This is for Mexican food joints in your respective cities near the campus of your school. Some ground rules: Only name one or two Mexican food restaurants if you live in the following areas: San Diego or Texas. (Seriously, there's a plethora of places in each.)

Since I'm making the thread, I'll go first. (Oh, and if you can, please provide links. Also, specify what kind of Mexican food they serve: Tex-Mex, Cali-Mex, or true Mexican.)

El Toro in Baytown. (Tex-Mex.) (http://www.eltorotexmex.com)
Great Tex-Mex. Haven't been there in a couple years, but make sure you stop in if you're ever in the eastern part of the Houston area. I recommend their fajitas!

Iguana Joe's Mexican Restaurant in Mont Belvieu (Tex-Mex; maybe true Mexican) (Couldn't find a link for it.)
Okay. This one's a local chain restaurant, but this is the closet location to me, and every single time I go, the food is always top-notch! The fajitas are excellent, and their dinners are always very, very good. I personally recommend the carne guisada! Located on SH 146 a half mile north of I-10.

Ozona's - defintiely Tex-Mex with a good little bar. On Greenville Avenue near SMU

El Fenix - an old chain in DFW, if you find a good one (for example the one next to American Airlines Center), you'll enjoy it. Definitely Mexican food, with some Tex-Mex options.

Dona Lencha - you'll find two of these in Irving (a 10-15 minute drive from SMU) on Story Rd and Belt Line. As a Mexican I have to say this is the most authentic Mexican food I've had in a restaurant in DFW. There are lots of places that are good, and but there's just too many to list.

Or just check out this large Mexican Food Wars thread over on ponyfans: http://www.ponyfans.com/phpBB3/viewtopic...=8&t=52295

(02-18-2012 11:25 AM)Comet Wrote:  There are lots of places that are good, and but there's just too many to list.

Yep. Too many good places down here to list, too. I haven't even mentioned Chuy's or Ninfa's Restaurant yet.

Fish tacos in San Diego!

In San Diego, every corner in town.

The food my housekeepers bring to work every day.

We've got a small Pittsburgh chain called Mad Mex.

It's absolutely NOT real Mexican food. It's very Americanized and it's not the type of thing you would want if you were in San Diego or San Antonio. On the other hand, it's what we have in Pittsburgh so I thought I would share. The environment is pretty decent and the food is good despite not being authentic. They also have a really nice beer menu.

If you are in Austin, go to La Hacienda Market on 183. It's a Mexican market but they have a lunch counter that has the best tacos ever. Point of order though, since they are so busy and no one there speaks english, you better go with someone who can speak spanish. If not, you might just get kicked out of line. BTW, Saturday is especially good cause they got pig cheek. If you've never eaten pig cheek you've never eaten pig.

(02-18-2012 11:56 AM)SteveAztec Wrote:  In San Diego, every corner in town.

Indeed.

A California burrito is a thin slice of heaven and slightly different based on each places carne and fries/papas

(02-18-2012 11:39 AM)GeminiShamrock Wrote:  

(02-18-2012 11:25 AM)Comet Wrote:  There are lots of places that are good, and but there's just too many to list.

Yep. Too many good places down here to list, too. I haven't even mentioned Chuy's or Ninfa's Restaurant yet.

Chuy's is pretty good too!

My favorite Tex Mex place in Cincinnati is called The Cactus Pear. The Caribbean Fajitas are spectacular.
The place I get Mexican most often (and am heading to tonight for the girlfriend's birthday) is a place called El Cancun.

(02-18-2012 12:41 PM)Comet Wrote:  

(02-18-2012 11:39 AM)GeminiShamrock Wrote:  

(02-18-2012 11:25 AM)Comet Wrote:  There are lots of places that are good, and but there's just too many to list.

Yep. Too many good places down here to list, too. I haven't even mentioned Chuy's or Ninfa's Restaurant yet.

Chuy's is pretty good too!

Chuys? Seriously?

(02-18-2012 12:47 PM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  

(02-18-2012 12:41 PM)Comet Wrote:  

(02-18-2012 11:39 AM)GeminiShamrock Wrote:  

(02-18-2012 11:25 AM)Comet Wrote:  There are lots of places that are good, and but there's just too many to list.

Yep. Too many good places down here to list, too. I haven't even mentioned Chuy's or Ninfa's Restaurant yet.

Chuy's is pretty good too!

Chuys? Seriously?

You've never been to the one on Shepherd in Houston, have you?

In the Houston area, the best chains are Pappacitos and Los Cucos. My daughters like Chuy's and Chipotle's.

(02-18-2012 12:49 PM)GeminiShamrock Wrote:  

(02-18-2012 12:47 PM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  

(02-18-2012 12:41 PM)Comet Wrote:  

(02-18-2012 11:39 AM)GeminiShamrock Wrote:  

(02-18-2012 11:25 AM)Comet Wrote:  There are lots of places that are good, and but there's just too many to list.

Yep. Too many good places down here to list, too. I haven't even mentioned Chuy's or Ninfa's Restaurant yet.

Chuy's is pretty good too!

Chuys? Seriously?

You've never been to the one on Shepherd in Houston, have you?

I've been to 4 or 5 of them. They arent bad, but c'mon you live around 2 million Mexicans. You could find better than Chuy's.

BTW, if that is the one on Westheimer near the Galleria then yes I have been there. Its ok.

(02-18-2012 01:06 PM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  

(02-18-2012 12:49 PM)GeminiShamrock Wrote:  

(02-18-2012 12:47 PM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  

(02-18-2012 12:41 PM)Comet Wrote:  

(02-18-2012 11:39 AM)GeminiShamrock Wrote:   Yep. Too many good places down here to list, too. I haven't even mentioned Chuy's or Ninfa's Restaurant yet.

Chuy's is pretty good too!

Chuys? Seriously?

You've never been to the one on Shepherd in Houston, have you?

I've been to 4 or 5 of them. They arent bad, but c'mon you live around 2 million Mexicans. You could find better than Chuy's.

BTW, if that is the one on Westheimer near the Galleria then yes I have been there. Its ok.

Well, Pappacitos is pretty good, too. Then again, I'm partial to, well, the places I like to go to: El Toro, Iguana Joe's (Mont Belvieu), Ninfa's (when I have enough gas to head into Houston), Chuy's on Shepherd (I'm talking about the one that's kinda close to both Rice and Houston, by the way), and a little taqueria about a mile north of I-10 on SH 146 called Papa Soliz.

(02-18-2012 12:11 PM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  If you are in Austin, go to La Hacienda Market on 183. It's a Mexican market but they have a lunch counter that has the best tacos ever. Point of order though, since they are so busy and no one there speaks english, you better go with someone who can speak spanish. If not, you might just get kicked out of line. BTW, Saturday is especially good cause they got pig cheek. If you've never eaten pig cheek you've never eaten pig.

Next time I go down to Austin that's now on my list. I speak enough Spanish to probably get by.

(02-18-2012 11:25 AM)Comet Wrote:  Dona Lencha - you'll find two of these in Irving (a 10-15 minute drive from SMU) on Story Rd and Belt Line. As a Mexican I have to say this is the most authentic Mexican food I've had in a restaurant in DFW. There are lots of places that are good, and but there's just too many to list.

Yep...very good. For some good interior Mexican near SMU's campus, try Javier's (where Harvard splits into McKinney & Cole)

The Chuy's location at McKinney and Knox is hands down the best Chuy's I've ever eaten at. And I've eaten at a lot of them. This location's food reminds me of the food I grew up with in south Texas.

Mi Cocina at Highland Park Village is also extremely good. Not a huge fan of their other locations, except for their West Village location, which is passable.

And I could go on, but I tried to limit myself to a 2-mile radius around Ford Stadium

Ninfa's hands down, and it's not far from UH campus.

To be specific, the Ninfa's on Navigation just outside of downtown. It is the "Original" and is the only one still owned by the family. Unfortunately, Mama Nifa passed away about 5 years ago.
All other locations are imposters.....

Pancho's in Memphis. Do it.