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    Tacos Doña Lena

    4.2 (145 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Open 8:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Order Tacos Doña Lena Takeout or Delivery

    Tacos Doña Lena Photos

    Business Info

    TACOS DOÑA LENA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Happy hour specials
    Outdoor seating

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    Birria Street Tacos
    Jennifer B.

    Tacos were hot and cooked fast, with great flavor. The counter is self order and then they provide a number to you and you seat yourself and then the food is brought out. So if your looking for service were you want to reorder things you may have to walk back up to the counter. The restaurant was clean and well kept. Frozen margarita machine was available too if you want.

    Tacos
    Kasey Y.

    Came to Tacos Dona Lena for Cinco de Mayo + taco Tuesday! I've been wanting to try the spot for a minute and it definitely hit. Got two steak tacos, a grande steak, quesadilla, a side of chips that came with a variety of house sauces, and ended with the churros. To start, the tacos were simple being topped with onions and cilantro, and coming on corn tortillas. The quesadilla was made with a generous filling of steak and cheese. Lastly, one of my favorite parts of the meal was getting to try all the different house salsas that they had. As expected, the restaurant was packed as it was Cinco de Mayo and taco Tuesday. It was a fun, busy environment, every table was filled inside and outside seating. Definitely a great spot to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in the heart of the city!

    Mike H.

    I found Tacos Dona Lena on one of those best tacos in each state list, so when we were traveling to Houston recently, I said let's give it a shot. Now I am usually skeptical of those lists. " Who did they pay to get on it?" "I'm sure there's better places". I have those types of questions. Well, if there are better tacos then what I had, I want to go now! This place is great! I ordered the Quesabirria tacos. if you have lived under a rock like I was until 2 years ago, Birria tacos are basically the French Dip of Mexican food. Quesabirria is basically a grilled taco like a quesadilla. You probably figured that out without my mansplaining. Anyway, these were delicious and even better when dipped into the consume (au jus like soup). Once you finish eating the tacos, don't be ashamed to pick up that cup of soup and slurp it down. It's that good!. Tacos Dona Lena brings out 6 sauces with each order, and they range in hotness and flavor. The ladyfriend stayed in the 1st or 2nd sauce range, I liked 4 the best. I would have loved to try other items next time I am in Houston, which now maybe sooner than I planned.

    Drink menu
    Nena W.

    I love coming here. The food is always delicious and the service is always good. I've only been here by myself, but it's a great place to bring friends and family. This time I tried the enchiladas. It was a little different because it wasn't covered in sauce like I'm used to but they were still good. The tacos never disappoint though. And I love all the salsas they have to offer.

    NOT a Mexican Candy! Gross!!!
    Kelly W.

    I had never been here. I called & was told that happy hour ritas & Mexican Candy shots were $5 3:00-6:00. I had to look up what a Mexican Candy was. I love tequila, watermelon & spice. It sounded interesting. It began by being charged $8.66. I had to say that I was told that it was $5. Bartender had to go check. She changed the charge. Then she made my drink. She used Malibu rum, not tequila. Right then I should have said,"Never mind. Please credit my card.It was disgusting. HH ritas obviously were made with cheap mix. They weren't frozen. Bartender apologized & said that the machine needed to be cleaned. They were drinkable with extra lime wedges squeezed in. Someone walked to the table a couple of times to ask if we were okay. We still had to order at the register. I didn't get food. I don't plan to return. I prefer making my own ritas with fresh limes & quality tequila. There are better places for HH that serve ritas in glass, not disposable plastic cups, & chips & yummy salsa are gratis. The guy at the adjacent table did say that his birria was good. The 6 bottles of salsa did look interesting. The ladies room smelled like sewer. That's a major no for me. I have no idea what the fix is, but it needs to be addressed. Who wants to eat after that?

    Keila B.

    Went back in person, and I will say it wasn't as pleasant as having it delivered. It took so long to place the order due to the line being out the door. We ordered las tres chismosas again, this time with different meats. The tripas and camoechano were the best ones in my opinion. We also had the mango water-- DO NOT GET IT. Idk what we had but it did not taste like mango water, you're better off getting a soda.

    Drink Menu
    Anelle V.

    I visited Tacos Dona Lena in Houston with a few friends, and overall we had a pretty good experience. They're known for their quesabirria-style tacos, and those definitely didn't disappoint, super flavorful and worth trying if you haven't been. The ordering setup is simple: you order at the front, grab a number, and they bring the food out to your table. The only downside during our visit was that they forgot my queso as the appetizer. Despite that little hiccup, I'd still come back and try something different off the menu. The food has a lot of potential, and I'm hoping for an even better experience next time!

    Las Tres Chismosas with your choice of meat & rice & beans
    Adriana A.

    Doña Lena's never disappoints! From the moment you walk in service is top tier! Staff is friendly & helpful. The food is fantastic, like you're eating at your Abuela's (grandma) house. All the food is cooked fresh and great portions! Great family atmosphere & definitely lots of photo ops for social media - a definite must try!

    Winnie C.

    Regarding online order: I ordered caldo de Albondigas on the restaurants website, not through any third party app. I expected my order to be ready when I came to pick it up, however to my surprise it was not available. Instead of waiting to resolve the issue, the waitress disappeared and did not come back to help us resolve this problem. We ended up calling the restaurant for her to return to the front. Then the waitress asked if we wanted another soup, just to find out "soups were seasonal items". We ended up ordering a torta. This one torta took them 30 minutes. In summary, this has been a nightmare to deal with. I'm not sure if I'm getting a refund for my original order. Their customer service is absolutely terrible. There is no such thing as customers first here. Will not recommend. Photo is proof of what their website stated they had in their store. ***update: they never refunded me for my meal and still charged my credit card. The response by the owner tells you what type of establishment this place is. ***

    Elote corn cup
    Hemi K.

    Went for taco Tuesday with a couple of friends and got the Taco Tuesday deal. 5 mini street tacos for $7. We got the beef and pork and they were both absolutely delicious. We enjoyed the corn in the cup on the side. The meat was so flavorful and although the tacos were small, 3-4 would be enough to get a person full. This spot is more spacious than the spring branch location and has a great parking lot. The decorations are so cute and I love how vibrant everything was. The variety of sauces are always such a great addition to the tacos :)

    Los Las Tres Chismosas (Three tacos plate)
    Kiet L.

    If you're looking for overstuffed tacos for a great price with flavorful salsa then this is a must to visit! I ordered the 3 tacos plate with barbacoa and it was overflowing with meat. Easily could've taken the extra corn tortillas to turn them into 6 tacos. All orders come with 6 different salsas ranging from mild to very spicy. They will explain them to you if it's a first time visit. I used the spiciest one and it wasn't too spicy but I also have a very high spice tolerance (thank you Asian genes). When you enter you're not seated until you place an order at the counter then you choose your own table with a table number. Service was fast. I went around 1 on a Saturday they were busy but it wasn't overwhelming. I rated a four because the beans and rice lacked flavor a pinch of salt would have fixed it but the tacos made up for it.

    $10 dollar Dixie cup spicy margarita. Good for burning cash pure profit for them.

    Passing through Houston we stopped in. Food is mediocre. My 4 year olds bean taco was full of oil. I got the birria ramen which was flavorless and the egg had a fart flavor. The beef in the soup was fatty which is a first for me. I should have taken a pic. The staff are not friendly. The waiter through down the salsa bottles and one feel and squirted all over me. She just laughed. The 10 dollar spicy margarita comes in a Dixie cup with a splash of alcohol. Honestly thats an embarrassment. The beef and chicken tacos were nasty. The birria tacos my wife got were decent. Not sure how they have good reviews the food sucks. Food for people with no taste buds

    Taco de lengua, Tinga de pollo, taco de canarones, Side of Avocado.
    Barbara P.

    The birria tacos and consommé at Tacos Dona Lena were so good. The meat was cooked perfectly and the consommé could be drunk like soup. The rice and beans were equally as good. I ordered a strawberry margarita (frozen) and it was perfect. Not watered down or skimping on the spirits. The tacos de lengua and the tacos de camarones were a little bland for our tastes. The Tinga de pollo was very heavy on the chipotle and a little overly salty.

    Barbacoa Machete and queso

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    Photo of Winnie C.
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    Business owner information

    Photo of Angel C.

    Angel C.

    Sorry about the “ nightmare”. Have a nice day.

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    1 month ago

    Ramen Birra is beyond delicious. Service & staff were fantastic & quick. A definite revisit!

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    Tacos Doña Lena Reviews in Other Languages

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    3.9
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    We're in Houston for the World Cup and were recommended Original Ninfa's by both a coworker and our…read moreLyft driver. We visited around 5:00 PM on a Sunday and were pleasantly surprised to be seated immediately for a party of two without a reservation. The restaurant is huge, and despite being very busy, the service was efficient. We were seated in one of the back dining rooms and greeted with complimentary chips and salsa, both of which were delicious. The atmosphere was fantastic--packed with World Cup fans, with what felt like everyone wearing a soccer jersey. As fellow futebol fans, we loved the energy. Being from California, we're fortunate to have access to some excellent Mexican food, so we were a little hesitant about trying Tex-Mex. I ordered the chicken fajitas with flour tortillas and a passion fruit margarita. The chicken had a smoky flavor and a sauce that gave the dish a distinctly Texas-style twist. The flour tortillas were outstanding, and the refried beans and rice were just as enjoyable. The passion fruit margarita was also a standout and something I'd definitely order again. Overall, this was a great dining experience and a place I'd recommend for the atmosphere alone. The restaurant appears well-equipped to accommodate large groups, making it a great option for gatherings. Next time, I'd love to return with a bigger group and take advantage of one of their margarita pitchers!

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    Maderas - Kitchen & Cantina

    Maderas - Kitchen & Cantina

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    Great food, nice ambience. We caught the happy hour special and sat outside. Generous and delicious…read moreportions. We got the flautas and the molcajete parrillada. We noticed most of the crowd was on the younger side 20s - 30s on the day we went and not many families.

    We visited Madera's for the first time recently and overall had a great first impression. The…read moreserver was attentive when needed but didn't hover or rush us. For drinks, my husband and our friends tried some of the margaritas from their large and unique margaritas menu, as well as their hibiscus agua fresca. All of the drinks were very pretty and it seemed like everyone enjoyed them, too! We started with their chips and salsa trio, which we all really liked. The chips were on the thicker side, but were crispy and not stale or chewy at all. Each of the salsas were quite different, and two were served warm, which we really liked! For the price, I'd consider getting the chips and salsa as a non-negotiable, honestly. For entrees, we tried the enchilada rojas, chilaquiles verde w/ chicken and beef, birria barbacoa ramen, and huaraches. My husband felt like his ramen could have included more meat, but aside from that everyone really enjoyed what they ordered. The highlight was probably the desserts, though! We got a quatro leches and two ordered of their giant and amazing churros. Both were incredibly tasty and reason enough to return for another visit in the future!

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    Teotihuacan Mexican Cafe

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    I used to eat here 3X a week. Tonight reminded me why I no longer do.I was with a new friend ,so I…read moreonly took 1 photo. The "queso" w/carne seemed to be out of a can-it was orange & didn't have the consistency of real cheese- wasn't really cheese & was disgusting. It was $9.99. I am including a photo of the overcooked beef fajita. A senior citizen can get the all beef lunch fajita special for virtually the same price as the fajita combo here ALL DAY at Pappasitos. It definitely is enough for 2. The meat melts in your mouth. EVERYTHING is better quality than here. Teo charged $1.50 for perhaps 4 or 5 slices of lime to make the happy hour margaritas made with a gross mix drinkable. That's outrageous. It reminds me that I had stopped going long ago when they charged extra for onions on enchiladas. Come on. You don't charge extra for chopped onions! I have never been to another restaurant that does so. Some even provide carmelized grilled onions gratis. I'm convinced that a $15. YUMMY mango margarita at Pappasitos would have given us the same buzz & tasted better than 8 happy hour margaritas here. I used to love the in house made flour tortillas at Teo. Tonight they were tough & uneventful. We arrived on a week night when they were not busy. Neither of the salsas were as good as they used to be.The water pitcher didn't even have ice when they refilled the water. I have absolutely no desire to return. Why would I?

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    Maximo

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    We went on a date with my wifey and decided to try this place. Shoutout to Rene the manager he…read morerecommended the tiradito de hamachi and it was delicious! Everything tasted really good! Is a nice place to go on a date or just go with friends and try real Mexican cuisine. P.S. if you want to try it, I'd highly recommended to make reservations.

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    Great Tex Mex spot, been around for more than 10 years and they now have a Michelin star. Candente…read morehas a wonderful manager Nancy who is such a people person, great personality, and is always hosting events to make candente fun. There is Loteria nights and they announce this on their social media. All the staff are super friendly and attentive. If you need help anyone will help you. Restaurant is spacious indoor and also has a huge outdoor covered patio with fans and also an open patio. For their events I have been to Loteria nights and they give out prizes, it's fun while you grab a bite or a drink. They also have events where they bring in tequila brands and you can do free tastings of tequila! You meet the tequila brands ambassadors and learn about their brand. A great fun time during the week. A perfect spot for weekend drinks and Tex Mex food. My family and I love this spot and if you haven't been definitely stop by.

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    Tacos Doña Lena - mexican - Updated June 2026

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