Tex-Mex Tastes Best When You are Officially Texan

LUPE TORTILLA MEXICAN RESTAURANT
2414 Southwest Fwy., Houston

This was not my first trip to Lupe Tortilla Mexican Restaurant. In January 2014, we had dinner at Lupe after a day of touring Houston. At that time, we were hoping we might be able to relocate to H-town in the future. We spent the day driving around and looking at various neighborhoods and getting a sense of the city. A move to Houston seemed a distant dream. Nine months later, we found ourselves at Lupe again, this time approximately 36 hours after officially becoming Houstonians.

Lupe is a quintessential Tex Mex restaurant. The décor is festive and fun – think colorful papier-mâché jalapenos and light fixtures made of sombreros. When we arrived on a Friday evening, the parking lot, which is shared with a shopping plaza, was hopping. Our party was rather large (7 adults and 4 kids) and we waited about 30 minutes for our table. It was worth it.

We started our meal with chips and salsa, queso, and tableside guacamole. I’m no stranger to tableside guac. The concept combines several of my favorite activities – watching food preparation and eating the results. But, few places do tableside guacamole as well as Lupe. The avocados are fresh and creamy and perfectly paired with a burst of fresh lime juice, onion, fresh tomatoes, and salt. In one word: delish. I could make a meal out of Lupe’s tableside guacamole and a skinny margarita, which Lupe also does quite well.

But, for our family the main reason to come to Lupe is for the fajitas. Fajitas are ordered by weight in pound or half pound servings of meat. The options include beef, chicken, shrimp, pork tenderloin, and a combination of meats. You can also add lobster tail to your order. On both visits to Lupe, we opted for a combination of beef and chicken. The beef, marinated in lime juice, is nothing short of amazing on its own. But, when combined with Lupe’s homemade tortillas and tasty toppings, you enter Tex Mex perfection.

Piling beef on my plate and sneaking an extra bite or three of tableside guacamole, I looked around the table at my family. My daughter laughed with her cousins. My two-year old son ate a meal of mostly queso. My husband tucked into his fajitas, a Texas resident once more after many years spent far away from home.  The 1500 mile road trip from Washington, DC was behind us and we were ready to start our adventures in Texas, just a little bit sooner than we imagined. I was glad to be home and to be celebrating our arrival at Lupe.