Mario’s Taco and Burger House

I’ve eaten lunch here twice. Their burgers and fries are old fashioned style which is simple and good. Why try to reinvent the wheel? They have tex-​mex crunchy tacos and traditional like you would find at a taqueria. I’ll try their tacos next visit. This is a solid business. I believe they have been in business here for about 5 years that I highly recommend.

Hubby & I have been to Mario’s twice. We love it! Their fish tacos are delish. It’s a place we will definitely come back to. Nothing fancy, just Mario and his authentic personality and good food!

Let’s begin by saying that the food quality was great, the meat was tender and well seasoned, I had the maksim sandwich but to be honest the price is a bit steep for the portion size, the sandwich was tiny.

Mario is great! You really feel like it’s a family there. Food is absolutely EXCELLENT!
Only complaint is food is somewhat on the small side compared to price you’re paying.

Stopped in specifically for menudo, wife had fajita tacos. Her meat was tender, decent flavor, but to be honest, you can get tacos all over town.
Menudo was mostly water/​broth, meat was cut into small pieces, there was more hominy than tripe. No chopped jalapeño/​serrano peppers.

Awesome breakfast tacos! They are not stingy with the egg and meat. Flour tortillas seem homemade. Salsas are tasty. Very clean, fast service and friendly employees/​owner. Fajita taco is tender and flavorful. Definitely have to try the rest of their menu.

Just had for the first time. Food was very fresh and delicious. The torta was bit small but for a family of four for under 30 bucks is a great value I felt. I will definitely return and would recommend this restaurant.

Came here to eat luch with my mom (who is SUPER PICKY) we both ordered the Angus burgers. Everything came out quick and fresh! Burgers were great and Fries were on point! I liked the little salasa bar too, just from tasting the salasas I can’t wait to try their breakfast tacos. Very friendly staff, relaxed environment and everything was clean. Definitely coming back.

When we moved from The Heights to the FM 1960 area, we missed the burgers from Hubcap Grill. We were so lucky to find Mario’s. They are the best Angus beef burgers in the area!

Hey, did you know they are open at seven for breakfast?!! The kitchen is clean and the owner is very friendly. Breakfast tacos are a bit small, but not expensive so get a few extra and try somethings different. I had some avacado salsa, I had some extra and drank it because no-​one was lookng. go get tacos! Geez what are you waiting for?
Also get me some more of that avacado sauce pls.

We went here for lunch! Not only was it super quick, but the food was delicious. There is a lot of space for groups. I had the California Burrito (stuffed with carne Asada fries) and surprisingly I didn’t feel as if I was in a food coma when I was done eating. Oh and if you still have room you should try a Churro

Without question Mario’s was a 100% let down. Reading previous post of other Unilocalers I had to seek out and find this elusive California Burrito after all the positive reviews. SoCal is misrepresented here by so many Texans and other non-California’s that use Unilocal and praise this particular burrito.
My first impression of the specimen in question was mostly a negative one. Where and how does someone serve the burrito cut in half? It’s not a sandwich! You don’t do this to a SoCal staple. Keep it wrapped and uncut.
The size of the burrito was no where close to what it should be. So tiny. This thing needs to be handled by two hands to be authentic.
The tortilla was ok but not there just wasn’t enough. I wish it were doubled layered to hold the weight of all the goodness inside. Limited combo of goodness inside so I can almost understand why it wasn’t double layered.
I mentioned the size which kind of leads you to think that there’s not a lot going on inside this wrap. There isn’t. Any taco shop worth its salt from Tijuana to LA knows that a California beach classic has to pack some weight. If it’s not a pound or more then your wrong. This burrito needs to be a meal that you have to think twice about before putting it down and finishing. You never put a good one down! Never! Mario’s provides no weight. If you can hold it with one hand and can put your whole mouth around it then it’s to small. Lol.
The guts are important. The most important part is the meat. I enjoyed how the steak was marinated not gonna lie. 100% Angus steak was marinated very well but the portion was limited. (See picture) The little old lady from the vintage Wendy’s commercials from the early 80’s come to mind. «Where’s the Beef»? Less than a ¼ of this thing was meat. Gotta have a better meat ratio Mario. In my opinion the meat holds as much importance as the fries. This is Texas and and we like our beef, so more please. Honestly, I don’t think California taco shops use meat as high quality as Mario’s but there is something to be said for the way they marinate it on the West Coast to give it that classic SoCal Baja twist keeping the price down. However, I admit that I did like the Tex-​Mex factor of Mario’s rendition when it comes to the flavor profile of the meat. Keeping with tradition though, Tex-​Mex flavor is not Baja flavor and that translates as this not truly being a «California» California Burrito. The fries?
I don’t have a opinion on the fries. I just don’t like frozen store bought ones. I proclaim these as good. Nothing overly special but then again they don’t have to be. They just have to be in there and be fresh when they are there. The ratio is equally as important here too. There must be enough to fill you up. You got to have enough to cure a hangover is the best way I know to describe the balance of what’s needed. That’s it.
The condiments of lots of Guac and cheese is also I must have. This example came up a little bit short. Juices and guts go together naturally, right?
For my liking this burrito had no juices in it whatsoever. A bit dry I guess you could say due to so many fries. Sometimes a burrito needs to be messy with flavorful juices. A simi-​wet burrito needs those juices to help mix all the goodness up within that wrapped flavor bomb which is why you need a fresh handmade double layer tortilla to soak up juices and keep it kept together. Sometimes it is good to have those juices run down your wrists and elbows when your attacking a well made burrito if you ask me.
The atmosphere was clean and friendly with a constant flow of customers so it had that going for it.
I had a Mexican Coke to round out my whole situation while visiting so that was a plus in the drinks department.
Overall I’m not disappointed in Mario’s as much as I am disappointed in the Unilocal that talked this burrito up. It’s clear to me that some of these imposters have never been to Southern California to adequately give a accurate synopsis of Mario’s California Burrito. It’s simply not what it’s supposed to be. I will say it was a good burrito in general but defiantly not a «California» California Burrito. It’s still elusive which is sad with such a huge migration of California’s in the Houston area today. It’s was good but it was just a burrito with fries. I would eat it again if I randomly stumbled back in. Considering I drove way out of my way with high expectations to visit, I rate my entire experience a 5 on a 1 – 10 scale.
Good Points: Coke was what I expected, Mario seemed like a good guy, salsa bar was on point, and the place was clean. Meat was marinated and tasty
Bad Points: The burrito was Unilocaled way over expectation. Sadly it was a fraud. I wish it came out hotter than it did. Hot in as temperature — straight from the grill. Maybe it cooled quickly due to cutting it.
That’s it. Hope it was helpful. Tell me what you think.

Great mom and pop place. Food are prepared fresh everyday and very flavorful. Come and see Mario, great owner and always put his customers first.

Local, fresh, family owned, great value and DELICIOUS! What a combination. I highly recommend the carnitas and Al Pastor. Be sure to hit the salsa bar to personalize your tacos to your taste.
Mario is friendly and hardworking. Get out and support a local business!

This place is fresh and clean
Mario (the owner) is a great guy and usually cooks the food and is always there!
Everything on the menu is served fresh and it’s made in front of you. Also 99cent breakfast tacos and my go to is usually the San Antonio fusion taco it’s served with guac Monterey Jack cheese fajita and your choice of sauce with there complimentary sauce bar!
Your review guy

I thought it was really a joke when I opened my bag to see a taco so tiny for $ 2.69 with tax came out to be $ 2.91. While the San Antonio taco was good I will surely not be back due to the insane amount of food to price ratio

It was just okay! Nothing to brag about just okay! I will say I wish the rice wasn’t stuck together that made me feel like it wasn’t fresh. Other then that it was just okay!

I wanted to give Mario’s 5 stars but felt like people would not take my review serious if I did. I use Unilocal a lot but rarely ever actually rank or leave reviews. I figured it was time for me to be apart of the process and to stop being a lurker.
I have eaten at Mario’s probably 20 times since finding it on Unilocal last year. The food is always delicious and fast. Mario is there every time we go and is so warm and welcoming.
The food is California Mexican style which is different from Tex-​Mex which is one reason I find it appealing.
Recommendations
Everything
Maksim Sandwich
San Antonio Taco
Marie Taco
Barbacoa and Menudo on weekends is amazing

Once in a great while you have time to reflect on how blessed you are to have the opportunities to sample cuisine from all over the planet right on your doorstep.
One such time came to me in Houston recently, a town that is by no means my doorstep. I was working there and checking out the local food and drink scene day and night for a solid week and a half before I had the opportunity to go to Mario’s.
It’s not in the most central location, but it is right off the freeway, and the front façade was festive and welcoming. Mario greeted everyone with a «hey boss!» and a wink as though he’d known us for years. I decided to get the obligatory taco sampling and see what everyone was talking about.
And wow did I find out.
You have a choice of tortilla type and quantity, and naturally I chose double corn. I got several kinds, including the pastor, and they all came individually wrapped in paper. I grabbed a few of the sauces Mario makes fresh several times daily, and then I dug in.
The flavors were intense, bold, amazing. So much layered perfection in such a tiny little package, I had trouble believing what I was tasting. The pastor had the perfect balance of sweet and heat, the carnitas was tender and in-​your-​face, the asada boasted a bottomless steak/​marinade combination that was made all the better by Mario’s stolid commitment to serving only Angus beef.
It was the food and service at this business more than any other that makes me pine for another business trip to Houston, so I can spirit my colleagues off to Mario’s for a small sliver of Mexican food heaven.

A friend wanted to try this place, so I obliged to let her have her own take on the place.
She had the same observations that I did. The servings are small and a meal can lighten your pocket. There is nothing overly exciting about the taste of the food, but this mom & pop little spot certainly gets an A for effort.