Man I just recently moved back home to Houston after living in Southern California for 15 years and where the taco game is very strong. After the first few months of being back in H town and hitting up multiple taco spots I could not find that Cali taco taste that I had gotten accustomed to until I found El Hidalguense, thier tacos are on point and very good. I walked in and ordered three tacos de asada which is known as fajita here in Texas, and three tacos de tripa extra crispy and was blown away at how good it was. The fajita meat is well smoked and full of flavor and I like how they use small handmade in house corn tortillas perfect for tacos is a nice touch, these tacos remind me of a taco chain in San Diego called tacos el gordo which originates in Tijuana .Mex. I would like to say to the owner of El Hidalguense i was a little disappointed that there are no tacos del pastor and don't offer a smear of guacamole on the tacos and it wouldn't hurt to have some long green grilled onions and slices of red raddish out for costumers to pick and accompany with the tacos would be a nice touch. Aside from that El Hidalguense is "Legit" read more

Try the mole poblano. This ain't tex mex! You have been warned. The Cabrito is also pretty great. read more

I used to love this restaurant, barbacoa, consomé but lately I been coming here it's been great disappointment, food it's not good as it used to be, food it's not fresh.. I don't know what happened they change cooks, not even the tortillas are good I don't think I'm coming back for a while, owners be more attentive to the restaurant.. read more

Best authentic Mexican food in Houston! We were immediately greeted by the friendly staff and incredible aroma. The restaurant was filling up quickly but we managed to snag a table. We ordered Chilaquiles with fajitas and eggs, eggs with nopales and some delicious Pozole. When our food arrived, our expectations continued to be exceeded. Don't let appearances fool you--the decor may be simple, but the food and service are fantastic. read more

Epitome of hole in the wall gem. The times that I've been here the food has been on point. It is as authentic as it can get with regards to the food and well worth every penny. That being said, the service is hit or miss. Some days it's terrible while on other occasions it is great. I attribute the bad service to how insanely busy the place gets. Also, parking can be a nightmare. If I would rate on service, I would say three stars however I personally am not too picky about service if the food is great, hence the five star rating. read more

They were nice enough, but the all the food I ate was mediocre at best. Try the taqueria across the street.

Excellent restaurant, good food and drinks, I love the music on weekends, it's a especial place to go out and enjoy the weekend! Thank you Kimberly and anders both are so good ! read more

What a bad experience! a party of 12 went to the restaurant last Thursday Aug 17, 2017 and every single one of us got sick with diarrhea and some even developed a fever. Without a doubt this will be our last visit, we will also ask for a full refund of the bill which was overpriced and overcharged as usual read more

I have been wanting to try this restaurant for some time.. I get my thai food next door at Vieng Thai and always notice how busy El Hidalguense was! I went with friends on a cold/rainy Sunday. The place was packed but we didn't have to wait long for a table.. there was a Tejano band playing which made it very festive!. Being first timers there.. we studied the menu... to start we got authentic cokes and ice cold beer, delicious Micheladas, and complimentary flautas with the rojo salsa! I ordered the Caldo de Rez it was delicious .. We got beef fajitas and cheese enchiladas.. The caldo was great...and the beans served with the fajitas were awesome!! don't expect cheese tex mex enchiladas with chili gravy here.. this is traditional Mexican food. lesson learned. Everyone around us were being served large platers of the barbacoa or the cabrito..with all the fixings.. We will go back next time to have this for sure!! Our waitress was very sweet and could tell we were first timers.... prices were very reasonable.. Fun Sunday! Cant wait to go back for the lamb barbacoa!!!! read more

Best Birria in all Houston. ( goat and lamb ). I grew up in Jalisco where my uncles are birrieros. This place is as authentic as it can get!

Food is wonderful here, my husband and I come here often. Our family came over from Florida and we wanted them to try the great food but our experience was terrible due to our server (Yamilet) who was extremely rude and even yelled at us. I was very embarrassed with my family and I regret bringing them here. read more

I'm a Mexican food fanatic; I cook it at home, travelled a lot through southern Mexico when I was young, and living in Houston one of my favorite things is to find great taco trucks and more "hole in the wall" places that serve up Mexican regional cuisine. (Mexicans are very proud of their regional cooking, as they should be.) El Hidalguenese is my number one pick in Houston. Everything is amazing, from the tortillas to the pozole. Especially good are the lamb and the goat; it's hard to find the latter in Houston, and while a lot of places serve birria El Hidalguenese's is the best, IMHO. Also need to mention their salsa rojo, which is (I think) made with dried chiles and some other things, and is absolutely the best, tastiest salsa I've ever had outside of Oaxaca. I always buy extra and use it on everything at home. The tortillas (they make them by hand right in front of you) are also amazing. Great place and very friendly people. If it was closer to my house I'd probably go there every day. read more

I've been looking for Cabrito and the signage outside El Hidalguense claims "Voted Best Cabrito" so I was pretty stoked even though the smell outside was that of sewer. When we walked in on a weekday night, we were one of two tables. The kitchen was empty but somehow our food order was taken and food brought to us. The bowls of charro beans were large and delicious. We ordered the Cabrito ($25), mixed fajitas and guacamole. Nothing was freshly made except the guacamole which was very nice. The Cabrito was dried in parts to jerky and tasted as if it were cooked last week, the beef fajitas had a green iridescent hue, the chicken though seasoned well was also dry. Over all, I was disappointed. If I was forced to return, I'd eat the beans and guac again, but would never spend the money for their Cabrito. read more

Food is 100% Mexican regional and delicious! The minus 3 stars is because the restrooms are filthy as well as kitchen, floors are greasy too. I had chilaquiles and sopes; they were delicious. I also heard they have the best cabrito(goat) in Houston. read more

Most authentic Mexican restaurant in Houston. Do not come here for Tex Mex like some people did and were disappointed. I recommend their mixote because it's a lot of lamb for an affordable price. It's also sharable. We can't finish it with 2 people. Also, get their homemade corn tortillas... it's worth the little extra cost. read more

The food flavor it's OK. when we receive it on the table it was cold, the service was not good, they never say their names, they never came back to check if you were okay or not. the music is really extra loud and you cannot even hear the conversation from the person next to you. read more

One of the few authentic Mexican restaurants in Houston! Summary: Delicious Lamb barbacoa and Cabrito but the rest is mediocre. The restaurant is located in a run down strip center next to a great Thai food restaurant (yay to diversity!). I've only been here on Sunday's and it is very packed. There are no reservations so you see packs of people waiting outside. But you don't wait very long, it takes around 20 minutes to get a table, and while you wait you get offered aguas frescas. Once inside of you get live music from trios Hisalguenses, a little to loud to be honest but people enjoy it and it is entertaining. The tables are very tight and if you streth back a little you'll be hitting the person behind you. Instead of being brought chips and salsa, as most people are normally accustomed to, you get small barbacoa flautas with "salsa rallada" made purely from dry smoked jalapeños and oil. Salsa rallada is the signature sauce in Hidalgo, Mexico, by the way. Their menu is extensive but they specialize in Cabrito and lamb barbacoa. we have tried the Cabrito and loved it! Very tender and flavorful. The chicken and fajitas are okay nothing special. My family and I go there specifically for the barbacoa. It's tastes as good as the barbacoa I've had in Mexico. Accompanied with fresh corn tortillas and salsa rallada makes for the best tacos. They have different family packs that come with a variety of different options. My family of four gets two pounds of meat that come with four bowls of consome ( the broth/drippings of the barbacoa with chickpeas and rice), cactus salad and for a small extra charge handmade corn tortillas. I have never had a bad experience with the food, the service is very good and intent even though they are very rushed. I wish they could improve the restrooms and update its decor. But the quality of food trumps the shadiness of the place! read more

Hands down the best barbacoa I have ever tasted in the US! Have had it in Chicago, LA, NYC, other places in the Midwest and south and west coast and nothing compares! Brings back vivid memories of eating this in Mexico! Amazing food, great atmosphere, very good prices!! We will be back when I come back to Houston...maybe just to eat some barbacoa and consomé again! read more

I came to this place because it was highly recommended, and I'm Mexican so I was very excited about trying it out. The place was PACKED! They have a live hidalguense band, which gave it a cool ambiance. The michelada was very yummy, however the chilaquiles I ordered were not so tasty, neither was the queso with chorizo. Service was slow as well. My cousin ordered the chicken enchiladas and she wasn't happy either. My boyfriend got the barbacoa de borrego and he loved it. I think that the specialty is probably their barbacoas. read more

This place was pretty bad. Portions very small and very overpriced. We were even overcharged on menu items and charged for things we didn't order. Our food came out cold. The guacamole was amongst the worst I've ever tasted. Table was dirty....I won't go on, just beware. It's not good. read more

Worst food i had. Cold, hard, and old. Didn't consume my plate and i still had to pay for it. The owner is in denial or has never tasted real cabrito or barbacoa. Never coming back! read more

Went in for lunch. Place was not too busy. My order was taken and everything was good until my order came out. Had to send it back because it was incorrect. Waitress was quite rude because I sent back my order. Got it back and it was wrong again. This time my waitress send someone else to my table and I let them know I just wanted my check. The waitress never came to my table again to apologize for my order being wrong twice. read more

Hidden little gem in SB. Nothing fancy but their lamb and sauces make up for the look of the place.

My husband and I went for lunch recently and we liked it. I had the lamb enchiladas. The sauce was so good (I got red sauce) and not too spicy. The lamb had a great roasted taste. Also came with charro beans which were very typically mexican (some called them bland but this is how beans are made!). I had tamarindo for my drink and yum!!! Service was a bit slow and there weren't that many people there. If you are looking for tex-mex you will be sorely disappointed. This is good regional Mexican food and we can't wait to return! read more

Great atmosphere! Live music and delicious Borrego, and fresh homemade tortillas!

Under rated. Unpretentious. Under priced. Great food. Cold beer. Cannot say enough good things about this place. Great tacos, the staff are always extremely friendly and the food is fresh. There's no fancy decor here but the basics are done right. Amazing food, great atmosphere, love it, 5 stars!!! read more

So delicious! I'm from Tampico, Mexico and this is exactly what I was looking for! Definitly I'll come back a lot! The exactly taste of a Mexican food. read more

I came to this place with high expectations and they didnt disappoint. The ambiance was awesome with the live band. I ordered the mixiote ( barbacoa de borrego ) and it was awesome!! I would definitely come back! read more

I went here expecting good food...and i got a big surprise....i ordered frijoles charros...and they gave me three beans...literally three beans in the middle of watery soup....it was bad... Ive had good mexican food and this was not it. read more

Real authentic Mexican food.... Chris was our waiter and provided outstanding customer service.

I went to this place today expecting extraordinary food because of the cabrito hype. In reality when I ordered my food it was very mediocre since the cabrito was dry and had no flavor. I also ordered refried beans instead of charro beans, but they felt like if they got the charro beans and mashed them. My dad ordered a green enchilada which was incredibly spicy since they did not remove the jalapeno seeds from the sauce. My sister ordered a children's quesadilla which was just cheese but with the chicken on the side, the waitors were irreverent since they got the order wrong first. this place is absurd considering the wait staff and not giving chips. Therefore, I do not reccommend eating at this place considering the wait staff. the mediocre food, and it being overly hyped. read more

I tried this restaurant last week and had mole verde which was very good. My friend had mole poblano which he also enjoyed. That said, I've never had homemade mole so I didn't have a comparison. Our server was friendly and attentive. Only drawback was a fishy smell in the place likely due to tables being near to an open kitchen. read more

Sunday afternoon I decided to try out this restaurant because we had seen the commercials on TV and my husband loves authentic Mexican food. So we get there and there's a line wait. After that the music was so loud and they sat us in a tiny small table for two which looked like they had just dragged it there. The waiter got there and we ordered because we were so hungry. We got a large pozole and two tacos. One flour tortilla and one corn. Well they brought the tacos 15 mins later which they were both corn no flour . it took me so long to waive the waiter down and ask her for a flour taco. So I called another waiter and told her I wanted a flour tortilla taco. Then 15 mins later they bring me a another flour taco and I asked where is our food, our Pozole and she said its coming and I kept seeing other people get their food. So then another 15 mins passed and still no food!!!!! I went up to the owner or manager and told her my waiter dissapears until 15 mins later every time. I ask her for my soup and still not ready! We canceled our order after like 40 mins waiting! And I asked for another waiter. They gave me another waiter and finally told her we want food! So we got the barbacoa de borrego which was good only with the corn tortillas hand made. Don't get the flour its horrible all store bought not hand made! I will not be going there ever again!!!!! read more

Never noticed this Mexican restaurant before tried going the other day but my friends thought is was not the best looking place, well I made it there last night and who cares about looks when the food is excellent more authentic Mexican food than the trips to cozumel. Can't wait to go back and bring my friends they will love it. read more

I should know better came to Houston for a wedding staying at a hotel Sunday I decided I wanted some menudo they offer delivered That was perfect because my husband took the car I check the reviews they were good Well I received a call from the restaurant asking what I order so I told them menudo and flautas for my husband and order guacamole when I got the food the menudo they forgot to put lime,onions,or any condiments that go with it I call to ask He said that it was in faith that he send the order because his tablet was not working and had no idea what the order was I told him that it was come sense when someone orders a menudo it come with lime onions and other condiments I ask him how he eats his menudo well he told me that he should have not send the order because he was not sure what I had ordered and was not sure if he was going to get paid for it My order was $36.00 and told him and still he said well I'm not sure if I'm getting paid I told him that was a problem with the company he uses for delivering food grub hub The menudo went straight to the trash because I couldn't eat it the way it was send finally after several minutes telling me how much work they have and had to stop the whole kitchen to do my order first he apologized for sending me my menudo with no condiments that's all I wanted an apology I know that mistake happened I was just calling to tell them to be careful next time and pay attention on the order because people that use delivery don't have transportation at that time when I call I knew that the menudo was going to the trash (what a waste) I tried to eat it but I just couldn't If from the beginning they would just apologize and telling me that I could be laying on the ordering that was just wrong read more

Awesome food. Barbacoa de Lamb!!! Delicious! And cabrito too! It's packed during mornings and weekends. Crowds some for the tasty barbacoa and fresh tortillas and the fresh waters like hibiscus, lemonade etc...is so great. Go! Have an experience. read more

dive type of place, but that doesn't bother me. i liked that they make their own tortillas and my breakfast tacos were not bad, i would come back for those. they also have a live band play which i thought was cool. my only 2 complaints were that my coffee was burnt and the lamb my dad got had more meat than bones. other than that this place is ok. the service was fine and it has a neighborhood type of feel. the food is or can be good. i totally understand that sometimes mistakes are made i would give this place 2.5-3. its ok, ive experienced better but its not bad. if i was closer i would come here again. read more

Good cabrito. Authentic Mexican experience.

Love this place! Fun atmosphere with live music on weekends and most authentic Mexican food I have had in Houston so far. Delicious salsa verde, chicharron and goat. I Also love their micheladas. read more

this is the best barbacoa hidalgo style that I have tasted in America, excellent service