El Tiempo Cantina

I can't say enough about the staff here. I typically eat alone but have come with a group as well. I exclusively sit in the lounge and the teamwork, service mindset and speed at which the staff move is incredible. The food is fantastic, arrives hot and fast and they never let you sit empty handed.

Been here for a while now and their fajitas never disappoint, meat is always tender and juicy, and rice and beans are always tasty. Their frozen margaritas are the bomb! Must have one if you eat here. Service could be a bit slow even if it’s not crowded but not a deal breaker.

Excellent service, delicious food and perfected ambience. The decor is so pretty and you feel like you’re in Mexico. They start you out with the best green sauce and great chips. I wasn’t a big fan of the red sauce, but the green sauce is terrific. Perfectly creamy and flavorful. The margaritas are great, especially for being a “house” margarita. We shared the beef fajitas. The butter dipping sauce is flavored with a hint of lime. The tortillas are thin and a good size to make a good taco. They have green rice and regular yellow Mexican rice; I preferred the yellow. Our waiter took excellent care of us and the service was fast. Will return for sure! (The lighting is low, so the photos are difficult to see the true presentation, but all was great!)

OMG!! This place is simply amazing.. I was so pleased with the amount of customer service and their hospitality. It was my 1 St time there and it was worth every great thing I heard from them... The Margaritas was my highlight!!! Awesome 👍🏾 Awesome 💯 Awesome... Highly recommend this place!!!!

The service was excellent. Even when we had to re extend a table when more people came they got right back on it. I liked the tamales.

Came in for lunch with three people. We ordered a medium fajitas, a small fajitas, and a quesadilla, but the portions were much smaller than what I’ve experienced at other El Tiempo locations. The food itself was fine, just not enough for the group. I called the manager the next day to bring it up, but instead of acknowledging my concern, they were defensive and told me that’s simply the portion size. Since I’ve been to El Tiempo many times, I know that isn’t the case. Unfortunately, this left a bad impression, and I don’t plan to return to this location.

Great service and a fantastic atmosphere. I really liked the quality of the ingredients and the rich flavors of their carnitas

Service (waitress) was slow. Once our order was taken (not our waitress), food was out from the kitchen in speedy fashion. The atmosphere was nice. The restaurant is laid out with a lot of space. Excellent place to go if you have a large group. There is plenty of separation from your neighbors if you're a couple. Food came out hot. Plates, very hot! The warning was real. Taste, a little bland, seafood and vegetables, and nice presentation. Worth going back for a second try.

The food, drinks & service are always impeccable. I'm embarrassed to say that I can't remember either of the bartender's names. The same two guys have been there since our first visit, one being an older gentleman and a mid-late 30's gentleman. I always order the 1/4 lb salmon fajitas and my husband enjoys the chicken quesadilla. The house margarita will definitely get the job done, no need to order top shelf unless it's been one hell of a week lol

Popped in for a little Cinco de Mayo fun and surprisingly it wasn't too busy! We got seated quickly and got started on chips & salsa. Drinks: margaritas (one of which was a mangonada) and they were strong & refreshing! Entrees: fresh fish tacos & bbq brisket quesadillas - tacos tasted so fresh and flavorful; quesadillas were a lot at first, initially greeted by an overpowering sweet bbq sauce but once you get past that - they are decent. I got a full order and of course had leftovers for the next day, the quesadillas had a comeback the next day - sauce was not as overpowering so maybe needed time to get comfortable in the dish (pro tip?) Everyone there was super nice and made sure we were taken care of!

Shared the medium beef fajitas for two. They were super tasty! Rice and beans were fabulous and the corn tortillas were super homemade and the perfect thickness. Service is very attentive.

We love it here. Husband always gets the coconut frozen margarita and we share the carnitas and they are amazing! Flour tortillas are to die for and Rocio helps us and she's so sweet and attentive. It's right by our house and there's enough parking and not much of a wait usually. You won't regret ordering carnitas.

Loved this place. Felt super cozy and authentic. Service was top notch and attentive. And of course, the food. Had the chile relleños platter and some other house special that evening. Both were excellent and delicious. Can taste the quality here. Highly recommend!

Good food at decent price. We got the combo fajita platter (not on the menu) with filet mignon, shrimp and chicken totaling $90 for 1lb. Good atmosphere and food was good so we recommend them. Service was very attentive and they continuous checked up on us.

I had a gift card so decided to stop for lunch. The wait staff was nice. I was promptly served water, two types of salsas and chips. I ordered a black bean chalupa. It's supposed to come with rice and beans. I only got the rice. I asked the waiter where the side of beans was and he said in the chalupa. He said he could bring me some beans. I just let it go. The guacamole is a coin-sized dollop. The rice was good. The chalupa had a very thin spread of black beans. It also had a bitter vegetable that I can't quite pinpoint what it was. I didn't enjoy it. The waiter offered to bring more beans for the chalupa. I let that go too. Heck, I didn't know if I would be charged extra. One chalupa with a side of rice is $14.99. El Tiempo is El Overpriced.

Despite their steep prices, El Tiempo is one of my favorite Tex-Mex places in Houston. There's nothing like their filet fajitas and lump crab nachos. I like that they have two options for rice (Cilantro rice all the way!) Service can be a hit or miss but this location in particular has been great. I've introduced a few colleagues to their nachos and they're hooked. I have also discovered their pickled veggies they bring with the chips and salsa and I'm sad I was never given them earlier! Always a wonderful treat.

I took a huge crew of youth group kids and had a great experience! Vibe was great, food was super yummy. The garlic butter for my fajitas was so amazing. Waiter was great.

This is the family Tex-Mex spot. If you have someone visiting from out of town and they need to get the quintessential Tex-Mex experience then you must take them to El Tiempo. The quality between locations is very consistent, but this is the spot I choose I make my home location. It's never too busy, the parking lot is patrolled, and the staff is terrific. Food is standard Mexican options, and few upscale-able features like the filet fajitas. Ambience is what you come to know from your neighborhood Mexican food restaurant, low lit and plenty of colors.

Came here on recommendation from one of my teachers during lunch. Well let's just say service was bad. I had a tax free card because we are using the company card and the waiter legit asked me why ... i was so confused like why to what , why I'm using my company card or why our we tax free. He was just rude about it . Didn't really check on us , was very annoyed with the questions we had To make matters worse half of us didn't feel good after we ate. I think it was the chicken . My other teacher who had shrimp was fine but I didn't even finish my food because my stomach started to hurt Glad this meal was on company dime and not mine

Excellent service, delicious food and perfected ambience. The decor is so pretty and you feel like you're in Mexico. They start you out with the best green sauce and great chips. I wasn't a big fan of the red sauce, but the green sauce is terrific. Perfectly creamy and flavorful. The margaritas are great, especially for being a "house" margarita. We shared the beef fajitas. The butter dipping sauce is flavored with a hint of lime. The tortillas are thin and a good size to make a good taco. They have green rice and regular yellow Mexican rice; I preferred the yellow. Our waiter took excellent care of us and the service was fast. Will return for sure! (The lighting is low, so the photos are difficult to see the true presentation, but all was great!)

I was very surprised to see how the food taste has changed. I'm a regular customer and my girlfriend, who also goes often; also was surprised to see how things aren't as nice as it used to be. I probably won't go back for a while and I can believed just an appetizer queso was $15.00

If I could give a zero, I would. 6 of us came in for my husbands birthday tonight and we were refused food and alcohol. They close at 10pm and this was at 8:55. Total disappointment. Terrible experience.

Best carnitas I've ever had. Highly recommended. Their guacamole was just bad though. It had a ton of raw garlic in it which just ruined it. Sometimes Simple is best!

Great food & great service! So glad we tried El Tiempo while visiting Houston, we all agreed it was the best Mexican food we've had in a long time (beating restaurants in Dallas!). We shared Dom's Fajita Wednesday special, the beef was so tender and the fresh tortillas were heavenly. 3 people can easily share this special, there was plenty of food leftover. Houston is lucky to have El Tiempo! We'll be back!

Good food and great service Did try the biggest plate they had and I was fully stuffed and on top of that I also tried their alcohol list It was pretty decent Only had one thing so I need to try more

We were seated quickly on a Friday night which was nice. We were given chips and salsa complimentary but we did order queso (medium size) and it was good. Reminded me of what you can buy in a jar but tasted just slightly better. We got filet mignon fajitas (1/2 pound) and between 3 of us - we still had a ton leftover. We didn't get to the point where we asked for more but to begin with, the tortillas and fixings (cheese, lettuce, pico, sour cream) did not seem like enough. I guess you'd ask for more if you can keep eating all of it. It was a little slow as a far as service goes but there were extra people who kept tables cleared and drinks filled which was nice.

Great service and good food. Solid place to take the family or friends. Modelo's are ice cold and Jesus is wicked quick.

Food is sub par and way over priced for the quality of food they serve, do yourself a favor and drive the extra distance to get to a papasitos which is far superior in all aspects including service, quality of food/meat and flavor

In a town with unlimited number of Mexican restaurants it is hard to find one the distinguishes itself from all the others. I love Pappasitos and is my go to place when I am in a city that has one. But in Houston, I found a place I love even more. It is decorated like any other place and was nice. The service was the best. Several people always stopped by to see how I was doing and kept my drink filled up. The chips come with warm salsa which is my favorite and you don't find it often. It also came with a tomatillo salsa that was even better than Pappositos. I ate all of both Salsas. There were so many great options to choose from. I live a good Mexican ceviche and try it every time. I got the small version and it was a lot. It was also one of the best mixed seafood ceviches I have had. it had a very mild taste but the combination was perfect. I then had the Las Vegas Filet mignon Combo. It was good but I didn't really like the steak. It was very tender but didn't like the spices on it. I would go with something different next time. There was plenty of food and can't wait to go back.

This is one of the best Mexican food restraunts in Houston. It's expensive, but the quality of the ingredients is really high. My enchiladas had real jumbo lump crabmeat in them. The service at this location was top notch. Everyone worked as a team and made the whole experience delightful. The tres leches was one of the best I've ever had. Definitely try El Tiempo! This was a great location too!

I used to be a regular at this restaurant. The prices began to climb and the quality in drinks and food decline, so I stopped going as often. Today, I decided to return after a while (there are lovely people who work as servers and bartenders who we still like to support), and the experience was bad at best. We were rushed at every moment of our time there. The wait staff tried to remove my daughter's plate three times before she was done. The manager brought our bill as I was still eating. I kept looking at the door to see if the hurry was because of people waiting for our table but that was not the case. There was no wait. I know I've said this before but I think this will indeed be our last visit. It was just not a positive experience. Sadly, this place is not what it used to be

This place is one of my favorite Mexican restaurants. Obviously went here on Cinco de Mayo started off with their mango margarita and amazing queso dip which I always get. For the entrée we got the spicy shrimp enchiladas and the barbecue brisket tacos with a side of the jalapeño sausage. They have some of the best barbecue brisket tacos out of most Mexican restaurants in town. I highly recommended the seasoning in flavor is so good you can taste how good they smoked the brisket.

I called and ordered a pint of the green sauce....even said "green salsa".... Ready at the front desk when I got there ....even bought gift certificates ....when I got home I found poblano (green) rice....

Odd location. It was almost empty. Even on a Friday night. Service was good. Food was decent, but overall portions seemed much smaller than their locations within the loop. Because it was so empty. It felt kind of creepy and not the best ambience I would choose another location if you have that option.

Forgot to take a pic of my food before I started eating, but quite good! The ambiance and decor was the perfect mix of Mexican and Texan. The verde sauce was one of the better ones I've had. Tangy, not not too tangy. Way more expensive than I expected though.

The staff is friendly and the food is decent but wow what happened to the prices!!!???!!! Lunch Special Beef Fajitas 1/2lb $38.99 (How much is it at dinner time?). Queso Chorizo Medium $16.99!!!! This is just crazy. Sadly no more El Tiempo for this family of six.

I recommend getting the fajitas with your choice of meat and tons of extra sauces and veggies. Pay for the extras to make it more interesting and creative and have a wonderful dinner.

Delightful, fun atmosphere with high quality Tex-Mex, an abundance of specialty foods (quail, filet fajitas, lobster), snd a massive margarita menu. We dined here with a large party from work on a weeknight. Service was prompt, refilling drinks, chips, and keeping things moving along. I had 2 beef enchiladas and tried a quail on the side. It was very good -- careful on filling up on chips, salsa, queso, and guacamole! My anejo margarita was really good, and it seemed all members of our party enjoyed their dishes and libations from lobster to pina coladas. Now fair warning, this is not budget Tex-Mex... it is high quality which is also reflected in the pricing. I'd suggest coming here when you have some time, as you won't want to rush through this fun and delicious dining experience!

I ordered the Chicken Fajita Enchilada Suizas, which was awesome. It was very delicious with a good wrap, smoky n tender chicken pieces and a unique, exotic green sauce that had a creamy texture to it. It was savory, slightly tart n slightly sweet in its mix of flavors. It was fantastic n would say it's one of my favorites here, along with the Crab Enchilada, Ground Beef Enchilada, Chicken Quesadillas and Beef Fajitas. I would certainly recommend this dish if you want to get something different and exciting. The service was great, efficient and friendly again as well.

Omg this place exceeded my expectations! I never heard of it and I'm not sure why. My date and I came in on a Wednesday night around 6:30 and sat at the bar. We immediately ordered patron shots with a another friendly customer at the bar. I ordered a strawberry patron margarita and my date ordered a house margarita. Both on the rocks. Fantastic! Customer service was on point! I think they even gave us complimentary queso but I honestly didn't look at the bill so idk. On Wednesday's they have a fajita special for 2 for like $40. I don't even care for fajitas but these were the best I've ever had! They were seasoned amazing on a bed of grilled onions. The presentation was nice and they came with garlic butter and toppings. Literally everything I put in my mouth tonight was fantastic. I can't wait to go back. 1000/10 experience!

The last two time I have been there my food has been cold. It comes out quickly from the kitchen, so I know it was not sitting for a while before serving. There were not many patrons there. The food is expensive. I don't mind paying the price for quality food. Both times I have been there recently many of the servers (5-6) gather behind the bar laugh and speak loudly in Spanish. I loved this restaurant when it was first opened, but management is not paying attention.

Dank place. They have good food! Portions are large. Service is good. It's pricey, though. Good for group settings. Parking They have their own lot so no problem here. Plenty of spaces. Ambience They're got a nice ambience here. It's kind of dark when you're away from the sides and windows. Rustic vibes. Large restaurant. Service No problems with service. They're attentive and kind. Food I love their food! Prices, not so much, but the portions are large. I had the chicken enchiladas and they're good. Better than what I had at Chuy's. I also had the crispy chicken tacos. Pretty basic. Not in love. But they're very filling. The chicken quesadilla is good. Pretty typical. Overall, the food does no wrong - portions are large, tasty, although not unique. My coworker had the pork carnitas and seemed to thoroughly enjoy them. Drinks I love their margaritas. They have a lot of options. You can choose the brand for their too shelf margaritas as well. They're strong, flavorful. I like that they offer high quality tequilas. They also offer wine, frozen margaritas, and so much more, but I didn't order those.

Our favorite Mexican Food! Try the Prime fajitas! We've eaten here for 20+ years. We do branch out on occasion but this is our favorite! The chips and green salsa can't be beat!

This restaurant has wonderful service, tasty tex-mex, and an inviting, embellished, relaxed atmosphere!

I haven't been here since Covid, but the service has gotten much worse. Just really horrible. They have really bad customer service, and they should really be happy that people are supporting their business after COVID. No one has to eat out during times like this when our financial health, physical health, and mental health are changing day-to-day... Treat your customers as human beings and not as money bags.

Great atmosphere and service. Chicken Monte Mar was excellent. Told waiter I was sharing with my wife. Each of us got our own plate with rice and beans and have chicken serving at no extra cost. Strawberry margarita was delicious as well.

We have been going to this location for years and have always enjoyed the service, food and margaritas. However last night we ordered a pound of chicken fajitas and when the bill came they charged $69.99 for CHICKEN! I was appalled that for a family of 3 the bill was $145! They charge the same price whether it's chicken, beef or shrimp. That being said we told the manager bc we eat everywhere else like Molinas, El Patio, Picos, Ninfas and they all charge $27-$54 for a pound of Chicken fajitas. Even $54 is too much. Unfortunately I think they are disconnected from their customers bc they literally charge for chicken what you could get a wagyu steak for elsewhere. They even charged me $1.00 for jalapeños with my queso. ‍. When I think of Mexican food I think of casual, affordable food for the family. This isn't fine dining. I won't be coming back unless they lower their prices.

Went for the fajitas. Big mistake. Ordered the Filet Mignon. $32.99 for 1/4 pound (4 edible pieces) and no gauc, overcooked wierd tasting onions. First three bites, nothing but fat. Spit it out onto the plate. More like a saucer! Bc I guess there's an extra charge or shortage for a real plate. No gauc, no peppers, no salsa. Served with some watered down sauce - meat was tasteless. Had to ask twice for the check. Awful experience. Paid $74.00 for one person and it sucked!

I typically love El Tiempo. The carnitas are always on point. And they were tonight too.. however our table was dirty when we sat down. It wasn't even wiped down before we were sat. On top of that, the plates we were given after we sat down had old food on them. This place has a cleanliness issue and I will not be returning. It's too expensive to have these types of issues. If you're doing takeout, this place might be a good option for you, but for dine... NO WAY.

We were recommended to this restaurant by a local business associate for two reasons; the food was good for a Mexican Restaurant and the traffic was not favorable for a trip to Dallas yet. There weren't many surprises once we entered the restaurant. It was a traditional designed Mexican style dining room with a very lively crowd I had the Chicken Fajita while my partner had the Burrito. The food was fresh and the Margaretta's was good along with the service. .

We came here to try their fajitas on a night recently, when both of us wanted beef fajitas. It was just a matter of choosing the venue. We passed up on Chachos, Pappasitos, Gringos, Ninfas, Guadalajara, Chuys, and finally made the pit stop at El Tiempo. We ordered the pound serving of Beef. They came with the fixings. Cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream, bowl of beans and a scoop of rice. The meat was very good. It was seasoned thoroughly, and the grilled aroma was flowing thru the air. It was tender, juicy, and very well prepared. The juices were dripping and it was nicely presented with charred onions and bell peppers. I enjoyed my flour tortillas with them. Their guacamole was also very good. We enjoyed our meal as things were up to standards. Their were a couple of items that our waitress recommended for next time, so perhaps we will tackle them on our subsequent visit.

Food is alright and service if you get a table they don't always offer the best service.

I love El Tiempo but their prices have gone through the roof! Last night we had a pound of chicken fajitas that costs $70. $70 for chicken! No other tex mex place in Houston (Ninfa's, Molinas etc) has those kind of outrageous prices. I get inflation has caused prices everywhere to increase, but who on earth wants to pay $70 for a pound of fajitas that usually cost around $48 at other places?? El tiempo please consider going back to more reasonable prices because otherwise we won't be back. Oh and it doesn't matter if you get chicken, beef or shrimp...same ridiculous price.

Delicioso y Comida Buena!!! I love El Tiempo Cantina off of Gessner & Westheimer. My bestie and I had such a great time dinning last night. Mr. Kevin, the Manager, is amazing! He was so inviting and made sure our table and all others were taken care of to the fullest! Bar Tender, Horatio was wonderful and served us up some killer Spicy Margaritas and his service was on point. The restaurant is so nice, colorful and very clean. This place gets super packed and the energy is great. We had yummy Fajitas and cheese queso with our spicy Margaritas! Everything was perfect. Forks Up El Tiempo C UPDATE: May 5th. Took my Best Friend from LA here from some good old fashion Tex Mex and killer Margaritas!! She loved it. I explained to her that this is my favorite Mexican Food Restaurant of all time. She agreed. So Bueno!!!

I got a lot of Mexican in Texas, but this place felt like the best and most authentic Tex-Mex of the list! Our burrito was smothered and rice buttery!

I like their beef fajitas best - that and their sauces are very authentic. The red sauce is better than their green one. I think I'd like the green sauce better if it was a tad hotter - I find it too bland. A good time to go is Sunday morning when brunch is available.

The carnitas is spot on old school. The rest of the food is sub par. The ques is just melted velvets.