Tacos Doña Lena
Mexican restaurant · Spring Branch Central ·
Birria tacos, quesabirrias, ramen, & tortas with aguas frescas
Birria tacos, quesabirrias, ramen, & tortas with aguas frescas
"Chef-owner Magdalena Cabrera, also known as Doña Lena, sold tacos out of her home for nearly 30 years before opening this Spring Branch taco shop in 2020. Tacos Doña Lena quickly gained a cult following for its quesabirria, with the restaurant’s Heights location opening four years later. Find birria street tacos, tortas, and agua fresca on the menu, along with breakfast items like the chilaquil taco, featuring a fried egg, tortilla strips in green sauce, Mexican sour cream, and queso fresco. Breakfast is served on weekends starting at 8 a.m." - Brianna Griff
"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
"In a town with no shortage of spots to score tacos, Dona Lena is an impressive choice with great prices to match. The tacos at this vibrant, family-owned restaurant start at $2.75 and are built on warm, corn tortillas. Options include beef, chicken, barbacoa, tinga, or a meatless option like soy pastor, available at either its Spring Branch or the Heights location." - Brianna Griff
"Doña Lena serves the best birria in town. This strip center spot stuffs chile-stewed beef into tacos, quesadillas, gorditas, machetes, tostadas—with a little extra consommé on the side for dunking—and bowls of ramen. The broth has a punch of chili and rich beef that’s smooth without being overly greasy. You should probably wear something you don’t mind getting stained because you're going to want to devour every ounce with wild abandon." - chelsea thomas, gianni greene
"Tacos Doña Lena in Spring Branch is all about the birria. While the ultra-colorful spot has a number of fillings, it specializes in cheese-stuffed versions of birria—from street tacos served with a bowl of rich consomé, to quesabirrias stuffed with meat and cheese that stretches halfway across the room. Get enough consomé-soaked tacos to share, or enough to try every one of Doña Lena’s six salsas, like the extra fiery mocosa habanero." - chelsea thomas, gianni greene
