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Old 07-08-2013, 10:03 AM
 
Location: Willowbend/Houston
13,384 posts, read 25,594,168 times
Reputation: 10580

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I wrote this months ago, but its just as true today. This should really put the "whose Mexican food is more authentic" question to bed.

Quote:
Originally Posted by justme02 View Post
What people forget is that "Mexican food" isnt one thing. Mexican food in Texas is different than Mexican food in California, but its still every bit as Mexican.

In California, you get people from different parts of Mexico than in Texas. In California, you get a lot more Mexicans from the states on the Pacific Coast of Mexico (like Sinaloa, Baja, Michoacan, etc.) vs. Texas where you get more people from interior Mexican states (line Nuevo Leon, San Luis Potosi, Coahuilla, etc.). Suffice it to say there are differences in their food. Then when you bring in the local (non-Mexican) cuisine of the California and Texas, they combine differently.

Thats why people who say Texas/California doesnt have "real" Mexican food are ignorant, plain and simple. The are both Mexican, just a different kind of Mexican.
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Old 07-08-2013, 10:39 AM
 
Location: plano
7,885 posts, read 11,320,459 times
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Ca has natural beauty and good climate but I have not found much else, other than great wine, to be appealing in either the food front of the service front. Too expensive for what you get.... I like all varieties of Mexican food but do not recall anything special about Cali Mex
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Old 07-08-2013, 10:26 PM
 
8,275 posts, read 7,889,285 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Redlionjr View Post
I don't understand for the life of me why anybody would expect Cali style mexican food in Texas? It's a world outside of Cali
Because Californians tend to expect California to follow them where ever they go and then are amazed/horrified when other places turn out to be different.

I've lived in California and Texas. I don't find the Mexican food to be all that different. In any given city in either state, there are a variety of Mexican food styles.

Quote:
Originally Posted by tstone View Post
Actually some of the most authentic stuff is in the south-eastern burbs... Pasadena and South Houston.
Agreed. Try Taqueria De Jalisco near Hobby Airport. You'll be the only one speaking English, and you'll quite likely find yourself on the toilet the entire next day, but man do they have good food.
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Old 12-25-2013, 07:59 PM
 
Location: Groveland, FL
1,299 posts, read 2,565,450 times
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Well, I grew up in Southern California and lived there until I was a young adult. When I moved to Houston, I found out that Tex-Mex was far more flavorful than California Mexican. I went back to Calif for a visit a few years later. I went back to my favorite Mexican restaurant and was disappointed to find that I had a whole different view of the food that I once thought was good. Now I have been in Florida for 5 years and can say that even the fast-food Taco Cabana would blow just about every Mexican establishment in Florida out of the water.
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Old 12-25-2013, 09:06 PM
 
Location: The Lone Star State!
193 posts, read 435,504 times
Reputation: 88
Try Las Haciendas in Stafford - southwest Houston
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Old 12-27-2013, 11:54 AM
 
Location: Clear Lake/NASA
116 posts, read 195,205 times
Reputation: 196
You could always go back from where you came....problem solved!
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Old 12-27-2013, 01:37 PM
 
Location: Houston, TX
8,891 posts, read 19,875,808 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by War Beagle View Post
Because Californians tend to expect California to follow them where ever they go and then are amazed/horrified when other places turn out to be different.

I've lived in California and Texas. I don't find the Mexican food to be all that different. In any given city in either state, there are a variety of Mexican food styles.



Agreed. Try Taqueria De Jalisco near Hobby Airport. You'll be the only one speaking English, and you'll quite likely find yourself on the toilet the entire next day, but man do they have good food.
I have eaten at a lot of authentic hole in the walls where nobody spoke English and have never had to spend the next day on the toilet.
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Old 12-29-2013, 10:09 PM
 
Location: Houston, TX
143 posts, read 227,883 times
Reputation: 108
Can't stand the Velveta cheese liquid goo and the liquid-ee chile sauce. I'm hearing lots of anti-CA stuff on here. I lived there for a few years and I'm much happier in my new home of Houston. But I do miss burritos, fresh avocados, flavorful salsa, melted cheese (you can tell it started as a solid) etc. I speak Spanish and am not afraid of being the only gringo. Any suggestions near Meyerland or downtown ?

PS It is sad that I am now craving Chipotle.
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Old 12-29-2013, 11:24 PM
 
385 posts, read 963,774 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LeavingDetroit View Post
Any suggestions near Meyerland ?
Gulfton Dude.
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Old 12-30-2013, 12:50 AM
 
Location: houston
23 posts, read 47,607 times
Reputation: 16
Quote:
Originally Posted by deckhanddavy View Post
I'm Mexican American and I grew up eating this stuff. My Mom's family owned and ran a Mexican restaurant back in the day so I was exposed to quite a bit of Mexican food growing up. I can't recommend anything CA style here in Houston besides the new Del-Taco off Westheimer, ha!, but I find CA Mexican food closer to Americanized Mexican than anything else. It's fine for what it is, but it's simply not true Mexican food. Hell, the burrito was invented in California for petes sake. I can recommend some amazingly good authentic Mexican food though...not Tex Mex like Chuy's, Chacho's or Doneraki's, but good, old fashioned Mexican food where you can buy a heaping bowl of menudo, taquitos, carnitas, barbacoa, you name it! Put simply, if a Mexican were to cross the border and land in Houston, these eateries would not feel any different compared to what he would get back home.

Here's my list of a few that I really love...not near complete, but pretty damn good IMO. Also, prepare your palette, because these joints don't alter the Mexican recipes for American taste buds. This is the real stuff.

Tortillerias La Reyna #5 @ Gessner and Westpark dr - no place to sit, you just walk up to the cashier, take your order and leave...like the soup nazi. I recommend getting a side of sour cream. It's to die for. Also, their corn tortillas will melt in your mouth...they sell 1lb of them for a buck. Try the carnitas!!! They just fall apart on the fork...

Edit.. I can't believe I forgot this one! Mexico's Deli @ S Dairy Ashford Rd - Mexican's LOVE their sammiches..er, TORTAS!! This is hands down one of the best places to have a damn tasty (and massively sized) Mexican Torta. Add chorizo to it, and you have a real meal on your hands. I recommend getting a cup of cilantro or pablano soup!!!!! I could drink that stuff out of a glass...it's so freaking unreal!!!! They have an endless menu of tortas waiting to be tried....literally, the entire right wall of this place is the entire menu of sandwich combinations. Also, a single sandwich is massive. So massive, that they have to cut it in half and stack it on itself to fit on the dang plate!!

Tacos La Carreta Asaderos off Richmond - really good selection, their 'chile' (salsa for most of you) is outstanding. Try the menudo or my favorite, queso flameado (I recommend only eating flour with this plate..so Godly).

Mambo Seafood off Hillcroft - Damn, really good Mexican style seafood if you go for the hardcore stuff. I noticed recently that they changed their menu to cater to Tex Mex a little, but their bread and butter is still there. Oh, and you MUST try their michelada at least once. It's the best I've ever had. Order it with Tecate beer...it pairs perfectly. You can actually buy the michelada mix by the gallon (it looked like a gallon when they showed it to me). Will only last for a week though, so make sure you have some friends to help you drink it


Taqueria Arandas @ 45s - Been a Houston staple for quite some time now, and it's damn good. I havent been a while since it's out of my territory, but I hear that they 'still got it!', despite their menu expanding to non traditional items. They even offer a 'California burrito', ha! Anyways, cheap and awesome. Their service is spectacular. Must check out their bakery!!!! Mexican baked breads are the bomb, and with some hot coffee in the morning or late at night, you'll be in heaven. If you do happen to buy some of their sweet breads, this is how you do it. Get the aluminum serving tray and tonsils, pile on the bread and prepare your wallet because he'll be happy (it could be a she..) that you spent less then ten bux on a grocery bag full of delicious pan dulce heaped to the top...!!!

My Mom's house!! - nuff said

There's SO MANY MORE out there, but I can hardly remember their names. I hope that these recommendations help you out on your journey. There is so much more great Mexican food out there beyond the CA boundaries.

Happy eating!!
Laredo taqueria needs to be in your list
Mar Azul seafood(dayshift only!!)@west bellfort
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