Prices were reasonable.

I love this place ! I just started coming here this year and it's so welcoming. I will say I was a little weary because of some of these reviews but I can honestly say that everything I've had is delicious.Every time we come we are greeted by warm familiar faces. As soon as they bring you these big menus they bring you chips, salsa, and beans that are hot ! My personal favorite has got to be the parriladas! But I've been trying to eat a little of everything.

Great food excellent service. Would highly recommend. Excellent menu. Good service culture with all employees

the qeso tasted weird the beef was raw the coke tasted weird it was no good.

Place is in a shopping a strip. Food is extremely mediocre. The restaurant was really hot and dark on the inside. Glad I got the food to go. I got this place confused. I thought this was the same Juanita's as the one off of tc jester and 610. I want to the wrong one. There is one but it's closer to 249. The people were extremely friendly which is why they are getting the high rating. Also the prices give them the three stars. I got four tacos to go. Ate three of them. The breakfast taco was really bland. The carne guisada was okay. The pork special taco was really good which is also why they are getting the 3. When I opened my plate to go I was disappointed. They use stone bought Tortillas. That just automatically gives them a - 1 star. I probably won't go back they have good specials though. Nice people.

I got the Flautas. It was not worth 14 dollars I could have got 3 bigger ones will all the same side at the restaurant down the street. I decided to try this one out because it's closer to my home and I never been. I was okay

We came in Friday lunch time and it was dead. I was scared. But son was hungry and i wasn't about to deal with an hangry young adult I sat in the car reading the review and was like okay I guess we are getting food poisoning if we ever get the food. I WAS WRONG Food was not OMG it's like Vic and Anthony's but food was good. We were quickly greeted as we should have been because we were the only customers. Lunch time on payday and no one is here?!? -Hit sent prematurely. Apologizes. We sat down and chips came. Salsa could be hotter for me but nice perk was the soup and black beans that also came. We got chili con queso because yum cheese. It was def just a bowl of hot cheese but my 10 yr old enjoyed it so that's good. I got flautas because you can ruin flautas and the older adult son had tacos al carbon. Everything tasted good and temp was perfect. This place isn't going to wow omg you but service and food are good enough to where we would come back in we are in the area and hungry for Tex Mex. Our server was really good with the younger son. I like it when servers are scared of kids. And lunch specials all week long.

Sadly, this place has gone downhill in terms of quality and service. There are plenty Tex-Mex choices in the area. I would not go here again.

Wonderful restaurant!! My family & I go every week. The staff is awesome & food is very tasteful with reasonable prices !! Best Mexican restaurant ever !!! Highly recommend 10/10

Great authentic Mexican food. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Great prices and great customer service. Definitely will be coming back.

My husband & I came here Sunday night for an impromptu dinner out. The red salsa was served warm & had great flavor; the green was kind of creamy & not as flavorful. Hubby had the beef fajita al carbon tacos while I had the Special tacos al carbon (1 beef, 1 pork & 1 chicken). The meats were well cooked & diced nicely to avoid excessive chewing & large chunks. I wasn't a big fan of their rice & beans. Flour tortillas are homemade so that's a plus. I ordered a skinny strawberry margarita. The waiter was also the bartender & said he'd never made one but gave it a go. He even made it festive with green salt around the rim. It was delicious! I'm pretty sure we'll be repeat customers.

After hearing good things about this place, decided to give it a try for lunch on a Saturday. Hoped to find a hole in the wall that held delicious treasures. Sadly, sometimes a hole in the wall is just a hole in the wall! (And a slightly thieving one at that!) Food was terrible, beginning with the chips which tasted old and rancid. The rest of the meal was unappetizing as well, suffering from old ingredients and bad preparation. The kicker though was getting our bill padded by about 10% hoping we wouldn't notice! I can forgive bad cooking but not outright thieving!! To paraphrase Frederic Forrest in Apocalypse Now, "Never get out of Mi Rancho!!"

I did not have a good experience, but it was not so terrible that I wouldn't give them another shot. First, the hostess was great. She greeted us, sat us, and said goodbye on our departure. The rest? Well... it could have been better. Service Unfortunately for the staff this night, there were trying really hard to please and do good service, but there was a distinct lack of communication. They tried to give my daughter's apple juice to tables that didn't order it and already had drinks. We got 2 refills for every 1 drink we finished, because our waiter and another server (not sure what his job was, maybe helper) both would bring drinks. Another lady made sure our chips stayed full... it was quite a wait for our order. Speaking of our order, for my daughter I ordered chicken with rice and beans... they brought fries. To be fair, I am sure it's more common that way, but I had them bring the sides anyway. For my husband, he requested no beans and... got beans. I requested sour cream and limes... waited quite a long time for them, even if with an additional request. Food We were unpleasantly surprised to find out the "ground beef" is a meat and veggies medley inside my husband's enchiladas. I looked at the "charro" beans I was given... not quite sure what was in it with the beans, so I left it alone. The food tasted okay for my husband and I. My toddler didn't seem to like the fries or her chicken. She contented herself with eating just beans. Bear in mind, she is not one to pass up chicken. The food itself seemed more Tex Mex than authentic Mexican food. Bathrooms They are essentially single person use, though both looked clean. Since the women's was in use and I had a toddler in tow, I let her use the men's while I stood at the door. The men's was not stocked with hand soap or paper towels. Luckily by this point, the women's was vacant so I took her there for us both to wash our hands. I informed the server (helper?) and... I quickly explained why I, a female, was in the men's restroom after the look he gave us. Last remarks I wound up getting really sick afterwards. However, neither my husband nor child did.

Not sure why this restaurant wasn't listed in yelp - it's been here for many years and a great neighborhood TexMex spot. Black bean dip is warm and very good. Quest is goood. Busy place.

Very good Tex-Mex food with good friendly service. Salsa and queso are very good, and margaritas are terrific with a kick, particularly the top shelf. Standards like enchiladas, tostadas, tacos, flautas, etc. are all expertly prepared and flavorful with good accompanying guacamole and sauces. True standouts are pollo con rajas (chicken with cheese and peppers), el presidente (adds delicious grilled butterfly shrimp), chimichangas, and chili rellenos. This place is one of those hidden local gems that exist across Texas that locals return to again and again for good food and friendly and comfortable service.

They used to have 1.50 margarita Tuesdays, now they have 1.99 margarita Tuesdays. Anyways, this is the best day to come. Come get boozed and enjoy some food. Food: I've only had their fajitas, so I'm not sure about the rest of their menu. Honestly, I just come to this place on Tuesdays for the cheap drinks. The Esmeralda is the only thing i order. It's a bacon wrapped, fajita stuffed, jalapeno covered with cheese. This is sooo much food and so tasty. I'm sure their basic food like enchiladas and tacos aren't the best, but you dont go here for that. Service: The servers are usually on their A-game (with limited English available). The only thing to watch is your bill when you check out. On margarita Tuesday the bill may mysteriously jump up if you've had a few margs. Overall, a good Tuesday special for a neighborhood joint.

It amazes me how, with the strong Hispanic cultural influence we have in Houston, so many truly mediocre Tex-Mex establishments like this one manage to stay in business. We came in for dinner with high hopes after the initial tasty house margaritas and green crema sauce impressed us. We were then met with slow, albeit polite service, and food that was utterly unimpressive. My wife enjoyed her cheese enchilada, but let's be honest, how hard is it to make a cheese enchilada. The fajitas were so dry, they tasted as if they had been cut before they were cooked, so they completely dried out. The crispy beef taco was bland. Come on guys. Getting Tex-Mex food right is only marginally challenging. You'll have to do much better to earn my patronage.

The food was terrible! The enchilada sauce was definitely the canned stuff you would buy at the grocery store and the meat must have been left out for a few days because it had a really bad smell and taste to it. I could not force myself to eat. Will never come back to yet another so called Mexican restaurant.

!!!ATTENTION!!! This location is under new management and is no longer Juanita's but Las Flores. Came here the other day and was kind of shocked to see that the inside was repainted, menus were revamped, and staff.... completely new. They have 2 distinct salsa's now: a red salsa and green. Honestly, I'm a big fan of them. The red salsa is very tasty and the green salsa is more of a crema sauce, but very spicy. If you've ever been to Taqueria Aranda's, it's very similar to their green salsa (in fact, exactly the same; maybe not as spicy). FOR MY FELLOW DRINKERS: Now, completely disregard the old reviews that state there's a $2 margarita deal on Tuesday. This doesn't exist anymore. (Ugh, I know!!!) Their happy hour runs M-F from 11am-6pm and expect to pay $5.50 for a jumbo Rita and $3.50 for a regular Rita. Unfortunately we did not come for happy hour and our bill was quite steep from a few jumbos. Their HH Rita's are not at all a bad price, however they are significantly weaker than Juanita's. :( Okay, now for the food: The food is actually pretty good! To be honest, a lot better than Juanita's. I got the El Texano and it came with rice and beans, a beef flauta, and 2 chicken quesadilla pieces. It was a lot of food and very tasty. I will say, everything here is priced a bit steeper than Juanita's, but not by much. For the quality it's worth it. Willing to make this place a regular go-to!

The wife and I decided to stop in here tonight because we were dying for some authentic mexican food...and Im glad we did! The service was great...the ambience was pretty sweet, and Victors cooking was OFF THE CHAIN! Wife said the enchiladas were the best shes had...7 year old son loved his quesadillas and finished his plate...and I myself LOVED the steak nachos! The green sauce was SPECTACULAR...great taste, but has a nice kick to it...will DEFINITELY be regulars...

This is the new El Imperial, was so happy when they reopened! Some of the best cheese enchiladas I've ever had! Been coming to El Imperial for 20+ years, every time I visit from Ft Worth I make it an effort to eat here at least once! Staff is very friendly!

The area around this restaurant doesn't look that hot but the service and food inside will surprise you! Very friendly staff and efficient service . My food came out in a timely manner and was actually really delicious! A very nice surprise . Would come again

This is an awesome neighborhood Mexican food place with misc specials, and $2 margaritas on Tuesday , along with happy hour $3 margaritas on other days. Worth yourctime if your in the area. Oh and the food is pretty amazing also :)

We live nearby and have been to Juanita's at least 10 times so far in the last 18 months. I haven't had their fajitas since we make our own, but I enjoy their burritos and quesadillas. I also liked their nachos. My husband loves their tacos al carbon and enchiladas (the chicken ones are his favorite). Our friend, Beth, truly enjoys their carne asada. I know it's odd to point out a simple beverage, but I really enjoy their tea (sweet or unsweet, both are great). It's more refreshing than other tea if that makes sense... So, I am giving their food a solid 4 stars and their service is stellar, like 5+ stars. Is it the best Mexican restaurant that ever existed? Probably not. But they are priced well, I like their food, and their service is excellent. Oh, and yes, I skip the "live band" evenings when I can...it is a bit loud and silly in a not-good-way that Sam V mentioned. But I think he didn't get to taste much of their food.

This restaurant is a hidden gem on Kuykendahl.. Fantastic and authentic food and very reasonable prices! The management is very attentive to their customers as well. Compared to the other Mexican restaurants nearby, you will find no better food in this area.

This location may be confusing, but this is the old El Imperial, and it's delicious! Yelp/etc can be odd because the chain Las Flores sold this location, kept it listed as one of their locations for a while, and now seem to be trying to scrub its existence. It's still there, it's still open, and it's freaking delicious! Been going to El Imperial loyally for my entire life, so glad they found a new location, hoping they eventually rename this one completely so search results for it can be more clear.

Its just another small mexican restaurant with cheap margaritas and food. The queso is okay, a little too watery. The salsa is very good and full of flavor. The beef and chicken fajita meat is questionable and I was a little nervous eating it. Im sure its from a local meat market. You get what you pay for, inexpensive food and slow service. I will say, the ritas are pretty strong so if you went on Happy Hour its money well spent!

Sooo I go here with my besties all the time and the margarita Tuesday it everything to us! Mainly because it's so close but the food is good the drinks get you lit and we always have a good time! The wait staff is a little twinky but something to look at lol. Service is ok.... Some servers a little more eager than others but it's never bad. All in all this is a frequent visit for me and honestly I'm never disappointed.

Are you tired of getting bland virgin tasting margaritas? Well then you need to go to Las Flores, this place has the best margaritas in Northwest Houston. Thank goodness Las Flores was bought out by people that know what they are doing.The food is very good and you can't beat the quality service. Dont pay attention to some of these people giving 1 star reviews. I'm sure they meant to say nice things and put 4 or 5 stars. I personally have witnessed on several occasions the waiters tending to crying toddlers, while making the rest of the family feel as if they were in their own home eating dinner. If you're tired of eating expensive non authentic mexican food then you need to try out this place. Their dishes are incredibly reasonable for the entire family to come and enjoy.

My husband and I walked in here and cheese and rice did it smell like feet and straight s***. That is by far the nastiest odor I've smelt! I don't want the place where I'm about to eat at to smell like road kill. Yes, the service I assume would have been great if we would have gone in further but once we got that whiff, we were gone. When we opened the door we were immediately greeted and told to take our seats but we just left. Maybe take-out or delivery should be an option.

Horrible experience. Lousy service, not clean, noisy and the food was disgusting. You would think a Mexican restaurant would at least try on Cinco de Mayo!

Our favorite local place! Food and service uz always great!

Place was great a few years ago, but the past few times I've been, things have gone downhill. I do not plan to ever return after the last visit. Sat for 20 minutes for a drink order, restaurant was at 1/4 capacity. Took another 20 minutes for server to come back to take my order. By that time I just paid for my michelada and left. The food is ok, used to better but when service sucks, it's time to move on.

My wife, sister and I decided to try this place the other night after the movies on the recommendations of my sister. She had eaten here about a year earlier for lunch (she since found out it was under another name then) and liked it. Parking was not hard to find, we pulled right up to the door. I should have turned around and drove off on seeing the outside but I was assured we would enjoy it. Walking in, there were literally three tables occupied in what was an overlit, bare and extremely quiet dining room. I should have known. On a Saturday night at 6:30? We were seated by a very polite young waiter in a very tight fitting booth. There was nothing special about this place, it looked like a lot of other cheap Mexican restaurants although it was really big. We soon noticed there was no music playing and that would continue during our whole stay. It only exacerbated the fact that no one was there. The only activity was the rest of the staff lurking in a corner watching a game. The place was clean enough and I had no problem with the bathrooms. The waiter quickly gave us menus that were several pages long and they seemed to have everything. He quickly appeared to take our order when he saw we had decided. I'm not kidding, it was literally five minutes from the time he took our order to when he brought out our food. It was really hot from the microwave. OK, the food. Very bland overall. The salsa was very watery with little taste or spice, they did have a good green sauce though. I had a combo plate, the kind with a cold platter and a hot platter. The taco was runny and the queso had no taste at all. The tamale wasn't bland, it tasted awful. The cheese enchilada was OK, but nothing great. Everything else just seemed to have no taste to it. My wife didn't even eat a quarter of hers and my sister was irritated that they had gone downhill so much. The waiter kept appearing every five minutes to ask us if we were OK. Our check arrived immediately after he saw we were finished. I did give him a good tip because he did his best. We will not be coming back here. The location is #3? I wonder if the other 2 locations are any better. I'm sure as much business as they don't have, they won't be around long.

Service was excellent although we were the only ones there. As far as the food I wasn't very impressed. I didn't like the salsa it had to much of a chili powder seasoning to it and I didn't like that their guacamole wasn't homemade. It was the kind you get in a container at a grocery store. Don't plan on going back.

It was my first time here and I don't think I will be back any time soon. They do have a large menu and choices reasonably priced but they do not make fresh lemonade and the salsa was not up to my standards.

I love this Juanita's! Ive been coming here ever since casa imperial closed down. The food is always hot and fresh(they make it quick too) the service is phenomenal, we usually have the same server, and his assistants. Always fresh chips n dip on the table, my drink is rarely empty. Also i recommended trying their green sauce, u have to request it, but its good. Good prices too! I've never had a complaint about them. you could probably consider me a regular here.

I am revising my review posted below from 2012. My family and I used to frequently go to Juanita's Mexican Grill (sometimes twice a week) but have not been there in over a year. The family that owned it sold the business and now it is awful!! The food is not fresh, bland and seems to sometimes taste thawed then reheated. It's so sad to lose a good local restaurant since they are so hard to come by. My sister's family is now actively seeking a new great local Mexican restaurant to no avail. I know we will find one in the future...hopefully sooner than later. ;-( ----------------------------- Juanita's Mexican Grill is my family's favorite local place to eat! The service is beyond great and there is usually a full house on Tuesday (Margarita night), Friday, and weekend nights. They use all fresh ingredients and their enchiladas, tacos al carbon, Juanita's dip, chalupas, and guacamole are awesome! They may not know me by name but the owners and staff always have a kind word and smile. (The younger daughter needs to work on this a bit more, though...) Sure, there are other really good Mexican restaurants around but Juanita's gets our vote for fast and friendly service and all-around flavorful food. Sure, there are better Spanish bands on margarita nights but the cheesy keyboardist/light show is good enough for me. Families have been coming here for years and I will keep recommending Juanita's!

Juanitas by far does not deserve a 2 star rating definitely a 3.5+ 4 . Yes, of course some dishes aren't to my liking. I wouldn't order fajitas here...it's weak. BUT THERE ENCHILADAS!! Order theirs with chicken and huevos on top. Omg, delish. My bro orders some steak meat wrapped in jalepenos and bacon. Esmeralde -Very good. His gf loves the fajitas diablos (prepared differently compared to regular fajitas). SERVICE IS TWO THUMBS UP. This isn't my fab Mexican restaurant but when it comes to certain items on the menu YES!

Went to Juanitas tonight with my wife. Ordered 2 Happy Hour Frozen Margaritas and they were the best around. The Salsa's (2 kinds with a veggie dish) and Thin Chips are Great...Loved It All. We had the Steak Fajitas for 2 and it was fantastic. Great Flavor and lots of it. Everything was really fresh and tasty. The Service is Far Better Than Anywhere Else and we really mean that....service gets 10 stars if it was possible. Great Bunds of People here. The only draw back I see in the entire restaurant is they have a smoking are in the back. It was not crowded tonight so we did not smell it where we were sitting, but when you walk in and sit along the far wall, you could smell the smoke...We changed tables to the other side and did not smell any smoke but it also was not crowded. Wish they would not allow it at all. Smoking is not allowed, I think, on Friday night after 5pm (sign up front, I think says this). Anyway, the food, service and drinks are GREAT....

Delicious Juanitas dip (quest and ground beef). Their ritas were pretty delicious, even during happy hour; some places seem to water down their ritas during happy hour and they didn't. Tuesdays they have $2 ritas until 9, can't go wrong with that. Great service.

This place right by where I work. I decided to come for lunch one day. The service is great and so is the food. The fajitas are excellent. They automatically bring a bowl of Queso and it's free.

Love going to Las Flores! Always feel very welcomed and appreciated. Have never had a bad meal.

Showed up this morning at 11 am and ordered from the new menu. Everything was a little bit higher and have to go back sometime to see if it's packed. Juanitas used to be pretty packed on a Sunday morning. Three other people wandered in a little bit later after us. The food was good, and so will leave it at that. Everybody was happy with what they ate and so there were pretty much empty plates. The same place as Juanitas but under a new name.