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Featured Replies

MSN came out with the Best Mexican Food Resturants in every state and according to them, the best in Texas is Ninfa's in Houston. Not sure about that, but I am intrigued by the Shrimp Wrapped in Bacon Tacos. 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/restaurantsandnews/best-mexican-restaurant-in-every-state/ss-BBOfmtz?li=BBnb7Kz#image=44 

Texas: Ninfa's

Address: 2704 Navigation Blvd., Houston, TX 77003

Rating: 9.1/10

Ninfa's on Navigation is the best spot for Mexican in the state of Texas, but also ranked #4 for cheese in Houston—most likely be attributed to its queso flameado: a cheese casserole with chorizo. The shrimp wrapped in bacon tacos are also a must order.

I'll go out on a limb and guess Ninfa's isn't in the top 10 of that zip code.

 

49 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

I'll go out on a limb and guess Ninfa's isn't in the top 10 of that zip code.

 

^^^This^^^

This is one case where the OP’s username definitely checks out.

eww

Quote

New Mexico: Frontier Restaurant

Address: 2400 Central Ave. SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106

 

Ninfa’s in an odd choice, but at least it’s in Texas. The Kansas winner is in Missouri.

2 hours ago, HenryJames said:

South Dakota: Qdoba

I thought you were jacking around but then I looked at the article.  Ho Lee Fuk.

46 minutes ago, VolenteHawk said:

Ninfa’s in an odd choice, but at least it’s in Texas. The Kansas winner is in Missouri.

kansas's biggest city is in missouri, so it checks out

That's fucking ridiculous. Ninfa's is still good, but it's more of a nostalgia place nowadays. No one in Houston would ever call it the best place for Mexican food. That award still goes to Lupe Tortilla. 

3 hours ago, Both Tacos said:

Not sure about that, but I am intrigued by the Shrimp Wrapped in Bacon Tacos. 

How do they wrap the bacon tacos around a shrimp?

2 hours ago, SimonBolivar said:

You knew the list would be garbage, but I'm surprised it isn't Mi Tierra.

We visited during the Alamo Bowl.  I get the appeal and enjoyed everything (but the cattle yard wait), but it wasn't the best Mexican food I've had.  Not sure what the general sentiment regarding the place is here.

Some shit hole in Flagstaff where they spoke zero English is still the best I've had.  Can't remember the name.  Might just be nostalgia in my head at this point.  Colorado's is probably the worst miss in there.  There's plenty of great Mexican in Colorado, and they picked a burrito joint.  I fucking love burritos, but they don't really count.  I've heard people rave about the Iowa selection, but I've never been.  

6 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

We visited during the Alamo Bowl.  I get the appeal and enjoyed everything (but the cattle yard wait), but it wasn't the best Mexican food I've had.  Not sure what the general sentiment regarding the place is here.

Some shit hole in Flagstaff where they spoke zero English is still the best I've had.  Can't remember the name.  Might just be nostalgia in my head at this point.  Colorado's is probably the worst miss in there.  There's plenty of great Mexican in Colorado, and they picked a burrito joint.  I fucking love burritos, but they don't really count.  I've heard people rave about the Iowa selection, but I've never been.  

It's just the 24 hours, location, and history keeping it going. Food was awful the only time we went. It seems perfect for this type of list.

Edited by SimonBolivar

5 minutes ago, SimonBolivar said:

It's just the 24 hours, location, and history keeping it going. Food was awful the only time we went. It seems perfect for this type of list.

My research lead me to vote for Rosario's, but women were hungry and convinced every place would have an insane line.

It should have been Maudie’s. - this board probably

Fixed. And it still would have been as wrong as Ninfa’s. Actually, I take that back, Ninfa’s better than Maudie’s.
42 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

My research lead me to vote for Rosario's, but women were hungry and convinced every place would have an insane line.

Rosario's spinach enchiladas are on the short list for my favorite meal.

That's fucking ridiculous. Ninfa's is still good, but it's more of a nostalgia place nowadays. No one in Houston would ever call it the best place for Mexican food. That award still goes to Lupe Tortilla. 


Despite Hank’s typical funny shtick, I will say that Ninfa’s is great from the perspective of its historical ties to the original texmex that began in the early days of the territory. Plus the food is decent. It’s not the best, but the combination of decently good food and its historical significance does make it a solid restaurant experience.

Big fan of Mi Tiara's but was very disappointing on last visit, didn't even bother to go when in SA last November. 

Flawed survey/contest.  Too many types of Mexican/regional food to lump it all into "Mexican" food.

There are some funny ones on that list. Cafe Rio for Idaho and a place in fucking San Francisco for California. 

44 minutes ago, Underdog said:

Big fan of Mi Tiara's but was very disappointing on last visit, didn't even bother to go when in SA last November. 

We know you're a big fan of your tiara and you look fabulous in it.  Don't let anyone here tell you different.

Image result for drag queen wearing a tiara

6 hours ago, MoJames said:

eww

 

Yeah, wtf for sure on that one. Nothing wrong w/ Frontier after a bender or all-night study session, but ABQ prolly has fifty better options.

 

Fuck that list.

Mia’s inspired Jerry to make the only good football decision he has ever made. So the answer is Mia’s

3973b5891e7f7356b23ff77866bd60bf.jpg

4 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I've heard people rave about the Iowa selection, but I've never been.  

I have.  Depending on what you order, it's actually legit -- certainly not the best I've ever had, but definitely not the worst, either.    

1 hour ago, deadshank said:

We know you're a big fan of your tiara and you look fabulous in it.  Don't let anyone here tell you different.

Image result for drag queen wearing a tiara

Stop it, you’ll make me blush. 

44 minutes ago, Carl Spackler said:

I have.  Depending on what you order, it's actually legit -- certainly not the best I've ever had, but definitely not the worst, either.    

We have good Mexican food if you know where to look.  The Hispanic population here has grown significantly and the quality of Mexican food has come along with it.

As a San Antonio native, I grew up during the glory years of Mi Tierra. Thirty years ago, you would be hard pressed to find better enchilada’s anywhere. Several years ago, we were in SA to visit and stopped by for old times sake. It was awful. It was every bit as bad as Casa Rio on the Riverwalk. It was a shame.

Canecutter's List of Top Mexican Joints in All 50 States:

Nameless trailer 5 miles away from alleged Best Restaurant, in neighborhood where reporter has never visited.

6 hours ago, elfenix said:

kansas's biggest city is in missouri, so it checks out

Not really. I haven’t lived there since 99, but I’d bet significant money the best Mexican food in Kansas is still in some podunk town with a slaughterhouse or refinery in it.

 

1 hour ago, VolenteHawk said:

Not really. I haven’t lived there since 99, but I’d bet significant money the best Mexican food in Kansas is still in some podunk town with a slaughterhouse or refinery in it.

 

There's a damn good Mexican place in El Dorado.

13 hours ago, VolenteHawk said:

Not really. I haven’t lived there since 99, but I’d bet significant money the best Mexican food in Kansas is still in some podunk town with a slaughterhouse or refinery in it.

 

That's how good Mexican food works in Iowa.  Either Des Moines (which has a great food scene relative to one's expectation), or a place like Marshalltown that has a packing plant and has been a Hispanic enclave for 30 years.

The little town I live in has a surprisingly good Mexican joint.  Solid camarones el diablo with a side of fried whole jalapenos.  The margaritas suck though, so I just get a Modelo.

Edited by Al_4_ISU

And honestly doing only one mexican food resturant for Texas and California is just ridiculous. I love some Austin Mexican food but I also love me some West Texas Mexican food.

And honestly doing only one mexican food resturant for Texas and California is just ridiculous. I love some Austin Mexican food but I also love me some West Texas Mexican food.

What’s Austin Mexican food?
3 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:


What’s Austin Mexican food?

It's food that tells you how good the food was before all the other food moved there.

11 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:


What’s Austin Mexican food?

I was qualifying it as I've never spent a good amount of time in Houston/DFW/San Antonio.

I hit up El Rancho, El Arroyo or Trudy's when I'm in Austin.

edit: Forgot Chuy's

Edited by MoJames

14 minutes ago, Wally Pryor said:

You're just above the Mendoza Line there. 

Probably, but my experience with food in general in Austin was through the eye's off a undergrad. And fuck El Patio.

As has been discussed in other threads, Mexican food in Austin generally sucks.  It's strange, but true.

I used to like Ninfas as a kid. That green sauce was fucking good. But ain't no fucking way it sniffs that list. 

6 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

That's how good Mexican food works in Iowa.  Either Des Moines (which has a great food scene relative to one's expectation), or a place like Marshalltown that has a packing plant and has been a Hispanic enclave for 30 years.

The little town I live in has a surprisingly good Mexican joint.  Solid camarones el diablo with a side of fried whole jalapenos.  The margaritas suck though, so I just get a Modelo.

Look Al, I dig you as a poster and I mean this with all due respect... you don't know what you are talking about.

Let me tell you how good Mexican food works in San Antonio: you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a good Mexican joint, but you somehow managed to walk into the biggest tourist trap in town. Mi Tierra probably isn't among the top 100 Mexican food restaurants in San Antonio. The Mariachi bar is a cool place to grab a michelada and the pan dulce counter is good for that sort of thing, but the actual Mexican food is lousy.  Fried jalapenos count about as much as Mexican food as friend cheese with marinara counts as Italian. 

Edited by Mitch Cumsteen

The best mexican food joints are the little hole in the wall Mom & Pops. 

8 minutes ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

I used to like Ninfas as a kid. That green sauce was fucking good. But ain't no fucking way it sniffs that list. 

Look Al, I dig you as a poster and I mean this with all due respect....  but let me tell you how good Mexican food works in San Antonio: you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a good Mexican joint, but you somehow managed to walk into the biggest tourist trap in town. Mi Tierra probably isn't among the top 100 Mexican food restaurants in San Antonio. The Mariachi bar is a cool place to grab a michelada and the pan dulce counter is good for that sort of thing, but the actual Mexican food is lousy.  Fried jalapenos count about as much as Mexican food as friend cheese with marinara counts as Italian. 

Check my above posts regarding Mi Tierra.  It was a female hijacking; my vote was for Rosario's.  Mi Tierra was clearly to San Antonio Mexican what Hickory Park is to Ames.  I enjoyed it (I was drunk and hungry), but I'd never offer it as the best Mexican food I've ever had.  It's a tourist trap with a decent bar.  I know damn well that mom and pops are where it's at, but I had to placate my old man and his wife.  She's afraid of anything that looks like a dive, and he's never been able to grasp the idea that places that look like shit holes have better food.  Or he just doesn't care and prefers a different atmosphere.  I'm not sure.

Perhaps I'm using the wrong terminology, but when I refer to my local place having fried jalapenos, I'm not talking about those shitty jalapeno poppers that have been stuffed with cream cheese and breaded.  I'm talking about the roasted whole peppers you get as a side.  Charred skin, all the seeds inside.  Again, my point wasn't to call it the best Mexican food I've ever had.  Just better than what I assume most people would assume about Mexican food in northern Iowa.  There are significant Hispanic populations in much of the country at this juncture, and you can find a quality Mexican meal in places that considered Taco Bell good Mexican 20 years ago.

Except South Dakota, apparently.

Edited by Al_4_ISU

What ever happened to La Fogata in SA?

 

And lay off El Patio. It’s an institution...with average food.

 

10 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

Check my above posts regarding Mi Tierra.  It was a female hijacking; my vote was for Rosario's.  Mi Tierra was clearly to San Antonio Mexican what Hickory Park is to Ames.  I enjoyed it (I was drunk and hungry), but I'd never offer it as the best Mexican food I've ever had.  It's a tourist trap with a decent bar.  I know damn well that mom and pops are where it's at, but I had to placate my old man and his wife.  She's afraid of anything that looks like a dive, and he's never been able to grasp the idea that places that look like shit holes have better food.  Or he just doesn't care and prefers a different atmosphere.  I'm not sure.

Perhaps I'm using the wrong terminology, but when I refer to my local place having fried jalapenos, I'm not talking about those shitty jalapeno poppers that have been stuffed with cream cheese and breaded.  I'm talking about the roasted whole peppers you get as a side.  Charred skin, all the seeds inside.  Again, my point wasn't to call it the best Mexican food I've ever had.  Just better than what I assume most people would assume about Mexican food in northern Iowa.  There are significant Hispanic populations in much of the country at this juncture, and you can find a quality Mexican meal in places that considered Taco Bell good Mexican 20 years ago.

Except South Dakota, apparently.

Fair enough. Rosario's is decent. 

Also, don't take it personally. There are plenty of Mexicans in Houston, Austin, and Dallas and all their Mexican food sucks ass too.

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