Restaurant Review: Houston

Every Monday you'll get a restaurant review.

La Plaza Mexican Restaurant
1803 Bingle Rd
Houston, TX 77055

The Scene: I love the scene. Just a good, old-timey vibe right when you walk through the door. La Plaza was established in 1964, and from the looks of it, not much has changed. I'm glad…wish I saw more of that around Houston. This relatively small restaurant has bar seating. Park yourself there and stare endlessly at the simmering pot of beans in the open kitchen. The place is adorned with college sports memorabilia (mostly UT) and has a few tables along the outer walls.

The Food: The menu is simple and includes several of the Tex-Mex classics. They don’t overdo things at La Plaza. I went with the Chili/Cheese Ground Beef Burrito. I was hesitant to order this at first. On paper, it sounded like I was about to consume one of those heavy brick-like burritos. Not so. The chili gravy was fairly light and they didn’t drown it in cheese. The burrito wasn’t overstuffed and oversized…it was just right. I enjoyed the mild taste of the gravy topping and kicked things up with some hot sauce. Oh yeah, the pre-meal consists of the standard chips and salsa (more like hot sauce). The hot sauce was a beautiful orangey red color with a nice slow burn. It came in those plastic ketchup bottles and I was squeezing that shizz on everything. La Plaza also includes a nice cup of queso at no charge. Nice touch.

The Verdict: Loved it. I will definitely be back, and next time I’m bringing the fam to better gauge this place. I went for lunch, but I’m guessing breakfast is really where it’s at. Prices were reasonable, not cheap, but certainly not expensive. The service was excellent and the place was clean. La Plaza even has a little outdoor patio area. La Plaza is a Houston hidden gem.

Note: Cash only spot.