Tex-Mex cuisine in Houston

Katharine Shilcutt of the Houston Press said in 2012 that "Tex-Mex has been a vital part of our city for more than 100 years" and that it "never waned in that century.

"[2] In Houston, as in other places in Texas, the existing Chicano community influences the cooking methods used by recent immigrants.

[6] This campaign began targeting tamale vendors in 1909 when City Health Officer Dr. George W. Larendon became alarmed by rising food poisoning cases.

Robb Walsh said that "Caldwell was no doubt inspired by the Original Mexican Restaurant in his hometown, which opened in 1900.

[11] Cynthia Mayer of the Philadelphia Inquirer said that Molina's, "a restaurant that began serving Mexican food long before Corona beer and body shots became the yuppie rage," helped George H. W. Bush adjust to life as a Houstonian.

[13] Beginning in 1973, newer style Tex-Mex restaurants, influenced by Kennedy and other people who advocated for actual Mexican cuisine, opened.

[14] Many of the foods originated from Tejano people from West Texas and the Rio Grande Valley, and not from central Mexico.

[9] Some old-style restaurants cater to families with young children who may dislike the bolder flavors in newer Houston Tex-Mex.