Brenda’s Taqueria

Let me just start off by saying I’ve been here time and time again so rather than a single walk in experience I’ll break it down for you as if this were a pamphlet to Brenda’s
*Dont Feel Like Reading? Want the Short Version?*
Food is a ⁷⁄₁₀
Atmosphere is ⁸⁄₁₀
Service is ⁹⁄₁₀
Cost is ¹⁰⁄₁₀ (Cheap)
–What’s the Atmosphere like?-
So depending on what time you’re entering this establishment it’s primarily just like any other Mexican restaurant you’ve been to, you’ve got an area that’s sectioned off into two different sides, one of those sides has an accompanying bar the other a stage (I’ll get to that later) Now if you were to come in on a Saturday night maybe around ¹¹⁄₁₂ there will be live music playing with an individual singing along with karaōke and possibly a few couples dancing in front of that stage where that person would be singing. See I told you the stage would be brought up later. Now mind you this, the place is a ²⁴⁄₇ business so you’re gonna run into some interesting folks if you go the later hours. Now why did I rate this a ⁸⁄₁₀? The place is a bit beat down from being open so many years and considering they don’t close often you can see the effects. And I’m all for the live music and dancing but sometimes I just want to come in with some friends and sit down and enjoy a late night meal or dinner without all the excess noise, but I guess I could always eat somewhere else right? Just my two cents, still love it
–What’s the Service like?-
Service is pretty great, you walk into the doors and are met with two more doors, one to the left and one to the right. Go through the left, The right is more of an exit. Once you go through a host or hostess will ask you about the quantity of your party or if you’re alone then will proceed to sit you down and quickly grab the staple Chips, Salsa Rojo and Salsa Verde. Your menus will be handed then you will be asked for your beverage of choice. They come to check up on you pretty often so you don’t really need to worry about being neglected like my father did to me when I was younger. Unless it’s a fairly busy time of day then some things might be forgotten. Why ⁹⁄₁₀? well basically because of what I just stated. Sometimes it’s not that packed and things are still forgotten or orders are wrong but that rarely ever happens and hey we’re all human right?
–How Much Will it Cost?-
It’s pretty cheap. If you’re a bigger guy like me maybe you’ll spend around 10 – 15 bucks especially if you’re pretty hungry but if you have a standard sized appetite, you can fill up with less than 10 bucks for sure. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ nuff said
–What’s the Food like?-
They have many a variety for food from tacos to quesadillas to grilled beef/​chicken to seafood etc. But this is what I’ve had
Tacos: Pretty good, cheap, standard tacos with either flour or corn tortillas with optional onions and cilantro. Meats are never really seasoned that spectacularly so it’s not like life changing meat that you would marry, have kids with and build a life together but more like meat you would hang out with every now and then
Tortas (Hispanic Sandwhich not the cake): Nice sandwich comes with lettuce tomato cheese and sour cream, I typically opt out on the cream. Soft toasted bun with a spread of frijoles (beans) paired very nicely with the salsa verde from before. What can I say? it’s a nice simple sandwich. Portion was a tad on the small for me compared to what I can get somewhere else for the same price but I’m a big guy so yeah.
Parrilladas (Grilled meat party): Basically you slap some fajitas on the grill along with some chicken with some bell peppers and onions, side it with some lettuce, re-​fried beans, and rice and you’ve got yourself a good time on your hands. Mind you this, the smallest size they have is about 20 bucks after taxes. I finished it all in one sitting but for the standard eaters, maybe share this with another or take half home to eat later while you binge watch the 4^th season of Orange is the New black on netflix… or for lunch tomorrow. Can’t go wrong with a platter like that, if anything the re-​fried beans were a bit more on the salty side but hey, they’re beans I mean what do I expect?
So why is food ⁷⁄₁₀? overall the taste of it just doesn’t pop out to the point where I fall in love with the CEO, take care of him (let’s just assume it’s a him for scenario purposes) until he get’s old, make sure he includes you in his will with ownership of Brenda’s, wait till he passes, mourn his passing, obtain the seasonings and recipes, run the establishment with an iron fist and eat nothing but only Brenda’s food because it’s so good but also because it reminds you of your darling CEO husband since you’ve grown a bit fond of him since you were taking care of him for so long, then have a hysterical breakdown in the restaurant while halfway through a taco, then be labeled as the crazy taco lady, never marry, and die alone. It’s not THAT good.
So come to Brenda’s for dinner or late night, best bang4buc

Stop by here every now b and then and quality is always the same. Pretty good. They’re open 24 hrs which is AWESOME lol. Same really nice lady. Very kind.

The food was very good and tasty. I had some fajita tacos and they were really good and inexpensive. Will return

Not homemade tortillas. Plus they were cold. The meat was okay I had fajitas. Tacos were not real authentic. My agua de melon was good. Chips they served were stale.

I come here frequently. I love how it’s open 24 hours, fast, tasty & above all not greasy! The customer service is always friendly as well. When I come here I always order the beef enchiladas & flaunts. I would recommend this place.

I was about to give them a three star review because of one bad service experience but given that in my short 2 week trip to Houston I visited 4 times then who are we kidding? The food is good Mexican stuff. Not gourmet but more like fast kitchen but still authentic. They have pretty busy karaōke nights and are open 24 hours!
Food wise I recommend their gorditas and if you’re looking for menudo that too was pretty good. Their tacos were great… my favorite was their Barbacoa tacos… with beans on them :) my boyfriend got the garlic shrimp platter and my sister got the fajita quesadilla. Both were very happy with their choices.
The only thing is if stay away from their margaritas as they tasted pretty funky. Their limeade was ok… maybe a bit sweet for me. Many thumbs up on their tamarind water and freshly squeezed orange juice!

Love this place!
Pros:
Cheap tasty food, Everything is good, Beans are excellent, drive thru option. Rice is good. Tortillas have good taste and amazing texture.
Cons: Red Enchiladas are a bit dry (but taste good). Also the area around the place isn’t that great. But just use the drive thru.

Decided to try this place after reading some good reviews. It was difficult to place the order, because the cashier kept reading it back wrong. I ordered the corn chicken quesadillas, and the flour beef quesadillas. While the taste of the food was okay. The way it’s presented left something to be desired. Wouldn’t suggest this place to friends. However if I was hungry and standing next to the restaurant, I might order there again.

Brenda’s is delicious! The burritos are always humongous and hot. My only complaint is the salsa, I prefer my salsa spicier and a little more chunky. Breakfast is good and there isn’t a very long wait. The location… not the best. Right on bissonett and the Beltway, you get some crazy characters. There is a drive through if you’re in a hurry, but I always opt to sit in side. Give it a try!

Yeah its in the hood but thats what the drive thru is for. Good price good food to eat on the go. Used to work in the area.

I love reading a bunch of reviews that refer to an area as sketchy, it usually means i’m in the right place, and I can get something that hasn’t been watered down for a non-​sketch customer base. This is right next to my job, so I go here fairly often.
Ambiance — it’s a taqueria
Clientele — Everyone and their mother comes here.
Service — very nice and super friendly
Parking — I’ve never not gotten a spot, but there isn’t a whole lot.
The food
— Tacos Al Pastor — It’s fairly good, well spiced, but no hint of Pina
— Tacos Chorizo — Good
— Tacos Barbacoa — very good
— Nachos — Heavy, very heavy. You get a lot of melted cheese, guacamole, lettuce, meat.
— Salsa — red is mild and the green is hot.(it’s not Ghost chili hot, prolly a few steps up from Tabasco/​Texas Pete’s) Pretty standard for Mexican spots, but the exact opposite of what gringos like myself expect.
Not a spot that you should go out of your way to go to, but it’s fine for lunch or a late night snack.

This is a decent place. I’m not a huge fan of their chips and salsa, a little watery for my tastes. The first time I visited I had a huge sandwich which was just too much food and a little greasy. The second time I visited I chose a beef fajita taco plate with rice and beans and was much happier with the experience. Usually not busy at lunch time and the wait staff is nice, the prices are also decent.

This place is pretty good but I have only had the Carne Guisada. The strip center it is located is a bit worrisome due to location. If you work in the area, I would recommend it for lunch. They do have a drive-​thru but there is no menu posted outside. Ordering could be an adventure at the drive-​thru unless you know what they have and what you want.