Gloria's Latin Cuisine — Restaurant in Shenandoah

Super crisp atmosphere. Latin, with high sophistication. Inspired decor. Vastly open feel. Outdoor patio also, with custom weather sheeting to control the patio climate. Bright, lots of glass, an impressive tequila display case and menu; Reminiscent of the Star Pass Marriott in Tucson. (Including Clase Azul Anejo) Menu: Fairly neat and simply, and a brilliant twist kind of original to this place (from my travels) everything is within a dollar or two of the same price. 17, 18, 19 dollars. Oh sure, if you want the dinosaur steak, or the fajitas for ten people you’ll find higher prices. But for the most part if you see a dish that strikes your fancy you don’t have to do the budgetary math to try it. It was pretty liberating. I almost got the quail. And yes they have cool stuff like that…but as you will read i decided to make a more responsible review choice. But, next time!!!…

I love pitting Chili Relleno against other Latin offerings. Simple dish, with huge room for creative license. Both my wife and I chose this dish. I chose chicken, she chose (the 1$ upgrade) beef fajita. Includes choice of chicken or cheese enchilada. We both chose chicken (you know, i feel like cheese is cheating…where’s the meat?). First, Relleno: Well smothered in a ranchero style sauce, fire roasted flavor, cheesy. The pablano pepper was surprisingly al dente (can i use a pasta descriptor?). I loved it. Often i have experienced the pepper as a soldier left on the field of battle, that the enemy tanks rolled over to occupy the new ground. Mushy, lifeless, honestly hard to manage with a fork and knife…no rigidity whatsoever. Not this place! I actually was able to taste the pepper as a part of each bite. As the leading character, instead of the hapless understudy for the supporting actor. Highly recommend. Now enchilada: Ok, that comment about where’s the meat…somebody has obviously mentioned this to them way before i got here! This enchilada, if one can call it that, more like a chicken burrito, or a chimichanga before the fryer. This log of shredded chicken: i could not finish. Tasty, yes. Green sauce yes, thank you, and yummy. Tortilla felt super handmade with great texture. But chicken or cheese evidently means ONE or the OTHER. wow. Generous chicken portion is an understatement. No cheese in that zipcode. Chips and… Green salsa, not so much creamy like Tex-Mex, but thick and still well blended. Flavorful and doesn’t run off you chip like it wants to escape. Red Salsa, hearty. Definitely no near kinsman to the entry level ketchup concoctions at the xyz Mexican restaurant. Laced with visible palatable chucks of peppers, tomato, and onions. Black bean dip, what?!? Not just red and green, but wait there’s more! This whipped black bean dip was so good…I’m avoiding carbs, as a general rule, but, i couldn’t stop with this stuff. Seasoned, just enough to say, did i taste that right? I have to try again…over and over again. Silky, salty, tangy…5 star. Daniela, our server, was friendly, manager was on spot and quickly responsive on a small overweighted detail, he promptly corrected. Which, for my dollar, is actually better than everything going perfectly smoothly. It tells more of the character of the staff and atmosphere. I forgot to picture the bathroom, probably because it was spotless, completely on theme, modern straight long lined architecture. You know relief sections of wall and stall that go floor to ceiling. Again very hotel resort motif.

First review, not our first visit.

We will...

Gloria’s Latin Cuisine in The Woodlands is truly an awesome place to go! From the moment we arrived, everything about our experience was fantastic. The restaurant is easy to get to and offers plenty of parking, which is always a plus. We were warmly greeted and seated quickly, setting the tone for a great evening. The ambiance is a perfect blend of modern and retro—inviting, stylish, and very comfortable. The staff was incredibly friendly, attentive, and professional throughout our meal. We felt genuinely welcomed. As soon as we sat down, we were served warm tortilla chips alongside fresh salsa, a flavorful green tomatillo salsa, and a delicious bean dip—a rare and welcome find in The Woodlands. Everything is made in-house, and it shows in the flavor and quality. For our meals, we ordered the Chicken Quesadilla, the Tex-Mex Combination Plate, and the Combination Enchilada Plate with white sauce. Every dish was generous in portion, beautifully presented, and full of flavor. The quesadilla was loaded with perfectly seasoned chicken and melty cheese, without being greasy. The combination plates were equally impressive—fresh ingredients, bold flavors, and well-balanced dishes that left us completely satisfied. On top of all that, the prices are extremely reasonable for the quality of food and experience. The dining area was spotless, and the overall atmosphere was lively yet relaxed.

Highly recommend Gloria’s if you're looking for a flavorful, authentic Latin dining experience with top-notch service. We’ll...

This was my first time here. We visit the Austin location and have always enjoyed it. We were with a group of 10 standing at the bar waiting for our table to be prepared. The restaurant was full since it was a Saturday evening. A waitress walking by with frozen drinks on a tray somehow spilled them over while passing me and they went all down the back of my dress, the backs of my legs and into my shoes. Several frozen margaritas as seen all over the floor. A women in a ponytail, whom I assumed was some sort of manager, walked over as I was sitting in a booth trying to wipe my feet and legs off with napkins. She asked if I was hurt and I said no, I was fine but just covered in frozen drink. She then seemed irritated at our request for a wet paper towel to try to get the sticky off my feet so I could walk to the table then just abruptly left after handing me one with a snarky reply like I was bothering her. We then went to the table to continue our evening. Never once did anyone apologize to me, come check on me, offer to comp something, ask about my clothing and shoes, nothing. Everyone in our party was shocked. Usually the least they could do was offer some condolences. I have seen this happen at other restaurants and usually the management is very gracious and apologetic. Not a good way to treat customers! Otherwise, Our food was good, and our server was attentive. I ended up buying myself a small frozen drink for $15 that I could drink instead of wear. I was not impressed with the...