The Original Ninfa's on Navigation — Restaurant in Houston

The Original Ninfa's on Navigation is the first of a Tex-Mex chain which originated from Ninfa (Mama Ninfa) Laurenzo. Her husband, Domenic Laurenzo, died in 1969, and left Ninfa, their 5 children, and a failing tortilla factory behind.

Due to shrinking profits, Ninfa had to get creative with making money, so from a single taco stand, she expanded this into her own restaurant, Ninfa's, in 1973. Ninfa expanded into multiple restaurant ventures, and she passed away in 2003. Ninfa's is known for their fajitas which Ninfa introduced to her own menu in 1973, and her family perfected them over the last 50-years. Just to note, El Tiempo Cantina was started by Ninfa's family, so they are connected to this restaurant brand.

They currently have a free private parking lot in the back of the restaurant. The lot does get busy, but you can usually find a spot. When we were seated, we were given their complimentary chips and salsa, and I ordered a margarita. Be sure to check in as they will throw in a free order of the Chile Con Queso!

+Complimentary Chips and Salsa - As far as chips and salsas go at a Tex-Mex restaurant, these are top notch. The chips are thicker than typical chips, and both salsas are delicious and fresh. In my experience, these may be the best complimentary chips and salsas I've had in Houston so far. - 5/5

+Chile Con Queso (spicy cheese and pepper dip) complimentary with Yelp check-in - We were given this for free. It comes with it's own type of deep-fried chips to dip, but they were not as good as the complimentary chips. You can try this from their Antojitos menu by checking in on Yelp, but the cheese is nothing special. Try it, and see what you think. - 4/5

+The Uptown Margarita (Tequila Reposado, Cognac, Grand Marnier, fresh lime juice, and agave) for $15 - This margarita was excellent. It tasted fresh and hit the spot. When it comes to drinking at Tex-Mex restaurants in Houston, this was one of my favorite margaritas. - 5/5

For food, we ordered the medium fajitas (half-pound of meat).

+Fajita Plates (Chicken and Beef Combination) for $36 - I really think this could be the perfect fajitas if the meat was flavored more or given garlic butter to dip the meat in (like their sister restaurant at El Tiempo Cantina). The meat is juicy, the tortillas are great, and everything was amazing. I just felt it needed some more flavor to hook me. El Tiempo Cantina has better fajitas in my opinion. - 4.5/5

Overall, The Original Ninfa's on Navigation is amazing. They have the best chips and salsa, as well as margaritas, when it comes to Tex-Mex restaurants in Houston. The fajitas are great here, but I find their sister restaurant, El Tiempo Cantina, to have the best fajitas in the city. Is this because of the garlic butter El Tiempo Cantina adds to the sizzling grill plate? Perhaps. I would still highly recommend coming to The Original Ninfa's on Navigation if you want top notch service and Tex-Mex cuisine in...

Fantastic food, great atmosphere, great service! Just an all around wonderful experience. I often times wish I could have an "escape hatch" in the back of my neck so I can keep eating forever. This was one of those times. I had the carnitas mixita with beef; both meats were cooked to perfection-tender and juicy. The pork was not b lean, so if you're going out for a low-cal meal, this is not where you're going to get it. But what you may not know is that those calories are packed with approximately 7 times the normal flavor. I could feel each calorie burst between my teeth, spraying flavor all over my mouth (the inside part, thankfully, for many reasons). The beef was good too, but the star of the place was that delectable knuckle of pork.

The guacamole was smooth and flavorful with just the right amount of non-avocado stuff (whatever that may be--I have no idea) to make it great. If I had to make a complaint about Mama Ninfa's, it would have to be under threat of violence, and it would be that there wasn't enough guac. Just sayin'

I can't believe I almost forgot about the tortillas! I chose the corn variety, and I am convinced that these were with Mama Ninfa's original recipe, and there is nothing you can do to persuade me otherwise. I believe (and again if I'm wrong I don't want to be right) that the ghost of Mama's Ninfa is still making tortillas in the back. I swear I could taste the Mexican heritage, the hot fields and and hard work of so many men and women for generation after generation, tweaking the recipe a little at a time, mother improving on grandmother's; daughter upon mother's until it finally got to my undeserving mouth. My gratitude knows no bounds while my mouth will forever be ruined for any other tortilla.

The flan was dense but not too sweet nor too heavy. It was smoky/cinnamon-y flavored and even though I had promised myself I wouldn't eat the whole thing after a large meal, I soon found myself wishing I had ordered two

The margarita was just fine, but compared to the food... Well even the brightest flashlight gets lost when parted with a lighthouse. The flight of ocho tequila was mucho bueno. I preferred the respasado, though all 3 were worthy. The bartender was very knowledgeable and more than happy to talk taquila with with me (I came in a slow night). The server was kind and happy to talk about the food, and incredibly friendly. The manager came over to talk about the history of the restaurant and some of their more colorful customers.

A++ experience and food....

Ninfa’s came highly rated by many Houstonians but the service here really threw me for a loop around the 610. The food here was good but poor service and manners will never win in my book. We arrived after 8:00 p.m. with a reservation on a Sunday. It was a slow evening and we were seated on the patio and maybe that was a mistake. We were served tortilla chips and water. 45 minutes passes after many waiters, specifically one in particular walked past our table. At first I could not gauge how busy they were inside the dining room until the same waiter strikes up a rather long conversation with 2 new tables. Then we realize that he was taking their order now after never having acknowledged us for 45 minutes.

Roberto from the bar realizes this and makes way over to our table from inside the restaurant after I have flagged down a bust boy. He kindly apologizes and offers drinks from the bar and we place our order. I had a free Yelp Check In offer for Queso. The chips here are very good. Homemade and warm when delivered. The flour chips are my favorite because of the texture. Very soft and melt in your mouth with queso. I decided on the Short Rib Tacodillas which are similar to birria tacos with the consume dipping soup. These were good. My friend had chicken Suizas with charro beans. Lastly, we had the tres leche. The tres leche was not what I expected. It was served in a dish used for creme brulee and had no real cake to it. Just a lot of cream.

We have many excellent Mexican restaurants in New York as well as Raleigh. Ninfa’s really missed the mark for me. Throughout the hour we dined, the same waiter held a loud, obnoxious conversation with the tables behind us. I found this extremely rude and I will not return. I could have spent my time and money at Pappasittos. Thank You Roberto for acknowledging...