Tacos Doña Lena — Restaurant in Houston

Five of us went out for dinner there for the second time.

As all of our food came out, the food runner brought 2 fajita tacos to our table. We said we didn't order that, and said we were waiting on 2 Gorditas still as everyone else's food had been brought to the table. He told us they were coming out soon and to just wait a second. He came back to our table after a minute and took the tacos away. Then after a few minutes of a 2-3 people talking near their kitchen window, the young lady who originally took our order at the counter approached our table with the Toast Tab to charge us the $4.20 difference due to her mishearing "Gorditas" for apparently 2 fajita tacos. We then waited another 15 minutes for the 2 Gorditas to come out from the kitchen while everyone else at our table had already been served their food. So our friend in our party who ordered the Gorditas just sat there without food while the rest of the food had been served.

Really weird way to approach handling a mistake.

I don't think the $4.20 from them mishearing was worth kissing off customers for visit again in the future. They didn't apologize really. Didn't try to make it right. They didn't even seem to begin cooking the Gorditas until the $4.20 difference was paid for. Also, their Toast Tab won't let you sign your name if you press "no tip"... we had already tipped when we ordered at the counter and I didn't think it was necessary to tip them more for messing up the order and charging us for the difference in their screw up. As soon as you click 15% and up, it'd let you sign your name. Weird...

Bar service is super slow too. 3 margaritas (even though 1 was supposed to be on the rocks) and 1 bottled beer took longer to receive than the food.

Food overall is tasty & solid. Their staff is inexperienced I think. Or maybe just not fans of customer service, customer retention, and owning their mistakes. Ambiance also kind of sucks. We probably won't return. I do hate writing bad reviews too, but this one seems necessary so they can try to be the first restaurant to survive at...

Family atmosphere, really good food, and a moderate price. Spanish Rice is extremely difficult to get right. They have mastered the art. Even the beans are good. I got tacos chistostas which I think means funny tacos but they're really good. They are served with an array of hot sauces which are house made an delicious. From moderate to sort of spicy. Still really good. I'll come back.

*I told the cashier I didn't say anything about it but I have to. She had a smile on her face but hate in her heart. We all know that feeling. I said I would come back but got the feeling they didn't want me to. Why? Idk, racist maybe misguided bigotry. I don't know why hateful people work in food service. It does seem common though. They make you pay before your meal and expect you to tip for service they haven't served you with, and I was drinking a Mexican soda and wanted another after my meal, but didn't want to run my card again. The front manager came out after my meal and asked if everything was good, and I said yes but asked if I could speak to him quickly about what I just addressed. He pretended not to hear me and he did because he heard, "everything was great". Like I said subtle undertones of racism and bigotry. So I cannot in good conscience go back and I have to say the truth about my experience. I still give them the same rating. The food is good service was, okay, but they're not worried about return customers especially if you...

During a recent visit to Houston, I was told that Tacos Doña Lena was a local staple, highly recommended by my aunt and praised widely online. Naturally, my curiosity led me there, eager to experience the flavors that so many seemed to celebrate.

The atmosphere was inviting—vibrant, colorful, and unmistakably Mexican in its aesthetic. Ordering at the counter felt casual and approachable, setting the stage for what I hoped would be an authentic and memorable meal.

Unfortunately, the food told a different story. The chorizo taco, though edible, was unremarkable. The chicken taco, left to rest as I awaited my birria ramen, revealed something far worse: by the time I returned to it, the meat had hardened, turning purple and black (a sight as unappetizing as it was unsettling).

The much-anticipated birria ramen offered some redemption, with tender meat that was enjoyable, yet the broth was salty and strangely flat, lacking the depth and complexity one expects from such a dish.

For all the hype, I left profoundly underwhelmed. The place drew a diverse crowd, but notably few Mexicans, perhaps a telling sign. For me, Doña Lena failed to deliver the authenticity and richness of flavor that defines true Mexican food. I...