9 Houston Restaurants Celebrating African and Latin Flavors

Find tacos dripping in gumbo, soulful crawfish and jambalaya tamales, and much more

African and Mexican cuisines are both deeply woven into American culinary traditions, producing a fusion born from the shared history of Black Southerners and Mexican braceros and their own take on the power of the masa. But in Houston, it’s not just Black American and Mexican flavors that come together. There are also diverse influences of Afro-Latine heritage, some of which can take a Southern approach, as Mississippi Delta soul food flavors merge with the spice and depth of traditional Mexican cuisine. Think crawfish etouffee and barbecue brisket tamales made with cornmeal instead of masa, reimagined seafood tacos stuffed with fried catfish, and earthy birria remixed into quesabirria tacos.

The throughlines between Houston’s Black American and Latine communities, including their shared histories and flavors, have helped contribute to Houston’s reputation as an iconic food destination. Use this map as a guide to just some of the Houston restaurants and food trucks specializing in exciting Black-Mexican fusions as well as entries from other Afro-Latine cultures that have brought their flavors to the Houston area.

Is your favorite Afro-Latine restaurant missing from this map? Shout it out in the comments.