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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.

    Inside the dining area are yellow, textured walls, a few tables in the center and two elevated sections along the side and back walls with bench seating.

    Maria Selma Restaurant Houston interior dining room
      
    Maria Selma Restaurant Google
    Inside the dining area are yellow, textured walls, a few tables in the center and two elevated sections along the side and back walls with bench seating.
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    news/restaurants-bars

    head north

    Family friendly Garden Oaks restaurant coming soon to Magnolia

    Eric Sandler
    May 30, 2025 | 5:00 pm
    d'Alba food spread
    Photo by Becca Wright
    A selection of dishes from d'Alba.

    A family friendly Garden Oaks restaurant is coming to Montgomery. D’Alba Craft Kitchen & Cocktails will open a new location this summer near the intersection of FM 2978 and FM 1488.

    Located in the former Philipose’s space at 32823 FM 2978 Rd, d’Alba owner Daut Elshani tells CultureMap that he’s been looking for a location in The Woodlands/Woodforest/Magnolia area for about a year. He sees a lot of similarities between the growing northern suburbs and Garden Oaks, the neighborhood where d’Alba has been a neighborhood favorite since it opened in 2021.

    “The recipe is there with young professional couples and young families that have the same demographics that fit what we’ve done in Garden Oaks to make the first one so successful,” Elshani says. “In the last year I moved to the suburbs myself. Seeing how lively it is, you’ll get some deja vu of how the Heights developed in the late twenty-teens.”

    Slated to open in September, area residents will find the same formula that led d’Alba to win Best New Restaurant in the 2022 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards. A meal at d’Alba may start with shareable items such as spinach and artichoke dip, campechana, or the signature balloon bread — a puffed-up, baked pita served with basil-garlic pesto and truffle honey drizzle. Entrees include pizzas, pastas, salads, and heartier mains such as blackened salmon, a cheeseburger, and confit chicken thighs — all of which are made from scratch.

    The restaurant also offers a popular happy hour and a lively brunch. Elshani thinks the area’s relative dearth of Italian-inspired restaurants will work to his advantage.

    “[Compared to] Zanti in The Woodlands and Amalfi in Woodforest, we’ll be in the middle of them with a more casual atmosphere and the same time of quality at a lower price. We’re definitely excited about it,” he says.

    Currently, Elshani is performing renovations to convert Philipose’s into d’Alba. Changes include installing large doors that can be opened during nice weather, getting rid of the outdated drop ceiling, upgrading the lighting, and dividing the room to improve energy and flow.

    “We’re stoked and super excited about getting this up and running,” Elshani says.

    A selection of dishes from d'Alba.

    d'Alba food spread
      
    Photo by Becca Wright
    A selection of dishes from d'Alba.
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