La Tapatia

After a packed Sunday at the tattoo convention, we were craving something comforting, local, and full of flavor—and that’s exactly what we found at La Tapatia. Tucked away like a gem waiting to be discovered, this spot delivered more than just a meal—it delivered a full-on experience. From the moment we walked in, the hospitality stood out. The staff greeted us with genuine warmth, and the service remained attentive and friendly throughout the visit. It’s clear this place values their guests and knows how to keep the vibe laid-back and welcoming. We started with the classic queso and chips, and let me tell you—it did not disappoint. Creamy, well-seasoned, and paired with crisp tortilla chips that had just the right amount of salt and crunch. The drinks arrived quickly and stayed flowing, which was much appreciated after a long day. Now onto the mains—every dish was a hit. The quesadilla plate was generously filled, gooey, and grilled to golden perfection. The fajita enchiladas had a deep, savory flavor that hinted at hours of preparation, and the seasoning on the meat was spot-on. And the star of the table? The jalapeños wrapped in bacon—smoky, spicy, and just indulgent enough to steal the show. Every bite showed attention to detail and a love for bold, traditional flavors. No corners cut, no shortcuts—just honest, delicious food. Final verdict: La Tapatia is officially on our return list. Next time we’re in town, we’ll be back for round two. Whether you’re fresh off a convention or just looking for a spot that hits all the right notes—La Tapatia is worth the stop.

I came here on a Sunday afternoon to get my fix on Mexican food. I ordered Pollo con Mole and it was delicious. Service was ok but I felt a little rushed.

I hadn’t been to La Tapatia in a long time it used to be my go-to spot for a pre-drink meal or a late-night bite after going out. This time, we came for lunch (or brunch, whatever you want to call it) with our daughter, and it was a completely different experience. There were only two occupied tables, and despite having three waitresses, service was incredibly slow. The worst part? We were served a cup of ice with lemonade, and I’m pretty sure one of the ice cubes had frozen-over rodent poop inside. Good Lord, someone needs to inspect that ice machine because who knows what’s living in there. On top of that, it was ridiculously expensive. Our bill came out to about $120 for two orange juices, two Mexican Cokes, a basic two-egg breakfast with bacon, ceviche, street tacos, and half a roasted chicken with rice. For that price, I’d rather go to Perry’s and get a quality meal with drinks. Mind you, this was at 12 PM on a Sunday prime brunch time yet the place was practically empty. That tells you everything you need to know. Between the lack of service, questionable cleanliness, and overpriced food, this was a never again for me.

The beef fajita street tacos were delicious. Happy Hour Margaritas were packing a punch too!!

Beef fajita street tacos - 8/10 : very good taste 2.75 each a little high for price compared to taco trucks Green sauce - 9/10 : super creamy and fresh I would go here again, I liked their chips and green salsa

Affordable Mexican place with so many choices! Fajitas and burrito you will not complain about it. The always bring to your table fresh nachos with salsa. Nice service and atmosphere

I've been coming here for at least 30 years and this continues to be my favorite go to place for Mexican food. There's been a slight increase in menu prices since the pandemic but still well worth it.

I really enjoyed this place for lunch❤️ Drinks, Food & service was great. I highly recommend and I will definitely return.

Love this place. My friends and I are there every week! Great food, great service and people interaction!

Great food, drinks, and service! I came in for a late Friday lunch and was not disappointed. I ordered their pollo guisado and had a Mexican candy martini. The burrito was stuffed and filled with flavor! This place can become one of my favorites because of their drink menu alone! The kitchen really did a great job with my plate, and I will definitely be returning to try more of their offerings. If you're a food lover like me,... give this neighborhood gem a try! Bianca

We've ordered caldo de pollo to go many times because we absolutely love it. We finally decided to dine in for a late lunch today. We started with beef fajita nachos and frozen margaritas, then we ordered our entrees. I thoroughly enjoyed my delicious pastor street tacos and my husband enjoyed his enchiladas. I especially loved my margarita! Our server was lovely and did a great job too. We'll definitely be back!

Food mole was ok but damn they undercooked a whole chicken, be careful with this place avoid if avoid the chicken or check it thoroughly. Service was quick and ambiance calm. Will never come back beware if you order CHICKEN MEDALLIONS picture provided according to the waiter they threw out another because of the same issue all of it was RAW I shouldn't have paid for anything but manager didn't even come to table when we asked for him . Terrible place is avoid it .

Great restaurant. Great food. Great table service, but the bar is always very slow and non-attentive service. I get sometimes might be busy for a bar but on 3 separate occasions I have had very slow service from the bar and I have had to ask for chips and salsa after I had been sitting there a while, or refills on my drink while I was drinking. This is a very good restaurant, my favorite for tacos in Houston. But I would highly recommend grabbing a table and not sitting at the bar.

My food was great this night. My server was not. Pros: Food was delicious Open late Good location Authentic food Cons: server was rude and kept walking away while we were talking to him.

I've been going to this location for years despite increasing prices. My wife and I came in last night at 11:30 pm for food, and the hostess said let me check. Then someone came up and said the kitchen was closed, with not even a limited menu (despite website saying open until 1 am). I assume this was the manager. She said we could drink at the bar, which was staying open and very active, but the kitchen was closed and no food was available. There were still people eating at tables as well. I ssuspect some of them did not all have their food yet either. I have never known La Tapatia to close before midnight, so I am very disappointed. I may need to start going to Ruchi's or other places for late night meals if this closing the kitchen 1.5 hours early while the bar stays open is something the company supports.

Dammmmm. The tacos are good with lemon 5 stars come here to try them THERE ARE SO GOOD

Food is great , service is always 100% never lacking. Their beef and chicken fajitas are amazing. Tampequena is my new favorite thing to order. They have the best chips and salsa , the green salsa is amazing. So addictive!!!! Not that spicy at all , just the right amount of flavor They also have an INCREDIBLE STAFF. Very attentive to the chips and salsa as soon as you finish, as well as making sure your drinks are full. Solid joint for good mexican food. -Santangelo Balli Gonzales

Always reliable. Great margaritas!! Good attentive service. Lively atmosphere We visited at 6:30 on a Saturday night with a party of 6 and, though they were getting busier, we had great service from Romero. Fajitas were really good, we liked the chicken much better than the beef which seemed under seasoned, but still high quality. Enchiladas are great I ordered Beto's combo, a taco with 2 cheese enchiladas--definitely among the better ones I've had. The Mole enchiladas were a big hit. This is a high quality dependable Mexican food experience with a great drink menu.

I used to frequent this taco joint when it was a small operation, but it seems to have lost its touch. On a recent weeknight visit, the service was slow and the food was bland. I was seated promptly, but it took a good 20 minutes for a waiter to come by and ask for my drink order. I ordered an iced tea and immediately ordered the pastor street tacos as well, knowing that it would take another 20 minutes for him to come back to my table. Thirty minutes later, my tacos arrived. The tacos were okay, but nothing special. The meat was a bit dry and the seasoning was weak. I've had better pastor street tacos at mom-and-pop taco trucks around town. The service was the real disappointment. I felt like I was an invisible customer. My waiter never came back to refill my iced tea, and I had to flag him down to get my check. Overall, I was disappointed with my experience at this taco joint. It's not the same place I used to love. I won't be coming back.

My go to place for many years. Excellent fajitas, tortillas, guacamole, always fresh. When I try different menu items, I'm never sorry.​

I enjoyed my meal (I had the 3 Tacos Al Pastor plate, which came with guac, pico, and beans). It was a pretty solid deal, and I personally enjoyed the tacos as well. I didn't really love the ambience of the restaurant. The lighting was a little off and the tables reminded me of a diner.

My neighborhood tex-mex spot, this is a classic, casual spot where the service is impeccable and the menu is large. It feels like places like this were more common 10-20 years ago, honestly, but if any of them stuck around I am glad this is one of them. While I wish they had a few more vegetarian choices for my own benefit, there's no denying they do all the standards and they do them quite well. The service is always friendly and attentive. The chicken mole enchiladas are my mom's favorite dish in Houston when she comes to visit, and I have a fondness for the breakfast and for the tostadas and street tacos. Recently ordered the queso flameado with rajas and it was excellent!

¡La Tapatía es mi restaurante favorito en Houston! He sido cliente durante 20 años y siempre he recibido un servicio excelente. He celebrado muchos eventos especiales allí. La comida mexicana es la mejor de la ciudad, y son muy generosos y siempre dan la bienvenida cálida a mis amigos. Además, hemos conocido a muchos buenos amigos queridos allí. ¡Una experiencia inigualable! Aparte de las cenas, vale la pena venir para desayunos tb, por ejemplo los chilaquiles verdes. Judith es nuestra servidora más frecuente y es como miembro de la familia.

I have tried this place multiple times. Actually, myself and co-workers. Every time it seems to get worse. The bartender(female) always has an attitude. Every request is a served with an eye roll, and only after they finish their conversation on their phone. The food is ok, happy hour is not worth it. Sucks because i really wanted to like this place because it is super convenient, and I could eat chips/salsa every day. Our last attempt was ordering to-go. Missing items, and margaritas were put in plastic cup/soup containers ? If the service was better, the food/drinks could suck. But the fact that both aren't worth it. I would suggest going else where.

The OG. If you know, you know. Nothing but very fond memories of this place. Foods great and excellent service too!

Good food, great service...David is the BEST!!! .we've been coming here for years and we are always happy with the food and excellent service !!

I can always count on this place to provide me with a hearty meal and a very nice staff. The menus is extensive and sometimes it's hard to pin down what I want at any given time, because I always find something else that I want to try. From the home made corn chips used in the Nachos la Tapatia, to the meat sauce atop the Enchiladas de Fajita, to the red chipotle sauce used on the Pechuga al Chipotle, they are all dishes that have me coming back for more. I really like the chipotle sauce, in the dish that I like, it not the commercial mayo based sauce; it's the real deal red sauce. The selection of happy hour drinks is very good and their house margaritas have just the amount of kick needed to forget about the work week.

Frecuentemente visito este restaurante porque me gusta mucho su comida La atención de Judith ha sido excelente, respetuosa y rápida Siempre está atenta por si necesitamos algo más Además nos sugiere bebidas y postres para completar nuestro menú Definitivamente recomiendo este restaurante... Me encanta...

I had a blast at this restaurant the ambience is absolutely fun Mr Chava at the bar sure knows how to fix a real Margaritas food was delicious and fresh The Manager Eduardo was very cordial and the whole place have a very good vibe everybody is very friendly at this restaurant from 1 to 10 I will give a 10 way to go

Service by waiter David Melton was beyond excellent. I met a few friends and colleagues there and we never had to ask for a drink, refill or additional chips etc... I will make sure when I'm in the area, we return back and may call just to ensure David is working- I also will say, the food is excellent too!

Great place for good Mexican food! I was there last weekend! I feel like I was in a 5 star restaurant, I got greeted by hosted food ambient great customer service and the food awesome, appetizer, margaritas Incredible. From waiter, staff and manager stop by our table to make sure we where doing good, ambient, music was very pleasant. If you need good Mexican food this is the place!

Upon entering we were seated immediately and then greeted with chips and salsa. We had the queso flameado, a small guacamole, and the street tacos. All of the food we ordered was good. The reason I give this place 4 stars is because the service isn't the best. They kind of just ignored us after bringing our food and it was hard to get our server's attention to bring us the check and a to go box. I would give this place another shot though because the food is good.

About 3 months ago, on a Saturday morning at about 10 am, we were looking for a good breakfast and didn't find it here. When we walked in, there were only 3 other tables with guests. That should have been our first clue. Servers were friendly and tried to help, but the cooks just weren't up to the task. Wildly overcooked eggs were sent back just to be overcooked again. Not everyone likes their scrambled eggs cooked brown. The coffee was dreadful. This place seems to be getting worse and worse the last few times I've been here. For the record, I've been coming to this location for over 10 years.

Absolutely horrible service. I understand the mentality of treating younger-looking people poorly due to expectations of a poor tip but this was absolutely unbelievable. Our waiter walked past our table, which was placed after we walked in right next to the disgusting bathrooms, 7 or 8 times without any concern of even getting us water. Once he approached, he was rude and standoffish and seemed like he'd rather die than take our drink orders. We walked out after not receiving water for ANOTHER 10 minutes. Safe to say that i will not be returning to any La Tapatia and I suggest you avoid it as well.

Onsite parking that is not too bad. The service was quick but the food was bland. The enchiladas looked great but the taste wasn't there. Would probably go again but I would try something else.

This is our favorite neighborhood restaurant. Come as you are, friendly service, and consistently good food.

I have been frequenting this restaurant for some time now. The food is always great and staff is always attentive. I recently went and had some cheese enchiladas and some tacos with friends. Alberto and Diana elevated my experience with exceptional service throughout our meal. We have been coming for years and will continue to do so.

Fantastic food as usual. Better than other locations. I would highly recommend as an alternative to House of Pies since they aren't open 24/7 anymore.

I have been using LaTapatia Woodhead for numerous large events and every time the food quality, food quality, and service have all been superior! Working with the manager, Alberto, makes everything run smoothly. The fajitas we get from this place are the best-tasting fajitas I have ever had. I highly recommend this place for all of your event needs! The restaurant also is very clean and you get great service every time you go!

Karla at the Bar for Happy Hour and Lunch is fabulous! She makes the best drinks in town and makes it so much fun

We are regulars here and come once a week. Judith was our server and she brought drinks out quickly and checked in on us at appropriate times. The food is good and fairly prices. All the staff is friendly and good ambience.

Food was amazing. Judith was a joy for me. She's an excellent server. Come and check them out. It's definitely worth it.

La Tapatia Happy Hour is awesome at the bar with Karla, the bartender. If you are a Happy Hour regular after work, Karla had your margarita ready. Karla is very attentive to her customers at the bar. Margarita, chips, salsa, limes, and water are ready for you from Karla. She makes happy hour with friends a lot of fun!

This place is pretty good! I got the pastor street tacos and I normally have a small appetite but I ate almost all of them, so definitely order a lot if you have a big appetite! The peach tea is also really good and the salsa was also good (spicy tho) Service was also good and fast. I definitely recommend this place if you're looking for good tacos!

Every visit to this restaurant is a great visit! Our server Judith gives A+ service and the food is always fresh and delicious! Great ambiance!

Always a warm and inviting atmosphere when I come for happy hour. The food fills my belly and the margaritas make me smile. The daytime bartender Carla always makes sure that her bar patrons are all attended to and happy. I mean what else keeps me coming back weekly if not a few times a week, lol!

AVOID like the plague. I would give this a negative star rating if possible. I went there last night with my family. It was supposed to be a pleasant goodbye get together because some family members were visiting from outside of the USA for Christmas. Due to the horrible service and mediocre food, what would have been pleasant and cheerful ended being stressful and unpleasant due to the absolutely horrible service and lackluster food. Our server, Antonio, (#706) was as lazy as he could manage to be and as rude as possible. When the food arrived he shoved hot plates into our hands instead of setting them down. He also delivered the wrong items to some of us, including myself. Imagine ordering one of the very few vegetarian options on the menu and having a slimy hand-burning plate seemingly thrown at me and looking down at bacon... For me it was a disgusting surprise. In addition, I had specifically requested my order to be extra spicy, and what was delivered was mild and milquetoast. Can you imagine such a disappointment after the disgust? We were rarely taken care of or checked up on, not by our server Antonio nor any bus crew. This Antonio was surly and rude. To make matters the worst, after this horrid treatment and flavorless food, our slimy and conniving waiter (Antonio,#706) sneakily adding a 18% gratuity to the bill. Some of my family members had already added tips to theirs and given it back before it was noticed. The main bill, for the food, was a little over 200$ for the food with the gratuity sneaked on, and we just caught it just before the server tried to snatch it out of our hands. La Tapatia, you have reached a new low. To any Houstonians (or visitors) out there reading this, there are a number of better "Mexican" restaurants both inside the loop and in the surrounding suburbs, both independent ones and even some certain chains.

Been coming here for couple years now always a great experience. Margaritas always on point. Food always good never had to return something back. Food also comes out in reasonable/timely manner. The customers always seem happy. Good vibes all the time!

Best Caldo de Pollo in town and the marinaded carne asada and green chicken enchiladas are very good.

Great prices, Just how it should be. Will be going here very regularly! Very clean place and definitely our spot to eat

Prices online don't match the restaurants actual prices and when I arrived to pick up my to go order the manager wasn't understanding telling me that anyone can make up any price they want online but it's on their yelp. Ridiculous. They need to update prices. Drove over here and left with no food because the manager wouldn't accommodate for their mistake. Complete waste of my time.

The beef fajitas were decent as well as the bacon wrapped jalapeños. But unfortunately, I was very disappointed with the service today. I had ordered a jalepeno margarita and it did not have enough flavor so I requested some additional simple syrup and jalepeno since it did not have any spicy flavor as indicated. When we received the bill, there was an additional charge of $2 for water. I was very surprised as I have never been charged before for extra sweetener for any drink at any restaurants. The waiter should have informed me that it would be an additional charge. He also charged an extra $3 for some salsa to go which we were unaware to we got the bill. In the future, I would advise your waitstaff to inform the customers so they know what to expect. Seems so cheesy for these nickel and dime charges when we spent almost $200 for dinner.

Had planned to eat at Boheme after a really good show at the Continental Club, but alas, the kitchen had already closed. On a Thursday, even If you are in the nation's fourth largest city, options are limited. Honestly we were ready to get convenience store sandwiches and chips when we came up on La Tapatia. We hadn't been there in years since we don't work in the area anymore, but I have to say it turned out to be a very happy reunion. Even though closing time was ten minutes away, we were greeted warmly and treated very cordially. While we waited for our to go order, we had very well crafted margaritas with some appreciated potency. Since I am a fan, I got caldo de pollo, and Dan chose seasoned chicken tacos. Both of us were extremely happy with our choices. The caldo was some of the best I've had in years. The broth was flavorful and nobody skimped on chicken -- it was tender and delicious. With lime, cilantro, and onions for garnish and taste, and thin, perfect corn tortillas for dipping, I was very pleased indeed. Dan's chicken tacos with all the fixings, and yummy refried beans, made for a hearty and satisfying meal. Thanks to La Tapatia for excellent service and delicious food!

Was looking for a late night spot that served Mexican food and came across this spot. We arrived a little past 10 pm and was seated quickly. It was semi filled at the restaurant with guests indoors, outdoors and at the bar. I will say the greeter who's name I believe was named Daniella or Danielle was kinda rude as she was not welcoming and kinda brushed us off. So we started being turned off with the service. Our server was an older gentleman who was kind so that fixed things. The chips and salsa that we started off with were ehh, nothing special. He got our drinks rather quickly and brought out our appetizer which was an order of their chile con queso. Trash. Wouldn't get it again and wouldn't recommend it. You're better off getting queso from Tostitos at the grocery store. It was giving Velveeta vibes For the entree, I ordered chicken flautas with refried beans. My fried got the mole enchiladas with refried beans as well. My expectations for chicken flautas is low because the dish itself isn't the most grand meal so I'm never really impressed with it; it just tastes good lol. Her dish she said was "bland" and "flavorless". It was missing something is what she said also. Lastly, I am a really big fan of tres leches cake so whenever I go to a Mexican restaurant I always order to see which place has the best. There's was bad. I mean so unbelievably dry. For a cake that is made with 3 different milks, you would think it's very moist. It's hard to explain. It was still moist but the cake was dry. The contrast of the two made this a really bad tasting cake. Very disappointing. Overall, the only good thing I could say about the restaurant was the speed. They didn't take long to do much. However, I don't see myself coming back.

I've been coming here since they first opened. at least weekly. granted, the world is all dealing with inflation but tapatia has become priced too much for what I feel is *just* adequate food. it's ok but not great. also, roaches on the wall are just not particularly appetizing. has happened three times but I kept coming back before they raised their prices so much. unless a friend is adamant about going to tapatia, I'm done because of what follows. what really, really gets me is: "Please Note: There will be a 3% back of house surcharge added to your bill for our hard working kitchen staff" at the bottom of their menu online. we already pay (tip) your underpaid servers and now you want us to help pay your other employees? this is super offensive. here's an idea, if you actually value your hard-working staff why not pay your employees a living wage?

We have ordered to go from here a couple of times. We enjoy the food from here. I usually order the quesadilla and it's very good! More recently we ordered the fajita for 2. It was very filling for 2 people and we didn't have left overs. My only complain is that the menu price on the google page does not reflect their actual prices so we were pretty shocked when we got to the restaurant to pick up and saw it was much more expensive than we anticipated. Truthfully, we may not have ordered from here had we known that. We also weren't told the total cost when we ordered over the phone (we could have done a better job of asking but we just assumed it was the price we saw online). Despite the hiccup, we were not disappointed with the food quality and would likely order again from here. I can't speak for the ambience or the cocktails since we have only done take-out but they always seem to have a lot of people when we drive by.

I went for the first time here last night. Loved all the precautions they had in place for covid. Clear screens that they could move around tables. Servers had masks and face shields. I didn't know this coming in but Wednesday is happy hour all day. Got some pretty strong $5 margs. If you know me i love a good happy hour but i love when the drinks aren't weak for happy hour! Chefs kiss A thing I can judge a new Mexican restaurant for is their salsa. This totally passed the test I got the el musico plate and it came with a chicken flauta and two ground beef enchiladas. Soooo good

I've been a faithful diner for YEARS. Last night our table was bombarded by tiny roaches - the kind that indicate an infestation. Tree roaches - that happens in Texas! Small roaches in a restaurant are disgusting. The manager offered to take 20% off of our bill. The owner didn't seem to care. Again, I've been a patron for 20+ years. Last night might be my last time... GET AN EXTERMINATOR! It was really gross!