This Tex-Mex restaurant recently opened, serving up a combination of classics and more inventive dishes. While the queso is an easy place to start, the duck carnitas in a poblano mole and coconut shrimp ceviche are bound to be some of the most memorable parts of your meal. You also can’t go wrong with the street-style tacos al pastor or the beef adobo enchiladas, which are stuffed with slow-roasted, seasoned chuck. Spice up the experience with a Kick It Rita, a combo of tequila, Grand Marnier, jalapeno, and lime.

Goode Co. restaurants are known for their mesquite-grilled meats and seafood, and the group’s new Tex-Mex restaurant in the Heights is no different. Highlights include the braised and crisped pork carnitas, which are marinated and prepared over a three-day process, and chicken flautas stuffed with smoked chicken. For a truly epic feast, splurge on the parrillada familiar, which combines a pound of fajitas with jalapeño cheese smoked sausage, Texas quail, jumbo Gulf shrimp, and a half-pound of pork carnitas.

Head to the domain of Houston’s enchilada queen, Sylvia Casares, where you’ll find more than 15 different types of enchiladas, fajitas, heartwarming sopa de fideo, a Mexican-style Caesar salad, and hearty entrees, like grilled Chilean sea bass, that help give a culinary tour of cuisine throughout Mexico and Texas.

It's impossible to have a discussion about Tex-Mex (and Mexican fare in general) without bringing up the Original Ninfa's on Navigation. Credited with introducing the country to fajitas, calling them tacos al carbon, it’s vital to try the iconic dish at least once. That being said, make room for enchiladas, available a la carte, and the Ninfarita, Ninfa’s signature margarita, made with Espolon Blanco Tequila, fresh-squeezed lime juice, agave nectar, and Cointreau.

A beer garden and Tex-Mex restaurant in one, this new Montrose hangout guarantees a good time. Order some scallop ceviche and chips, guac, and salsa, while you ponder the drink menu, which sports at least a dozen frozen margaritas, all of which are made to order. The beer offerings span the likes of punchy sours, dark and malty sips, ciders, and IPAs, and the wine list is just as diverse.

Then, dive into staples like tacos, tortas, and enchiladas.

Agricole Hospitality adds to its Houston restaurant roster with a new Tex-Mex establishment that celebrates the best of Tex-Mex. Dip your chip into a bowl of chile con queso and enjoy dishes like its robust potato and chorizo chimichangas, the soul-warming pozole, or smoky fajitas al carbon. Drinks here also keep to Texas and Mexican traditions, meaning you’ll have no trouble finding something mixed with mezcal, sotol, rum, or tequila. The margaritas, Blood Marys, micheladas, and Ranch Waters, do not disappoint, but if looking for something strictly sweet opt for the agua frescas or dessert. The tres leches and cinnamon roll cheesecake are the perfect ending.

This Dallas import aims to add a little northern Texas flair to Houston’s Tex-Mex scene. Find brisket tacos, its Sunset enchiladas, which are smothered in chile-cilantro queso, and its Rico salad, a house favorite that’s topped with fajita chicken. Don’t leave without trying the swirled frozen Mambo Taxi. Once voted Dallas’ best margarita, this signature drink is made with Pinot Noir sangria, Sausa Silver tequila, lime juice, and brandy,

This local Tex-Mex spot has a loyal following for its blue margaritas, tacos al pastor, and its gooey Felix queso, which you can get on the side with chips or with its dinner platters, including its cheesy enchiladas and tacos.

Using smoked and grilled proteins from its sister restaurant, the Pit Room, Candente showcases Mexican eats with a Texas barbecue twist. In addition to traditional Tex-Mex items, find brisket enchiladas; brisket topped nachos; and ceviche, made with redfish, shrimp, and scallops. The Tampiquena is a signature dish, featuring a 9-ounce prime rib-eye topped with two cheese enchiladas, grilled onions, and chili-lime butter. Pair your meal with a marg — they come in flavors like blood orange, strawberry, mango, and prickly pear.

With more than 50 years in the Houston area and six locations, this family-owned restaurant has the reputation of offering what is billed the city’s first frozen margarita, plus Tex-Mex favorites, including its Katie’s t-sip dip — chile con queso topped with scoops of ground beef and guac — nachos, tostadas, fajitas, grilled proteins, and its famed puffy taco smothered in queso.

This time-honored restaurant, which dates back to the early 1940s, continues to be one of the best bets for Tex-Mex eats in Houston. The menu is vast, and the prices are hard to beat. Start off with a bowl of chicken tortilla soup or a platter of taquitos — both under $10 — and then finish strong with one of the Tex-Mex platters. The Mexico City dinner features a beef taco, a cheese enchilada, a bean tostada, and a tamale, with guacamole, chili con queso, rice and beans, and has been on the menu from the beginning.

Gringo’s features around a dozen locations across the Houston area, but if you’re interested in seeing where it all began, head to the original in Pearland. Each outpost showcases Old West meets Mexican art and antiques while delivering Tex-Mex favorites like taquitos, grilled seafood, and some of the best fajitas and margaritas Houston has to offer. If you’re feeling festive, try the star-spangled banner, a combination of strawberry and lime margarita, swirled with blue curacao. End your visit with complimentary soft-serve ice cream.