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    Houston's Best Mexican

    Houston's best secret Mexican restaurant: Other restaurateurs love this under-the-radar gem

    Marene Gustin
    Marene Gustin
    Oct 28, 2013 | 7:01 am

    Sure, in Houston you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a Tex-Mex or Mexican restaurant and we all have our favorites, but lately I’ve run into a lot of folks who have never been to Maria Selma Restaurant.

    If you're one of them let me explain why you should try the orange restaurant on Richmond Avenue.

    I can’t remember the first time I came here, or why, but it was years and years ago. Owner Rene Hidalgo, who worked at the old Brownstone and Bistro Vino, opened Maria Selma in 2002. Back then the restaurant was at the end of a strip center that housed a package store and a used bookstore. Over the years Hidalgo's taken over the two stores, turning them into a private dining room for Maria Selma and a sports bar. Now the entire strip center is painted a vibrant orange.

    He also added a giant thatched palapa to the patio, decorating the underside with ceramic Mexican lizards, toads and such. It’s a pretty cool patio with a little water feature. There’s a second patio out back behind the sports bar as well.

    Think Mexican dishes that are lower in fat than you usually find.

    Inside it’s like you imagine some little taqueria South of the border looks. Only cleaner.

    Yellow, textured walls, a bar with all the requisite colorful tequila bottles behind it, a few tables in the center and two elevated sections along the side and back walls with bench seating. Some of the paintings on the walls are representative of Mexican art, some are by contemporary local artists. It’s a very casual, cool vibe.

    Of course, the real draw here is the food.

    I’m a big fan of El Real Tex-Mex for its authentic vintage border food cooked in real lard rendered in the kitchen.

    But I equally like the food at Maria Selma even though it is a completely different taste. Here the kitchen turns out dishes made from fresh, healthy ingredients, many imported from Mexico. Think Mexican dishes that are lower in fat than you usually find. They also offer gluten-free, vegetarian and Atkins diet options.

    Non-Greasy Tex-Mex

    Maria Selma has a nice looking seafood selection — although I’ve never made it that far. I usually stick with the enchiladas poblanas because the mole is very good. I used to like coming here for a working lunch ($3 margaritas and free Wi-Fi!). But lately I’ve been hitting the restaurant on Saturday mornings for the weekend breakfast menu.

    “It’s my favorite Mexican restaurant,” Vallone says. “The food is so fresh and light, not greasy.”

    Not only do they open at 10 a.m. on weekends, but you can order off the regular menu or the breakfast side. And it’s more than just breakfast tacos (although Selma's has those and they are yummy) and migas. There are plates of huevos motuleños — sliced ham topped with fried eggs and black beans, jalapenos, onions and tomatoes — and cactus omelets. All plates come with a slice of orange and chilaquiles, more than enough food to fuel your weekend plans.

    There’s also a full plate of those chilaquiles topped with chicken and sour cream. Get the tangy green sauce on them, it’s better than the red. Lighter eaters can choose buttermilk pancakes or fruit and yogurt, but it’s doubtful your margarita will pair well with those options. Oh, and Selma's has its own house tequila, Rene’s Special Blend — a Maestro Dobel blend.

    It doesn’t hurt that the flat screen over the bar, usually tuned to soccer games, shows Rick Bayless’ cooking show on Saturday mornings. Mexico: One Plate at a Time will just make you hungrier.

    I almost hate to tell you about Saturday mornings here because it’s my secret place. Usually it’s just me and one other table there. And, occasionally, restaurateur Tony Vallone and his family.

    “It’s my favorite Mexican restaurant,” Vallone says. “The food is so fresh and light, not greasy.”

    Now that’s a recommendation.

    It doesn’t hurt that the flat screen over the bar at Maria Selma is usually tuned to soccer games and shows Rick Bayless’ cooking show on Saturday mornings.

    Maria Selma Restaurant Houston interior dining room and bar
      
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    It doesn’t hurt that the flat screen over the bar at Maria Selma is usually tuned to soccer games and shows Rick Bayless’ cooking show on Saturday mornings.
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    family-friendly outdoor bar

    Massive, German-inspired beer garden coming to new Energy Corridor project

    Eric Sandler
    May 13, 2025 | 5:31 pm
    Katy Beer Garden outdoor patio
    Photo by Eric Sandler
    The new beer garden will be similar to Katy Beer Garden.

    One of Houston’s most successful bar operators is bringing his talents to the Energy Corridor. Steven Salazar is opening Ashford Beer Garden at the Ashford Yard mixed-use development.

    Slated to open in early 2026, Ashford Beer Garden will build on the success Salazar has had with Katy Beer Garden, the project he opened last summer at The Dryer, a mixed-use development on the property of Katy’s historic Cardiff Rice Dryer. Like KBG, Ashford Beer Garden will be large — roughly 21,000 square feet — divided into a 10,000-square-foot indoor beer hall with a companion cocktail bar and a 11,000-square-foot outdoor beer garden that’s shaded by trees.

    “We’re sticking with that Bavarian charm,” Salazar says about his vision for Ashford Beer Garden. “Bring your family. It’s really relaxed. The kids are playing. You have multiple generations hanging out. It’s worked well in Katy. We’re excited to bring it to a new area.”

    Of course, the new project will make some improvements on the original. Most importantly, Ashford will have a full kitchen (KBG mostly relies on food trucks and a nearby food court). Salazar says he’s looking for a chef to lead the kitchen.

    In response to customer demand for private event space, Ashford Beer Garden will also have a larger second floor patio than KBG does. The beer garden will have a larger screen to make it easier for people to watch sports.

    Located on the site of a former Schlumberger campus near the intersection of Dairy Ashford Rd. and Briar Forest Dr., Ashford Yard is a 12.7-acre development that will include apartments, restaurants, and retail tenants. Salazar says he found his values aligned with the projects developers, Houston real estate firms Market Square Companies and Tenon Property Company.

    “We have a similar vision of quality for the community and creating a space and having great neighbors. Not being a strip center but a true development that’s above and beyond what the area has to offer,” Salazar says. Later, he adds, “It seems great for us to be surrounded by companies such as Shell and Baker Hughes and all these great neighborhoods."

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