Lupe Tortilla
2414 Southwest Freeway
Houston, TX 77098 (713) 522-4420
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Sun 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
18 Reviews for Lupe Tortilla
Why are people so high on Lupe? I've heard several times that they have the best fajitas in Houston, and both times I've been there it's been way, way less than stellar. Try skirt steak with more fat than meat. How about service for my friend's birthday party that didn't even rise to sub-par standards? When you can't even get a glass of water, let alone a beer, this is a problem.
I guess I'm spoiled - we have Ninfa's on Navigation and Irma's in town: who needs Lupe Tortilla? Granted, this review is based only on the location near Kirby on 59S, so other locations might be better. Just reserve your judgment for the "best fajitas" competition until you've visited the Galvan family at Irma's or Irma's Southwest Grill, or at least have tasted the fajitas of glory cooked daily by the descendants of good ol' Mama Ninfa.
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Lupe Tortilla is another one of the many "staples" of Houston Tex-Mex.
If someone were to ask me where my favorite tex-mex in Houston is--I'd have a hard time telling you. There are too many good one's to pick from. I will tell you this--These are the top dogs in no specific order: Lupe Tortilla, Cafe Adobe, El Tiempo, Los Cucos, 1308 Cantina and Chuys.
Lupe Tortilla is cheap, quick on the food--but service can be hit or miss. Also, if you go on a Friday night, expect a long wait. But that's usually okay, because you can go to the bar and order a couple margaritas to keep you company. :-)
All-in-all, you can't go wrong with Lupe.
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I LOVES me some Lupe Tortilla, baby!
The service sucks, but they actually have a bunch of complaint letters stuck to the wall at the entrance to which they basically reply "You no like our service, you go someplace you like, senor!"
Kind of irks you, maybe when you're waiting for a table makes you want to punch or perhaps trip someone on the wait or hostess staff as they pass by...but then when you see how crowded this place is night after night and how hard these folks work...you get it.
The secret to their fajita meat - and fajitas or carne asada is the only way I ever go here...is...are you ready....lime. The meat is soaked in lime juice as part of the marinade. And it's AWESOME. I tried to duplicate it, and it was pretty good, but these folks can make some bad A fajitas, there is none better....end of story.
Everything else is good too, I hear :)
The margaritas are slow to arrive (Like everything else), but tasty, the chips and beans and pico are great (I stuff on chips and beans every time I go), etc. It's my favorite Mexican joint - can you tell?
You will walk out of this place groaning like a sick calf with your stomach bursting with wonderful Mexican goodness - guaranteed.
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Our waiter should be required to turn in his "sizzling fajitas" shirt, as the platter he delivered to our table didn't make a sound. How long did it sit back there, and why didn't someone else bring it out? The meat, though not hot, was acceptably warm. The beef was much better than the surprisingly ordinary chicken. The tortillas were top notch. As we were finishing, the table next to us got a platter of their own - theirs sizzled. We also noticed they got the same amount of cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo and sour cream with their single order as we got with our fajitas for two. The tiny bowl of sour cream was particularly cheap for two. We did get a larger rice and beans, though it was still too small. At this price point, the meat needs to sizzle and you can't skimp on the condiments.
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Love this place for the fajitas and the sandbox. The sandbox is WAY too crowded in the evenings to take my toddler so we end up getting there pretty early (like 5). Last time we were still there around 7 it got pretty crazy in the box. I remember saying "It's like Lord of the Flies in there!" I also wish they would fence in the sandbox a little better so I wouldn't have to go chasing H around so he won't run into the parking lot. If you are going to place a playground with an entrance that is 10 steps from a parking lot, it should be closed off and gated. There is a fence but it doesn't go all the way around the play area so the kids run through the bar area at will.
Lupe T's is great but go when its not peak hours. If you go when its crowded expect craziness and overwhelmed staff. Even then the staff is extremely courteous to us moms, even if we are stopping a sand fight with one arm and swilling a marg with the other.
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This place is corny as hell, but I could care less. The menu is peppered with all kinds of Speedy Gonzales silliness ("eees beeeeg") that is almost as embarrassing as it would be to have to go someplace wearing one of the waiters' colorful shirts. The vibe is like Houston's answer to Chotchkie's in Office Space. The food makes up for it. First of all, included at no cost is chips, salsa and charro beans. Second, they have the best fajita's I've ever had. Really tender, juicy, well seasoned strips of beef or chicken. The real reason why I go is the 3 pepper cheese steak. It's a huge slab of carne asada topped with monterey jack cheese and sliced fresh chile peppers. If you like heat you can handle it, no problem, but you will definitely get the kick. If you truly hate yourself take a bite of the roasted habanero that sometimes comes on the side. I have always found the service to be efficient and respectful, and the managers are very attentive to tables. They don't have a whole lot to offer outside of chips & dip, fajitas, and booze. Avoid peak hours, and they don't take reservations.
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What can you say about Lupe Tortilla, arguably the best Mexican food in Houston?
To start off with, I always get their queso with taco meat. Pair this with some incredibly light and yummy chips and you're ready to look at the menu.
The beef fajitas are some of the best beef you can get in Texas, bar none. The lime marinade is tasty, giving just the right kind of zing to the flavor and the meat is always very tender.
There's really nothing else that I order since most beef (be it in a steak or in a hamburger) can't compare to the beef here. Add to this some of the biggest, freshest tortillas that you'll ever eat, and these fajitas are as close as you can get to perfect.
Since I love a good frozen margarita, the drinks at a Mexican restaurant are a big part of how I rate them. Lupe Tortilla's margaritas (especially the Platinum Frozen ones) are the best in Houston. You never taste the tequila in them (like you do in bad margaritas) and they are always perfect and a tiny bit strong. True, the wait here can be long some times, but at least the margaritas give you something to occupy the time with.
I've seen a few reviews mention bad service, but the staff has always been very nice and helpful, even when we've had parties of twenty-five or more people. We've even shut the restaurant down several times and no one was rude or made us feel like we needed to leave immediately.
Also, they've recently introduced a rewards card program. It's free to sign up and you get a discount off your meal every so many points. Since I get fajitas and a few margaritas, I pretty much get money off at every meal.
Recently, I used my card when my parents, my brother, his girlfriend, and I went to dinner and our bill went from $115 to $85. Not bad for just carrying around a free card! You can sign up either at the restaurant or online:
http://www.lupetortill...
Bottom line: best fajitas, tortillas, and margaritas in town. There may be a wait, but relax in the bar with a margarita and soon it won't matter. Don't forget to sign up for your free rewards card so that you can save on your meals too.
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I come here for one reason only: Three Pepper Cheesesteak! Jalapenos, Serranos, Habaneros ... and cheese.
My mouth waters just thinking about it. Remembering how this trio of chiles burns my mouth brings tears to my eyes.
If it wasn't for this I wouldn't bother fighting the crowds, the kids on the playground and the cheesy lingo.
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This place has the meanest fajitas I've ever had, and I've lived in TX for a while... I've tried the one out by Hwy 6 and the one off of 59 as well, and the quality of food is the same. We always get the beef fajitas...there's so much that there's always some leftover! (And believe me, you'll want to eat the leftovers). The meat is tender and flavorful. I love the caramelized onions that goes with it, as well as the spicy huge green pepper! Yum.
Come to think of it though, the service is really sub-par. I agree with Shana P. that the staff do act like they're doing you a favor by giving you proper service. I guess being super-crowded all the time doesn't help (this is weekday lunch and dinner). But it took forever to get our food, and even longer to get our check! I think our dinner was stretched out by an extra hour just because of all the waiting, and we were starving (it was already 8pm!). It is also not a good place to catch up with friends (man, why do my friends always pick the noisy places??) because of the crowd, crying babies, drunk people.
Even with all that said, I would still put up with it just to have some of their beef fajitas... *sigh*.
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Lupe's is my favorite Tex Mex place in Houston. I get the "Cheeken Leetle" (really, it's spelled that way on the menu) and I have since I started going there (seven years ago). They did something recently to make the chips a little bit less greasy, but they are still every bit as delicious as they were before. My family always orders the fajitas and I eat off of that plate as well - the beef and chicken fajitas are the best in Houston, hands down.
The service really is the only reason this place doesn't get five stars. To be fair, they are open and honest that when it is busy, the wait will be long and the food might take awhile. My family eats here once a week to once every two weeks, so we are friends with three of four of the waiters and Brady, the manager. This has helped us get seated more quickly and our food come out more promptly. Also, we eat late (usually show up around 8:30-9:00), so the hour long waits have usually cleared out. If you do come during the dinner rush, take a seat at the bar and let your kids play in the sand - the food is worth it.
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It started out promising. They had good, warm chips, a great salsa, and, also for dipping, a bowl of pinto beans. It was all very good.
Perhaps we had too many chips. However, everything just tasted...greasy. I had tacos, in a shell that was somewhere between what I expect for a taco and a tostada. There was nothing special about it, but nothing particularly bad about them. My wife's flautas were about the same.
The service was also OK, but felt a step behind where they needed to be.
All in all, not a bad place to go, but not somewhere I feel the need to rush back to.
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Best Beef Fajitas EVER! Also love the #6 Chicken tacos (or something like that).. it's this delicious enchilada thing. Oh and a shout out to the giant delicious tortillas.. yuM! Margaritas are just average. Still the 5 stars is for the beef fajitas. you must try them!
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I don't get it. With all of the great places to get Mexican Food in Houston, I'm not sure where you get all of the love for Lupe Tortilla.
All of the food is okay and my husband likes the Chicken Fajita Nachos but nothing here is really anything special. We can get Fajita Nachos closer to home with better service.
I would have to say, my biggest gripe here is the waitstaff. Every time I've been there, the servers act like they're doing you a favor by showing up to take your order. And when your food finally does arrive, everyone we've dealt with here acts so put out to have to deliver it to the table. Oh, and if you're thirsty, don't count on getting a refill of something like water or soda. You'll only get them hopping if you're ordering alcoholic beverages that run up the bill.
I have to say, I've been disappointed by Lupe Tortilla and once you've tasted something bitter like that it flavors everything you've ever eaten there.
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I like the atmosphere at this Lupe and the one on 45 and Bay Area. They have cozy "rooms" with 4 or 5 tables so you get a more intimate dining experience than the huge loud areas in some restaurants. Also, there's a sand play area just off the patio for the kiddos, so as long as you don't mind having to bathe the kiddos as soon as you get home, at least they won't whine through dinner right?
As for the food, it's hit or miss. I absolutely loved the Steak Lupe, my sis had the Fajita Trio which was good but didn't come with sauteed onions or peppers like we expected. And to add the six shimp for $10 was a little high for $14 fajitas! The enchiladas have an unusual green sauce, so you might want it on the side or try salsa or queso instead. Oh and they bring beans for dipping with the salsa and chips! Yum!
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love it! It is the best mexican in houston!
Amazing Fajitas and tortillas. I love it. The chips and salsa are really good too.
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Good Mexican food. My fajitas were a little overmarinated with their special lime marinade, but I don't think this is normal. Oversized fresh tortillas for the fajitas. Chips were good. You get a pitcher of water for refills. Presentation is nice and portions were good. The decor is kitschy Tex-Mex. It makes me think as if it was the Buca di Beppo of Tex-Mex (although that might be going a little too far).
Cons: the price was a little too high and the fajitas didn't come with onions, much to my surprise. But since this is quite unusual, I'm thinking that this was overlooked by the chef as he may have forgotten about it.
This chain is popular in Houston.
11:00am - 9:00pm Sun-Thurs
11:00am - 10:00pm Fri & Sat
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Food: OK
Selection: Good
Location: Good
Ambience: Good
Price: OK
= 4 stars
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