Dallas Tex-Mex Restaurant Mi Cocina Opens First Outpost in Houston’s River Oaks

Houston is already loaded with great Tex-Mex restaurants, but another establishment hailing from the Dallas-Fort Worth area will open in the city this week — and it’s bringing its best margarita with it.

In what will be its largest location to date, Mi Cocina will open on Wednesday, November 29, at 4410 Westheimer Road, offering up favorites like its brisket tacos and quesadillas and chopped chicken fajita Rico Salad. But what most diners will likely be interested in is Mi Cocina’s Mambo Taxis. The homemade frozen Pinot Noir sangria-swirled margaritas, which are loaded with a potent combination of Sausa Silver tequila, lime juice, and brandy, have become a restaurant staple and were deemed by D Magazine readers as one of the best margaritas in Dallas in 2019.

It’s not all about the booze, though. A press release states that the restaurant will lean heavily into Mexican heritage, incorporating cultural designs into its decor and displaying the work of Mexican artists, including artwork by Luis Sotil and furniture by Peter Glassford.

Mi Cocina

Mi Cocina

Mi Cocina originally launched as a modest 12-table restaurant in Dallas 32 years ago, but has since expanded to 24 locations throughout Texas and Oklahoma. The restaurant has been tied to some controversy in recent years following its co-founder, Ray Washburne’s association with former president Donald Trump. Eater Dallas reported that Trump appointed Washburne to the food and beverage industry’s American Economic Revival Industry Group in 2020, a position intended to help develop a recovery plan for the country’s restaurants that have been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic. In 2017, Washburne was chosen to lead the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and in 2019, appointed to the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board. Before the election, Washburne was a major fundraiser for Trump, sparking protests in 2016 when he hosted a fundraising dinner for the then-candidate.