Good food and service. A Rive Village staple. We recommend this great Cuban restaurant. Ambiance is very nice. Also great bar.

There is zero straw etiquette, we were handed straws without a napkin wrapped around, service was tremendously slow. We are vegetarian, ordered the spinach mushroom quesadillas, spinach was barely wilted, the mushrooms were rubbery. The plantain nachos- there was a unripe sourness to the plantains, the cheese the use becomes plastic-ey within a matter of minutes. They offer this Chile con queso- STRAIGHT UP VELVEETA. The prices at this restaurant are of that of prime dining" however there was nothing here that felt as that of a fine dining experience. They have this spicy sauce I asked for which made my meal edible. For the area, the prices, there is no effort being out in the kitchen, what they need to do is revamp this place. It's no longer a cute "hole in the wall". It's outdated with recipes that need to be worked on. I did appreciate the family vibe. My favorite part was my coke. My read more

My husband and I were out walking and stopped by here for lunch. I have been before but it was years ago. We were greeted by the owner, who was lovely! The food was delicious! We cannot wait to return! read more

Service was good.. but food .. umm didn't taste like authentic Cuban . I would skip if you want Cuban food. They have other non Cuban dishes that perhaps are better. But for me..overpriced for rice beans maduros and meat. My husband had the lechon which was flavorful but a bit greasy .. not worth 27$. I had the solomillo.. the onions gave it flavor other than that.. nothing special for 28$.. Disappointed. On a positive note they have a nice wine list. read more

Best kept secret in the Village. It's not young, loud, or brash. Rather, it's the kind of place to take a date, not find one. With an aura of quality in the air, it will leave your dinner companion with a favorable impression. As we were promptly seated, the waiter asked if we would like a drink. With a bolero as background music, something cool sounded good and the Mojito was up for negotiation. I asked what kind of rum and he replied: Bacardi. Nope, not for me. As a rule, I steer clear of run-of-the-mill rum and asked for - I really don't know why - Havana Club. He responded with a sheepish "let me see what I can do". I thought if this guy comes back and pulls a rabbit out of his hat with HC, I would be impressed. In case you haven't heard, Cuban Rum remains a political taboo. Instead, he returned and countered with a recommendation from the bartender: Ron Zacapa. I knew this to be an award-winning rum from Guatemala, recognized the value of their offer and closed on this deal as soon as I could. Perfection ensued with well-chosen Cuban music, outstanding mojitos, excellent bread and butter, delicious ceviche and their signature paella. Most importantly, I was impressed with the waiter's willingness to make it happen. How many places nowadays serve drinks and/or menu items only one way, their way? As if everything was already made and there was no room for personal preference. That is as far as we went on this trip and I will happily stand with the regulars from here on out. read more

The entrée that I had must've been prepared by a five-year-old who had never tasted Mexican food before but read about it in an encyclopedia once. It reminds me of the worst Mexican food I ever had which was in Florida, Tampa Bay had to be specific I felt at that time the meal was prepared in the microwave, this time the meal seems to be prepared under a hot lamp. I wouldn't consider that an upgrade. Whatever you do do not eat at this restaurant. I am ashamed as a Hispanic person to even have finished the meal, it was only because I was hungry and I had flown in that day without eating lunch. Do not even entertain this restaurant. I had to ask the waiter for nachos they seem not to be on the standard delivery, however at a fine dining restaurant as this appears to be you wouldn't expect it but nevertheless the weight staff was not overwhelming. read more

El Meson Restaurant - It appears that cheese whiz is on the menu in the back. Or melted Velveeta. - Spanish Near Me - Houston, Texas

The ambiance of El Meson was great! It was quaint, intimate and the air conditioner and decorations were on point. The wine was delicious and service was great. Unfortunately the paella fell short. It was average but nothing to write home about. Paella is supposed to have a nice crust on it and a depth of flavor. It missed the boat... Not terrible but not memorable. I would come again but try something else on the menu. read more

El meson rest was on my list to visit and I'm glad my friend agreed. Valet personnel was very attentive and generous. Quickly welcomed and seated. Promptly greeted by Olivia our server. Food was very very good. Even when server set the expectations about the wait time for paella it came on decent amount of time. Portion was generous, definitely serve more than 2. Everything was delicious. read more

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Enjoyable, good service, a bit pricier than Mi Luna a few doors down that closed unfortunately. But the dishes we had were very good. Service not quite that of mi Luna. Less menu options than other tapas places. But it is the only one we really have now. We will definitely return. read more

El Meson Restaurant - Tapas menu - Spanish Near Me - Houston, Texas

Came here for dinner on a Friday night. Vibe is very lowkey. Mostly an older crowd. Parking is typical for rice village area. Street parking, $5 valet, or 2 hour complimentary garage parking. We had the flambé queso, shrimp enchiladas and skirt steak. Pretty good overall Waiter was great. No complaints there. Margaritas were good. Not my fave Cuban spot but i would be back read more

El Meson Restaurant - Spanish Near Me - Houston, Texas

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The Ropa Vieja was very good! It was flavorful and tender. Service was fast and the ambiance was nice.

This restaurant has a beautiful ambiance. It feels like a warm candlelit dinner in a cozy restaurant in spain. The waiter was so sweet and caring, she gave us indepth responses to help choose the perfect meal. Everything came out perfectly cooked and I highly recommend it. One of the best places I've ever had the pleasure of eating at in houston! read more

El Meson Restaurant - Filet mignon - Spanish Near Me - Houston, Texas

Never disappoints! Food always tight on point! Best black beans & plaintains in town.

Hard to find a good Spanish tapas place in Houston. The chicken croquettes are yummy, and don't get me started with the paella. We don't typically take leftovers home, this time we did. Only thing that didn't quite make the mark was the tortilla española. Bit in the dry side. Either way love this place. read more

Food: MmmmmmmmmM!!! Service: very friendly, Mallory great job. Ambiance: Cuban, Latin..,,, Cleanliness: great. Price: very pricey! Two appetizers, one entree, one lemon drink. (No alcohol), One dessert. Cost with 18% tip. $99 plus change. Will go again , probably yes. A&F read more

I came here spontaneously for lunch after the zoo and was happy to find a place that serves and specializes in paella. Unfortunately, that's not what I got because I was eating a bit lighter, but I got the beef stew and patatas to share with a friend. The beef stew on the lunch menu was tender and flavorful, the rice was light and chewy, the beans were perfect for the meal, and the plaintains were fantastic. Overall, well balanced meal. We got the patatas, but it wasn't as great. The lemonade is fresh squeezed and refreshing. I'd come back again soon! Service on the other hand, was not up to par. I felt like that could use improvement. Our server wanted us in and out... Restaurant was clean and ambience was peaceful read more

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Ambiance was nice. Service was good. Tapas we're very delicious however the Paella was super watery and there was no socarrat which makes me question if the paella was actually made in the paella pan that was served on. If I was to come here again it would only be for wine great tapa selection. read more

We eat here very few months. Love the food. Great Cuban! Service and ambiance are lovely.

Ordered a fajita quesadilla for $20 and only received 5 tortilla chips melted cheese. Spoke with the manager and said we were paying for the "exquisite" tortilla and fajita. Took the order back and got my money back, horrible place. Don't waste your money here! read more

El Meson Restaurant - Spanish Near Me - Houston, Texas

You have to come here and get the Ropa Vieja! The beef was unbelievably tender and flavorful. It was almost like a stew or pot roast - very homey and very satisfying. The Carne Asada platter was served with a steak knife, but it was tender enough to cut with the side of your fork. Definitely enough food to split with someone else, or plan on bringing leftovers. Flan was the perfect ending to our meal. Great atmosphere, and waitress was sweet. Will definitely come back! read more

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I wanted to go there because it was a family owned restaurant and the reviews intrigued me. We went there at 7pm on Father's Day and sat outside, because it is a dog friendly restaurant. They came with our wine relatively quickly, but after we ordered 2 tapas and it took 40 minutes we ordered another set of appetizers again a 45 minute wait. The service was very slow, snd I think they forgot about the few tables outside. It was quite expensive 150 for to glasses of wine and 4 tapas. The food was good, but the service was terrible. No explanation about why everything was so late. Also,they ran out of to of their signature dishes. read more

Fantastic restaurant! Combination of Spanish and Cuban dishes! We were a group of 4 and had great service during a busy Friday night. The waiter was prompt and served us well. We all enjoyed our food including desert. I had steak, spinach, plantains and crem brûlée. Can't wait to go back! read more

The food was very good but portions were small for the price. On top they added another 6% food tax which confused me being from FL. Ended paying $240 tab for Cuban food for four. read more

Such a great exprience. Recommended. A very nice patio with a cute bench for taking photos. read more

El Meson Restaurant - Tapas Variadas - Spanish Near Me - Houston, Texas

Always looking for something out of the ordinary and we stumbled across El Meson and so glad we did!! Our server was awesome and she suggested a signature salad that was outstanding. We had the bacon wrapped stuffed dates and the quail appetizer , both were outstanding and loaded with flavor. We chose to split the Carne Asada and the portion was huge and the steak was cooked perfectly and extremely tender. I would highly recommend El Meson if you are looking for a great dining experience !! Ps the wine list is huge read more

I hate to rank it so low. They service and hostess were great. Everything else... Underwhelming. I came out here to go to Mi Luna. They closed. Bummer. Well, I have a pic to show the food quality. Depends on your expectations I imagine. I feel bad about two stars I do. By all means, come check out the place. It's a nice date night atmosphere nonetheless. read more

El Meson Restaurant - Spanish Near Me - Houston, Texas

The service was disappointing with Marcos. The paella del meson was not very good, had a old seafood taste. I'd rather go to MAD or one fifth. The one thing we both loved were the bacon wrapped dates with blue cheese, Good. we were the only other table here and the other table got all the attention. We came first and they got everything out before us. Our server checked on them multiple times and didn't bother coming to us, which was a few steps from us. Aside from the server the other staff were friendly, not sure what position the men in black were but I loved them they were great and friendly! I wouldn't come back or recommend this place to anyone. My partner said the food was 3/5 but the service was 1/5. I thought the food was 1/5 and the service was a 1/5. If you still decide to come bring your fancy clothes and your Mercedes to get better service. read more

Nice restaurant in Rice village area. Good lunch and dinner menus. Paella Negra is consistently good. Masitas is great and we love the Pumadara salad read more

Hands down THE most delicious Spanish/Cuban restaurant in Houston! My family and I spend every birthday celebration at el meson. Israel is our go to server, he is very friendly and is educated on the menu items. I absolutely must have a frozen sangria every time! Their tapa options are endless and their salsa that accompanies their complementary tortilla chips is delicious x1000!! For tapas I would suggest the chorizo riojano al jerez, the albóndigas al jerez and the champiñones al ajillo. Our family has tried about every single dish on the menu and I guarantee 100% satisfaction. read more

El Meson Restaurant - Spanish Near Me - Houston, Texas

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It's not just that it's good, it's that it's always good. I say this based on more than 25 years' experience. My daughters and I had lunch there today, the first time we've been since the virus got rolling. They have a few tables set up outside. The solomillo and the ropa vieja are as terrific as ever. The flan is out of this world. El Meson does it so well I won't order it anywhere else. One last thing: I think it speaks well for a place when it has waitstaff who stay a long time. Some of the waiters at El Meson have been there as long as I've been going there. Peter appears to take good care of them. read more

I wasn't a big fan of El Meson. While the service is nice, the food is not that great, especially given the price. We went for tapas for dinner, and I know it's a bad sign when my favorite plates were the rice and beans side and the complimentary bread that comes out with the meal--both of those items were great. However, the octopus wasn't my favorite, as the octopus was so swimming in olive oil that I couldn't really taste the flavor or feel the texture of the octopus. The scallops were OK, but they weren't warm in the middle. The iberico ham was OK too, but it was a bit odd that it was served with deli slices of cheese. And these tapas dishes were not cheap. read more

I used to really like this place. I took my in-laws here and it was very disappointing. The service was slow. One of the entrees came out cold. My dish was apparently sold out so they chose an alternative entree without consulting me. I spoke with the owner to discuss my dissatisfaction. He agreed the dishes shouldn't be cold and they shouldn't substitute a dish without asking. With regard to the slow service he decided to insult me and tell me that he didn't run a fast food restaurant. Unfortunately we will not be going back, and I am livid with his response. He clearly doesn't have the passion for this establishment that he once had. read more

My husband invited me to have dinner here, and I was surprised, the meals are simple but delicious! The service by the waiters was great! The only thing I didn't like was the crime brûlée, (but I'm too picky when it comes to this dessert) the flavor was just eggs and not vanilla... but other than that everything was good! Will definitely come back read more

This is a tough one. 4.5 out of 5. I'll revise upward or downward on the next visit, as we're definitely planning to go back. For me, the wine selection here is definitely the draw. They have been honored by Wine Spectator in both 2017 and 2018 for their Spanish wines. We shared a quarter liter each of their 'by the glass' garnacha and Rioja tempranillo, both of which were fantastic. Their Spanish wine menu is exceptional, especially for Rioja, and covers a wide range of price points. If you don't like Spanish wines, they have a good selection of other bottles as well, primarily from France & California. The food was solid by not mind-blowing. We chose three tapas and asked our server to recommend an additional two. The absolute standout was the pulpo al ajo, which on its own was worth the visit--the best octopus I've ever had. The bacon-wrapped dates were also strong, as was the jamón y chorizo ibérico de bellota. The patatas bravas and croquetas (normally my favorite) were unfortunately middle-of-the-road. In contrast to other reviewers, we had no issues with the service. Overall a positive Spanish tapas experience with excellent wine options. Looking forward to a repeat visit! read more

El Meson Restaurant - Assortment of tapas - Spanish Near Me - Houston, Texas

Uno de mis lugares preferidos! Definitivamente el lugar a dónde iría siempre es a el Meson restaurant. Tiene una variedad de platillos. Todos deliciosos Las tapas de albondigas de ternera, los hongos al ajillo , el chorizo riojano son unos de nuestros preferidos. Mi platillo favorito El pollo al ajillo , la enslada con salmon y esparragod , la sopa de Arroz con frijoles.... En fin , todo ahí es delicioso read more

Terrific experience! The staff were extremely professional and courteous. The food was delicious as well. We went for restaurant week and ordered a variety of plates. We enjoyed the appetizers the most, not to say the main course wasn't memorable! The bar area has a rustic and elegant look which makes it great for a date night read more

I've been wanting to try this place for a while. It was worth the wait. It's a little pricey, but I tend to spend money on good food. We got tapas to share. The croquetas were crispy on the outside and nice and savory on the inside. The scallops were ok. Not bad, but not the best I've ever had. The tortilla was good. It was my time trying this dish. But if you aren't aware it's served cold in case someone had a texture/temp issue. Now the stars were our entrees. We went more Cuban and got the Lechon and Palomillo. Both were seasoned well. The pork was more tender and rich. The beans had a good flavor and were seasoned just right. The plantains were sweet but not too much. Definitely would go back to try other menu options. Like that Paella! read more

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Very tasty paella. One small thing to improve, several piece of seafood is not fresh

Hubby and I frequent this lovely place often. It's in a lovely location as there's all kinds of shopping, cafes, and quaint shops all within walking distance. Restaurant has a Spaniard vibe and also has an outdoor area. The outdoor area is right in front with the limited parking and at times busy street. Parking is extremely limited so We usually just park across the street in the metered parking. Service is wonderful, food is yummy. If you find it to pricey just go Siro g lunch time food is just as good close to dinner portion and a fraction of the price. This is a nice place for a romantic dinner/date and family dinner. In my opinion the vibe is to relax in there to have a bachelorette party .. This place can be difficult to find it's in the corner and looks small until you walk in. If your looking for a nice chill vibe, good Food, and lively sangrias this is your place. One more thing... We had the créeme brûlée and although the texture was great and the sugar topping nice and crisp it did have a bit of a weird taste maybe like orange zest type and I had never had that before but still good. read more

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The food was pretty good but the reason I give it a low rating is their inability to provide for handicapped persons. I have a really bad mobility issue that I can't walk without a cane or walker. The restaurant had 5 or 6 open parking spots in front of the restaurant but told me I had to park across the street or a block away in the bank parking lot. The only way they would let me park in one of the open spots is if I paid the 7.00 parking fee. I don't mind the fee but I really, really find it offensive that they do not have any handicapped parking in front of their facility. When I left the restaurant, there were still 4 or 5 open parking places. BTW, I was not the only person in the restaurant that needed the parking. I ran into another lady that was in a walker. In this day and age, this is totally unacceptable. read more