El Tiempo Cantina
Tex-Mex restaurant · Washington Ave. ·
Hearty Tex-Mex dishes, batch margaritas, and CCQ Joseph queso.
Hearty Tex-Mex dishes, batch margaritas, and CCQ Joseph queso.
"A left-center field Tex‑Mex margarita bar where visitors can find batch margaritas made with Hornitos tequila. (Section 156.)" - Brittany Britto Garley
"Mostly a large bar counter—great for anyone traveling solo—the local restaurant group-owned El Tiempo Cantina serves the usual Tex-Mex classics like frozen margs, fajitas, and salsa-smothered breakfast plates. Stay for a while or, like everyone else, take something to go and eat it awkwardly in your lap at your flight’s gate." - chelsea thomas, gianni greene
"With multiple Houston locations, El Tiempo always offers a convenient way to satisfy a queso craving. Four different size options are on the menu, from a small four-ounce ramekin to a giant “large” that costs $18, and the real draw here is the CCQ Joseph, a bowl of queso mixed with picadillo beef." - Amy McCarthy
"This long-running Tex-Mex mainstay was thrust into controversy when a high-profile political figure posted a selfie with one of the co-owners after dining there, sparking immediate outrage in the city given the official’s anti-immigrant rhetoric. The incident prompted calls for boycotts, public debate among restaurateurs, and a short-lived political storm that highlighted how charged public-facing interactions with controversial figures can be for popular local institutions." - Amy McCarthy
"When Attorney General Jeff Sessions dined there and posed for a photo with co-owner Dominic Laurenzo, it triggered intense social-media backlash; the chain temporarily shut down its social accounts and issued an apology amid public outrage tied to his role in the Trump administration’s immigration and LGBTQ-related policies." - Amy McCarthy