Tex-Mex cuisine in Houston facts for kids
Tex-Mex food is super popular in Houston! It's a mix of Mexican cuisine and Texas culture. People in Houston have loved Tex-Mex for over 100 years. It's a really important part of the city's history and connects different generations.
New people moving to Houston from Mexico often add their favorite foods to restaurant menus. This helps keep the "Mex" in Tex-Mex alive! Also, the existing Chicano community in Houston helps shape how new immigrants cook.
Some restaurants in Houston that serve real Mexican food call themselves "Mex-Mex." Others that have both Tex-Mex and Mexican dishes are called "Mix Mex." Molina's Cantina is the oldest Tex-Mex restaurant still open in Houston. Ninfa's is another famous restaurant that helped create a newer style of Tex-Mex food in the city.
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The Story of Tex-Mex in Houston
Tex-Mex food started appearing in Houston in the late 1800s. Back then, people sold food from carts on the street. Most of these sellers were Hispanic, Black, or Native American.
From Street Carts to Restaurants
In 1901, street food sellers had to move indoors. This was because the city made new rules about selling food outside. Then, in 1907, new food safety laws made it hard for many street vendors to stay in business. By 1910, restaurants started to take the place of the street sellers.
Early Tex-Mex Restaurants
The very first Tex-Mex restaurant in Houston was called Original Mexican Restaurant. It opened in 1907. A man named George Caldwell started it. He was inspired by a similar restaurant in his hometown of San Antonio.
In 1929, Felix Tijerina, who used to work at Caldwell's restaurant, opened Felix's. His business struggled during the Great Depression, but he reopened it in 1937. These early Tex-Mex restaurants were places where both Anglo (White) and Mexican Americans could meet and eat together.
Molina's Cantina opened in 1941. It's the oldest Tex-Mex restaurant that's still open in Houston today. It even helped George H. W. Bush feel at home when he moved to Houston!
Newer Styles of Tex-Mex Food
In 1972, a book called The Cuisines of Mexico came out. It showed many different types of food from all over Mexico. Starting in 1973, new Tex-Mex restaurants opened. They were inspired by this book and wanted to serve more "authentic" Mexican food. These new places often had grilled meats, fresh salsas, and seafood.
Ninfa's started serving fajitas in 1973, and other restaurants quickly followed. Many of these foods actually came from Tejano people in West Texas and the Rio Grande Valley, not from central Mexico.
Old vs. New Tex-Mex
Many older style Mexican restaurants eventually closed down. However, some still exist. Older people often visit them because they remember the food from their childhood. Some old-style restaurants are also popular with families who have young children. This is because the kids might prefer the milder flavors of the older dishes compared to the bolder tastes in newer Tex-Mex food.
The way people's tastes have changed over time tells us a lot about the history of Tex-Mex food in Houston. Restaurants have always tried to serve what people want to buy.
Images for kids
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Original Ninfa's tacos al carbón/fajitas
