Tampico Refresqueria

Such an iconic nostalgic Raspa spot for my fam , Been coming here ever since I was a kid! Love the corn, always best to eat nachos fresh & raspas are always soft & yummy.

Even with a long line, they get through everyone in less than 5mins!!! All of their drinks are fresh! No syrups, no sugars, just straight up succulent fruit! The elote was amazing!! There is some tables to sit down and relax while slurping on your amazing beverage. Not to mention the prices are crazy low. $3 for a 16oz fruit drink is bonkers in 2024!!! They are amazing!!

Nothing to complain about this place. Snowcones are amazing. Price is very reasonable . Service is simple and good. Atmosphere has sitting places and is easily accessible.A 32 oz Snowcone is only $3.00!?? Mangonada is $3.50

My brother which is a local resident took me to this place during a hot summer. We loved everything that we ordered. I ordered the mangonada and it was frosty yet it felt smooth. There is it much place to sit plus you must practice Social distance. Debit/credit cards accepted. This is a place to pick up some delicious Latin frosty treats but it’s not a place sit and dine. When we visit Houston, we will go again.

OMG!!! I totally forgot all about this place. This used to be our hang out in the old hood rat days. Lol Great raspa aka snowcone. All other great things too!!

Great service, elote (corn) is one of my go toos!! The natural lemon is so good, made with real lemon.

We've been coming here since I was in school. Now I'm bringing my granddaughters!! Love the snow like snowcones. Nachos, hot cheetos with jalapeños and cheese, strawberries and cream...I can go on, my guilty pleasure.

A piece of history that is still going strong! ran into a family of 5 there and the father mentioned he had been going there since he was a kid! my son and i enjoyed giving this place a try for the first time. we ordered the Strawberries and Cream (Fresas con crema), the Corn, Cheese and Mayo (elote) and the Pineapple Milk and ice shake (Lucuados). they were all delicious. my son wasn’t a big fan of the corn but i enjoyed it. i think i should have ordered it with the hot sauce but told them to remove it so my boy could try it. the pineapple shake was great and we really enjoyed the strawberry and cream! you should come by and try this little local place! be prepared to wait during the evenings and during busy hours! but we’ll worth it!

If you don't know come here. CASH ONLY. The food gets your craving out the way! Service is quick and easy but depends when you go they may be a lot of people. Things are freshly made. Not many seating outside but worth the drive

My wife and I ordered 2 raspa ( wild cherry and sugar free strawberry), and 2 Frito pies with chili cheese. I can tell you everything was really good. I ordered my SF strawberry with crema (.50 add on) but totally worth it. The Frito pies were amazing with the chili cheese. What stood out was the beans in the chili . It sounds like a bit much but it was really good. Yes, they used name brand Fritos . So good.....What I think stood out was the stations set up for all the orders (shaved ice station, toppings, etc). They had plenty of people to handle the line! It was pretty warm outside but they did have some covered shade. Unpacked parking lot and no drive thru! FYI. This is pretty much my new spot. Check them out!

It's good. It's cheap. It's fast. I'm not asking for Michelin star service. It's a snack bar.

Was hoping to get a mangonada as this establishment came up on Yelp when searching, but they didn't have any. I ended up ordering a mango raspa with chamoy. Unfortunately, it didn't taste all that great and left me seeking my original request - a mangonada.

I've been coming here for a very long time. Probably since I was like eight or nine years old. Whenever I'm in the area I remember to stop by and give them a try. This place is been here for a very long time serving up the local neighborhood. Every time you pass by there's a long line but it moves fast. They do a really good job here. We have been coming here for many years and we continue to support them. Food: I've got a number of their treats here. I can't even count or tell you how many I've gotten but as of late we've tried some of their snowcones. Nachos, hot dogs, etc. I really cannot go wrong with any of their snowcones. Flavors and I really enjoy them. They have a very extensive menu from corn, to snow cold to nachos the sodas the popcorn, candy, you name it they have it. Service is fast and friendly and they do practice social distancing which is good. Parking is a little tight. But the line moves fast to the parking close. If you haven't been here I suggested giving it a try. I really like this please I am barely reviewing it.

They accept ALL FORMS OF PAYMENTS, always have . They have amazing staff and are not stingy with the ingredients. I always get the ELOTE and the NACHOS with chilli and cheese. 10/10 highly recommend.

Ran across this spot on the way to buy dessert from a bakery and had to stop. I am a sucker for snow cones and wanted to give this a try. The ice isn't the smoothest ever, but it's good. The syrup could also be stronger. However - I think these snow cones are perfect for the price. I haven't found a snow cone this size, with this level of flavor, for under $2. My 4 star review is largely based on the price, because I do believe you get more than what you pay for here.

We ordered the mangonada and fruit salad... not my favorite. The mangonada was extremely frozen and hard to eat. No mango chunks.. just a frozen icy with a bit of chamoy on top. The fruit salad was not ripe enough. All around.. not the best. Pretty disappointed because we came in HANGRY and still weren't impressed. So.. if there is a line, prepare to wait.

Such a good spot for a hot Houston day. Grab something then get back in the A/C!

This place goes way back! Can't believe is still here after 20 years of not going. Highly recommend this place. The raspas have Amazing taste. They don't skip cheese with the Nacho's.

Love this little snack stand. They have snow cones and typical Mexican snacks. I like that they're not stingy with the toppings- our nachos were well drenched with melted cheese. They have ample parking but I would assume it gets pretty packed when it's busy. There are only 4 picnic tables so some people eat in their car. Only con, I didn't see a bathroom.

Amazing spot to cool off or if your craving any late night snacks! The raspa is my go to! The staff is super friendly, some speak limited English but they do their damn best to help you out! Try the elote in a cup! It's gooood!

My favorite things at this place is the mango and the watermelon licuados (water not milk), the jicama, and the mangonadas. Cash only so bring cash!

Been coming here for years, the best elote ever! Highly recommend getting it with extra cheese. Also, the mango smoothie is super yum!

Good customer service. The line went fast. &&&& it's so good!!! They have tables outside. Easy parking. Bring cash!

This review is just for the snow cones. Guys stop calling this shaved ice. It is chunky carnival ice. It's fine for what it is but how people are calling these the best snow cones ever? I guess they have never had actual shaved ice and experienced the way it soaks up the syrup and melts on your tongue.

Still lovin' Tampico. I'm gonna have to start coming here a good one-to-two times per week. I just realized that they have SHAVED ice - soft, fluffy, shaved ice. But they have more than just snocones (from artificial and natural flavors): *CHEETOS Pies. We've all heard of Frito Pies ... and Dorito Pies ... but Tampico took it one step further and offer Cheetos Pies. *I still love the liquados. I enjoyed a banana shake last week after a workout. Doubt it was low cal, but it was so damn good. Banana, cinnamon. Thick and cold. *Fruit cups are ginormous and topped with lime juice and Lucas (if that's your thing) And it's still dirt cheap. Bring the kids, your date or just yourself and spend just a few dollars a person on simple summer snacks. Nachos, hot dogs and churros included.

Fruit cocktail 3/5 It was good, wish they had mangoes in it. Mangonado 4/5 It really liked it same as before wished there was chunks of mangoes Elote 5/5 It's the best thing in the world. Creamiest corn in a cup and good flavor. Trust me places have messed up on Elotes which is ridiculous. Overall will def come back for elotes and maybe the other ice drinks like tamarind

This place was amazing I grew up on the southside of Houston and I wanted some really good Elotes. They made it perfectly for me. They also offer snowcones and many other treats but the corn is a must try.

Elotes and mangonada is very good here and reasonably priced. Long line but they're pretty quick to get your order out.

This is place awesome to be honest. Customer service was just great. To begin with my sister told me this place has been there since she was a little girl (she's 29) and that she loves it. So she brought me here since I came to visit her. And she was not wrong about this place it's amazing so many things to choose from. We got two Corns on a cob a smoothie and a raspa. They were all delicious and tasty. Furthermore I totally recommend anyone to come and try this place out totally worth your money.

all the lady's that work there are so mean expect for the African American lady that speaks spanish the reason why they are so bad for their service is because they didn't serve a lady with 2 kids that came from far but the calendar says they close at 11 but they actually close at 10:30 and when the lady got there the sign that says closed wasn't flipped it still said open but they did not want to serve her and the poor lady was crying. I would not recommend coming to this place

Tan bien buenas las mangonadas! The mangonadas are on point. You won't regret it. Take it from a mexican.

Awesome snacks very polite and clean make sure you bring cash. Totally recommend also it's very delicious.

Prices are higher than where I am used to going. The fresas con crema wasn't very good here and last time I got hot Cheetos with cheese and they were stale. The corn is usually always good but it's more expensive than other places. Overall decent drinks and snacks the prices are just high. Although being located in the heights is likely the cause for this.

Omg I live so far and I'll drive to Theo location when I'm craving some yummy jicama or their natural flavored raspas like their limón.

My boyfriend and I were craving something refreshing so we decided to drive the 15 min. We got there 30 min before the "closing" time (see photos -- screenshotted minutes after) and the lady turned us away and said they closed at 10:30. Not to mention that they turned away others too. Waste of time and gas

This place was horrible from the beginning. The lady was being RUDE as hell. When we would ask questions she wouldn't even know how to answer. (Is it can corn??) it was definitely can corn . It was drowning in mayo with no cheese or Chile. We gave it a try since most reviews hype up the corn but it was not even worth it. The raspas had no flavor, it was just ice. When we asked for more tamarindo, the lady closed the gate/window on us. The fresas con crema are nasty! The frito pie is the most decent thing we got. On top of that we saw a huge roach on the window and the lady just ignored us... Never coming back, both the service and food were bad. Idk how this place has 4 stars.

I brought my friend here for her fruit, chile, and chamoy craving and she fell in love! If you have a love for sour fruits, you'll love the chamoy and then the chile will add a spicy kick. You get a huge cup of fruits too!! They definitely don't skimp, but there is a lot more pineapples compared to the rest of the fruits. I think next time I'll try a snow cone since I have sweet tooth and also the cheeto pie with extra jalapenos. Yum.

Absolutely amazing Elote in a cup also very well priced and super friendly, worth the drive for us!

have been coming here since I was a kid. Best raspas and elote as well as other snacks are sold here. they have a small area of outside seating which is perfectly fine and the staff are super friendly

They've been around awhile, I've been coming here since I was a kid. They are super cheap and have huge variety of snack options. The pina colada snow cone with crema and nachos are my favorite! Only downfall is they are cash only and kind of rude

Came here on a late Friday night for a big snack/small dinner and ordered a Corn in a Cup and a Frito Pie. I was NOT a fan of the corn; as someone who is new to authentic Mexican food, I had a difficult time handling its large amounts of mayonnaise and cheese, which did not sit well with my stomach nor my taste buds (maybe cause I'm used to eating corn fresh off the cob, or in my Chipotle bowl). The Frito Pie, on the other hand, was quite good. It's heavy in flavor with tons of queso, but not nearly as ratchety as the corn. The jalapenos were a nice touch as well. Given it's winter, I was a bit hesitant to try any of their colder snacks, which is apparently what they're well known for. For those who are less experienced with authentic Mexican food, I'd recommend treading softly with some of the food here, as they are quite heavier than expected. All in all, I'll be returning for the colder snacks once the weather warms up and update my review accordingly.

It's my first time coming here & I asked for a raspa natural de limón & it tasted like water. I was very disappointed I was expecting more from this place since it has a lot of customers. They used taste the flavors before selling it. Also, the blueberry raspa didnt taste good.

This was the best snowball I've ever had! First off it was cheap and second it was delicious. When I tasted it it wasn't just like eating sugar with a hint of fruit flavor. My snowball actually tasted like tamarindo and it wasn't just sugar water. The sweetness level was just right, a little sweet and a little bit tart just like tamarindo is supposed to be. When my snowball melted a bit it was even better, it was just like I was drinking tamarindo juice. It was so good! I'm not sure about any of the other flavors but I'm sure they're delicious too. I'm looking forward to trying the licuados next time.

Yes it may look kinda sketchy, and you have to park in the dirt parking lot, and you may have to bust out with a little Spanish or point away, but if you're need of an elote or cool refresher fix and you're around the Heights, this little stand is it! The two things I love here are the elote (corn, mayo, cheese & chili powder) and the raspas (snow cone). But there are also other goodies but that's what I come to this place for. A great pit stop with friends and family. Make sure to bring cash!

Yummy! Went here with Farrah A. and Vanessa R. the other day and it was delicious! There was this long line outside, which the girls told me is always there. Once we ordered I knew why though, they take their sweet ass time behind the counter. But I would rather they make my beverage with care and take their time then make it too fast! I got the mango agua fresca, which is basically mango flavored cold water. Loved it! I can't wait to go back to this place. Perfect for the hot summer day! The seating is all outdoors, but fortunately the auto mechanic shop across the street is jammin the tejano so you have some tunes to listen to. And the characters on the fence are great, take a look at my pics. The tamarindo dude is my favorite.

I thought recent reviews about rude service were kind of funny but they were true. We went recently and I sent my husband since he speaks Spanish it's just easier for me to let him handle the order. He came back to the car and complained the lady working the window was really rude, basically rolling her eyes at him asking for a lime and chili on a raspa... I love this place but not sure why the attitude lately.

The traditional snacks were awesome. Very easy to order, the price compared to other places is amazing. This location (#2) had plenty of parking. Wish there was more seating, but that would be the only complaint. Our family had snow cones, licuados (papaya), elotes and agua frescas (piña).

First time going there and it was Really good and worth the wait , snow cones were the best a lot of juice and the ice was just on point , would totally go here once again .

I drove from far away and their was still 30 min left till closing time but they just sent me away cause they said they were closed then change the time so yea don't recommend

So good!! Got two mixed fruit cocktails, nachos and elotes. Everything was great and the girl that took our order was super friendly! Will definitely be going back to try the raspas!

Always worth the wait and the lines. I love my elote!!!!!! Nice women behind the gated sliding windows. You just wait for them to say "jes" and than you know they will start to work on the amazing street corn you crave so much. It is definitely authentic feeling and usually when you go and find that you might be the only one ordering in English that is a good sign for good food.

One word: Elotes. Just fyi, this corn ain't on the cob like I had expected. But that didn't affect the flavor much. No sir. Elotes here comes on a cup with all the necessity fixins: corn, mayo based sauce, chili powder and lime. I was missing the roasted flavor you get from the cob though. On a recommendation of a friend I also got the licuado. Do yourself a favor and get you some too. I can vouch for banana (platano) flavor. FYIs: bring cash, be prepared to order in Spanish. Google translate words well here.

I think we found our new snow cone spot in the heights so delicious. We definitely will be back.

Love Tampico. Be prepared to order in Spanish or Broken Spanish. I come here for the fruit cups and corn in a cup. I usually tell them to go light on the mayo or just skip it completely together. Also, it is pretty cheap for both items. Granted they aren't too hard to make but I know back in CC, they have increased the prices! Sad day!

Mangonada was gross. Was frozen prior with this weird red sauce on top that was not spicy nor tangy but some weird saltiness. Could not finish. Husband got the fruit cocktail and it just tastes like a bunch of melon. Maybe we got the wrong stuff but this was pretty disappointing. It's closer to my neighborhood so maybe will try again.

I know everything is going up according to prices but at least they can filled the cup with corn

This place is great and I hate to give them 3 stars, but I wish they had candy or fruit to add to their sno-cones. I came here this afternoon after discovering that Mam's was closed. They have a small menu and I hope I get to try their corn and hot Cheeto pie next time I come over. I've read so many good things about the savory portion of their menu. I can't complain about a small cone for only 75 cents! But the lady did add an absurd amount of syrup. I didn't end up finishing my cone although I really wanted to. I'll definitely be back with an updated review!