Houston’s most recent James Beard winner, Thomas Bille, took home bragging rights at the culinary foundation’s awards ceremony in June, snatching the title of Best Chef: Texas. But the California-born Bille had wowed Houstonians long before his win. Though based on his upbringing as a Mexican American in Los Angeles, Bille’s New American restaurant also incorporates other influences. The birria tacos with tender beef and irresistible cheese-crusted edges is a fan favorite, but Belly of the Beast also offers a summery street corn agnolotti dish that harnesses the flavors of elote, empanadas stuffed with a silky potato and Comté cheese concoction, and berry duck mole with nixtamalized tortillas.

The Original Connie’s Seafood has not only been a community staple 
since 1979, it’s also one of the originators of Houston’s Asian-Mexican dining scene. Originally a you-buy, we-fry fish market on Airline Drive, Connie’s evolved into a full-blown restaurant when owner Shun Tai “Connie” Chan noticed her fried seafood was selling faster than her fresh fish market offerings. After marrying a former customer, Bart Villafranca, Chan introduced Mexican items to the menu. They were a hit. Today, in addition to Chinese classics like shrimp fried rice, Chinese-style steamed fish, and egg rolls, Mexican staples like vuelve a la vida soup and ceviche tostadas are menu highlights.

Where else could you eat chicken-fried steak and butter chicken in one sitting? Texas-Indian fusion has found a growing cohort of supporters across Houston. Restaurants like the fast-casual Twisted Turban and Cowboys & Indians offer a unique take on Tex-Mex favorites, infusing South Asian influences into tacos, quesadillas, and burgers.

Founded by local restaurateur Imran Khan, Cowboys & Indians boasts inventive Tex-Mex-Indian plates like naan quesadillas and naan-chos that meld together saucy ingredients like chana masala and pico de gallo.

Meanwhile, Twisted Turban offers bites like the Texas Chalupa Chaat—spicy chicken, roasted corn, and sweet pomegranate, served in the shape of the Lone Star State, with a yogurt and chutney drizzle.

Modern Korean dining rules at Dao’n. This relatively new restaurant in the Spring Branch district offers updated takes on Korean standbys, such as the ever-popular pork jowl tteokbokki and ginseng chicken soup, while also paying homage to Tex-Mex traditions in its own way. Like most Korean barbecue experiences, Dao’n’s K-Fajita platter features grilled meats and Korean side dishes (think kimchi, soy sauce and jalapeño pickled radishes, and garlicky sesame spinach) served with ssam, or vegetable wraps. The dish also leans heavily into Tex-Mex, with sizzling beef fajitas sauteed in kimchi, plus a side of tortillas and chimichurri so diners can assemble their own K-Mex tacos.

The family behind Doña Leti’s coined its own name for its cuisine: “H-Mex.” Throughout the menu are items deeply rooted in Houston’s culture and the city’s love of shrimp, cheese, and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Kalli Lozano, who co-owns both locations of the restaurant with her husband and his siblings, says the birria craze first put the restaurant on the map. Diners fell in love with its birria pizzadillas, birria grilled cheeses, and even birria egg rolls. The must-try, however, is its birria ramen. Doña Leti’s version features a combination of birria meat, ramen noodles, cilantro, onion, queso fresco, sliced avocado, and radish, all swimming in a heartwarming birria consommé. Or, for a different take on the hybrid dish, try out Tacos Doña Lena’s birria ramen, loaded with beef birria, cheese, a fried egg, corn, garbanzo beans, and a side of tostadas.

Thanks to its devoted following, Fusion Taco has expanded from a food truck to three brick-and-mortar restaurants inside the Loop, serving multiple cuisines translated into tacos. Proteins like agedashi tofu, lamb keema with tahini sauce, and tuna poke arrive on a choice of corn or flour tortillas or a bed of lettuce. The grilled Thai chicken taco is a standout: coconut milk–marinated grilled chicken, spicy peanut sauce, and ginger red cabbage slaw.

Viet-Cajun is already a well-known aspect of Houston dining, but can Viet-Mexican find an audience, too? At Les Ba’get, classics like pho and banh mi are obvious go-tos, but astute fans have likely tried (or at least seen) its puffy beef tendon chicharron. It’s exactly what it sounds like. Rather than traditional Mexican chicharrones made with pork, beef tendon is fried, swelling up into a Styrofoam-like, lighter-than-air texture, dotted with crunchy bits and packed with flavor. Then, Les Ba’get seasons them with smoked sriracha salt, lemon-grass chile oil, and a drizzle of lime. A nearly identical swap for traditional Mexican chicharrones, these fried beef tendon are a solid substitute, which can be consumed straight up or seasoned with hot sauce and more lime.