Texas’s contributions to the Tex-Mex culinary canon are profound. Whether born here or perfected here, it’s hard to imagine Tex-Mex dining without iconic dishes such as queso, chili con carne, nachos, puffy tacos, and breakfast tacos.
And let’s not forget what is perhaps the state’s greatest Tex-Mex legacy: fajitas. That platter of sizzling strips of grilled beef served with tortillas is an indelible, born-in-Texas dish that has conquered the world.
On National Fajita Day (Tuesday, August 18), we celebrate this culinary phenomenon that is widely recognized as having been popularized by Houston’s own “Mama” Ninfa Laurenzo, the East End dynamo who in 1973 began selling tacos al carbon (fresh flour tortillas holding strips of grilled beef) from a makeshift, 10-table restaurant. Those tacos begat the modern fajita platter, an invention invested with Laurenzo’s border heritage colored by a gutsy instinct for the way Texas eats.
Today, Houstonian’s have a good reason to honor its place in fajita history. And National Fajita Day is as good a day as any to partake in one of our favorite foods. But, as a wise friend notes, every day in Houston is fajita day. True, so go out and make it a good one:
Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen
Make no mistake, Houston’s enchilada queen is also well versed in the joys of fajitas. To mark Fajita Day, Sylvia’s is offering a special “fajitas for one” deal: a one-person beef or chicken plate served with grilled onions and peppers, rice, beans and all the traditional fajitas fixings, including house-made flour or corn tortillas. The fajitas at Sylvia’s are grilled over a wood fire a can be cooked to order for doneness. Multiple locations, sylviasenchiladas.com
Los Tios Mexican Restaurants
One of Houston’s favorite family-owned Tex-Mex restaurant groups will mark August 18 with a dine-in promotion on fajitas. Order a half pound of any fajitas and receive a complimentary small Katie’s T-Sip Dip (chile con queso topped with guacamole and ground taco beef); a one-pound fajita platter will come with a free large dip. Multiple locations, lostiosrestaurant.com
Molina’s Cantina
On August 18, Molina’s will offer its popular Fajitas for Two, a dine-in-only special for $39.95 that includes grilled skirt steak and marinated chicken fajitas with additional add-on toppings available. Guests can double-down on the sizzle the next day, August 19, which is the restaurant’s weekly Wednesday Fajita Night. The offer is available at all locations. Molina’s customers can also get their fajitas fix with fajitas nachos (chicken, $17 or steak, $20) or fajitas packs for a crowd that are available for curbside pickup or delivery. Multiple locations, molinascantina.com
Pappasitos Cantina
This year, National Fajita Day falls within the first Pappas Restaurant Weeks, the Houston hospitality giant’s inaugural five-week fundraiser to benefit local food banks in the communities served across 10 different Pappas concepts. The $40 three-course menus feature a variety of selections including chicken fajitas ($12 supplemental for combo beef and chicken fajitas and $16 supplemental for beef fajitas). The offer is available through Monday, September 7. Multiple locations, pappasitos.com
El Tiempo Cantina
The Laurenzo family is keeping the spirit of Mama Ninfa alive with the El Tiempo brand. For Fajita Day, the restaurant’s Houston locations are promoting its regular Wednesday fajita special (fajitas loaded with all the fixings plus chile con queso and guacamole) a day early and at a discount. Instead of $48.99, you can get the special on Fajita Day for $39.99. And you can do it all over again the next day for the regular price. Multiple locations, eltiempocantina.com
The Original Ninfa’s
Both Ninfa’s locations will mark Fajita Day with four days of specials, August 18-21—a collaboration with Arnie Segovia, Texas pitmaster and content creator. Known as Arnie Tex, Segovia is the author of the cookbook, “ArnieTex: Over 100 Recipes for Mexican-American Cooking and Texas-Style BBQ,” and the founder of a seasonings company. Those seasonings will be available for $12 each and $35 for a signed copy of the cookbook. From the kitchen, chef Patti Delgado is offering a menu (made with ArnieTex asada seasonings) that includes Chicharron de Puerco (crispy pork belly served with guacamole and salsa molcajete) for $12; Quesadillas de Barbacoa (beef cheeks and lengua slow cooked in maguey leaves finished in our woodfire oven) for $18; Cachetada Taco (street style taco with ribeye) for $10; and Carne Asada “Laguna Madre Style” (skirt steak with two shrimp diablos and crispy potatoes) for $47. Multiple locations, ninfas.com
Arnaldo Richards’ Picos
Picos is not going out without a sizzle. Set to close at the end of the month, the popular Mexican restaurant is counting its days in festive fashion. It is marking Fajita Day with a five-day stretch of fajita specials, August 14-18, that includes beef or chicken fajitas al carbon ($26 for one, $36 for two), tenderloin fajitas ($32 for one, $48 for two), or parrilla mixta that includes beef fajitas, chicken breast, shrimp and pork ribs ($72 feeds 2-3 or $124 feed 4-5). All orders are served with tortillas, beans, rice, and traditional sides. The offer is also available through Pico’s proprietary FajitasDelivery.com. 3601 Kirby Dr. Houston, picos.net
Cyclone Anaya’s
All six area locations of this Tex-Mex whirlwind are taking $5 off medium fajita platters on Fajita Day. Choose from chicken, beef, combo, shrimp or veggie fajitas; each platter is served with two sides. Available all day on August 18. Multiple locations, cycloneanaya.com
Cadillac Bar
Dine-in customers can take advantage of a $39.99 special of 1 pound of chicken and beef fajitas coupled with a house pitcher of margaritas for two on August 18 (guests must mention the offer to take advantage of this offer). Take-away customers can get fajita to-go packs of beef and chicken with all the fixings for $49.99 (serves 2), $99.99 (serves 4), or $189.99 (serves 8). 1802 Shepherd Dr., Houston, cadillacbar.com
Johnny Rita’s Cocina y Cantina
This lively Lindale Park charmer comes from Christopher “Chico” Ramirez, a Houston hospitality veteran known for his work at Field & Tides, the Boot, and White Elm Brasserie. For Fajita Day, Johnny Rita’s is running a take-out special ($105) that includes a pound of fajitas with tortillas, beans and rice, queso and chips, and half a gallon of frozen margaritas. Get your fajitas feast-on at home with this special. 5602 Fulton St., Houston, johnnyritas.com
Goode Co. Kitchen & Cantina
Classic fajita platters are always on the menu at Goode’s Tex-Mex cantina in half-pound and one-pound servings: Beef ($42 for ½ lb., $76 for 1 lb.); chicken ($31 for ½ lb., $56 for 1 lb.; combo ($37 for ½ lb. , $66 for1 lb.); beef filet ($55 for ½ lb., $105 for 1 lb.); and vegetable ($20 for ½ lb., $30 for 1 lb.). For a grand fajita experience, order the Parrillada Familiar, an epic feast featuring one pound of fajitas, jalapeno cheese sausage, Texas quail, Gulf shrimp and half a pound of pork carnitas ($155, feeds 4-6). Multiple locations, kitchenandcantina.com
Goode Co. Taqueria
Goode’s taqueria concept may be more informal but it’s plenty serious about its fajitas. You can mark Fajita Day at home with family and friends with the taqueria’s party packs—full meals of beef and chicken fajitas that come with tortillas, rice, beans, pico, guacamole, chips, salsa, grilled onions and setups/utensils. The packs feed 6 ($140), 10 ($225), 20 ($425) and 40 ($800). 4902 Kirby Dr., Houston, goodecompanytaqueria.com
