Taqueria El Rojo Loco in Houston's North Side

Located right off of 59 North and Collingsworth in Houston's North Side is Taqueria El Rojo Loco, a small, but very busy taqueria serving up Mexican and Tex-Mex favorites.

For having a small interior, the menu at El Rojo Loco is BIG and if you arrive at 1 PM on a Sunday, then this place will be packed! They have a lot of choices on their menu, but I knew going in I had to try their taco rojos, a style I'm a fan of and reviewed earlier this year. As my party and I waited for a table to come available, I knew I'd picked a popular menu item because there was hardly a table without at least one plate of tacos rojos.

Tacos rojos are also known as tacos potosinos, named after San Luis Potosi where the red chile infused corn is said to have originated.

Tacos rojos at Taqueria El Rojo Loco in Houston, Texas

The tacos rojos plate at El Rojo Loco is made up of six red corn tortillas freshly fried and stuffed with some of the best ground beef I've had. The beef is well-seasoned but not overly spiced, and so finely ground that, along with the crunch of the tortilla and shredded cabbage, it gives it a welcomed airy and soft contrasting texture. The contrast between the fresh ingredients and the meat filling, coupled with one of the three salsas served, was plenty enough to satisfy my afternoon hunger.

But, alas, I was not alone on this gastronomical excursion and, therefore, have more to share! The next best item at my table has to have been the carne guisada plate.

"Carne guisada" literally means stewed beef.

Carne guisada plate at Taqueria El Rojo Loco in Houston, Texas

This dish is often cooked to feed a lot of people and is, in my opinion, a type of comfort food. Perfect for a cold winter's day, or a birthday party, carne guisada is often flavored with green bell pepper, onion, and garlic. The carne guisada at El Rojo Loco was served alongside arroz and frijoles and made the trio an ideal filling for the soft flour tortillas that come with the plate. This dish was simply perfect. If you're looking for carne guisada like grandma used to make (which is funny because my grandma ordered this plate) then you're in for a treat!

Also worth mentioning are the sopes (pronounced SOH-PEZ) and torta that sat across from me at the table. The sopes were small in size but were piled high with beans, lettuce, tomato, queso fresco, and carne asada.

Sopes are made up of a thick corn cake base and topped with your choice of toppings.

Sopes at Taqueria El Rojo Loco in Houston, Texas

If you're looking for something to really fill you up, then this torta de carne asada is likely to be right up your alley.

Torta at Taqueria El Rojo Loco in Houston, Texas

Served on hefty telera bread and stuffed full of the usual fillings: beans, your choice of meat, cheese, shredded lettuce, tomato, and avocado, this torta is made for hungry eyes and empty stomachs!

If you ever find yourself in North Houston (inside 610), need a reason to get up there, or live there but have never been to El Rojo Loco, then it's best you make a trip and check them out. I want to give a special shout-out to their staff. They are extremely polite and courteous and were welcoming while we waited for a table to open up.

Price of our meal:

1 chile con queso

1 carne guisada plate

1 tacos rojos plate

1 sopes plate

1 torta de carne asada

1 taco de pastor

1 iced tea

1 limonada

Total: $45.00 (and some change)

Please note that Taqueria El Rojo Loco closes daily at 3 PM every day, so plan accordingly!