El Meson
Houston, TX 77005
Phone: (713) 522-9306
Fax: (713) 522-9312
- Price:
- $$
- Cross Street:
- Morningside Drive
- Hours:
- Mon-Thu 11am-10pm, Fri 11am-11pm, Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 12pm-10pm
Message from El Meson
Award Winning Cuban Restaurant In Rice Village-Notable Wine List
- Over 27 Years in Business
- Award Winning Wine List
- Private Dining & Catering
Paid advertisement by El Meson.
Editorial Review for El Meson – by Joshua Hinsdale
The Scene
Family-owned and operated for more than 20 years, this former Mexican restaurant has gradually added Cuban and Spanish dishes over the years. Cozy banquettes line the front window and are a great spot for people-watching in the bustling Village district. Small wooden tables fill up the middle and around the bar and add a touch of romance. The dress is casual and the menu is very affordable, but it feels plenty nice enough for a date. Service is friendly and relaxed.
The Food
The fun, colorful eatery favors family-style dishes such as Cuban nachos, Mexican quesadillas, and hot and cold Spanish tapas, including Spanish omelettes, Serrano ham with olives and pork tenderloin with garlic. El Meson is known for their paella--including a seven vegetable variety. Tex-Mex entrees, grilled Cuban-style meats, ropa vieja and fresh seafood dishes round out the menu. Take time to explore the award-winning wine list.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
When to GoThe restaurant frequently hosts wine dinners in the Havana Room. Call for dates and reservations for the next event.
ParkingSpots are hard to find on busy nights. If none are available at the curb or on the street nearby, try the Rice Village parking garage across the road.
What to DrinkThe wine list is quite extensive, with great selections from Latin America and beyond.
Know Before You GoThe paella takes 30 minutes to prepare, but it's worth the wait. Minimum order is two.
User Reviews for El Meson
03/08/2008 Posted by f00d13
I've had good paella from other Cuban and Spanish restaurants before, but THE PAELLA AT EL MESON WAS A HUGE DISSAPPOINTMENT!!! This was my first visit to El Meson. I was eager to try this place because it had such good reviews, but 3 of my friends and I did not enjoy the food here. I've had much better food from other Cuban/Spansh restaurants. The service was satisfactory, the ambiance was nice, and quaint, but the food was very poor! The chef does not properly season the food!! I ordered Paella Marinera (Saffron Rice w/ prawns, white fish, shrimp, squid, mussels). The rice lacked flavor, which is surprising because of all of the different types of seafood in the paella. The consistency of the rice was sticky but not too mushy, which is typical from Cuban-style paella. Do NOT expect Valencia-style paella from here, where the rice at the bottom of the pan is typically nice and crisp. It did not even taste like they use saffron in their paella. The worst part of all was that the seafood was ABSOLUTELY TASTELESS!!! It tasted as if the meat was boiled without any salt, and cooked completely separate from the rice. Adding our own salt and lemon helped a little, but isn't the chef supposed to season the food and NOT the guests??!! Gambas al Romesco (Grilled Shrimp served in Almond Pimentón sauce)--Shrimp was covered with an interesting salty sauce with a gritty consistency. Different, but in a good way. Chipirones Calamares (stuffed w/ onions served in Cuttlefish Ink sauce): Just ok--almost comparable to other restaurants that serve the same dish. Salmon al Romero Salmon Fillet (pan seared with black pepper and infused with rosemary served Spanish style): Salmon had a heavy oily taste. They call it "pan seared". I call it "burnt to a crisp!!" Sangria: VERY BAD! If you like cheap wine mixed with orange juice--go for it! They may call it homemade, but I doubt if they even soak any fruit in the wine. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE!!!
Pros: Nice, quiet, and quaint ambience.
Cons: Paella is NOT prepared well.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful
01/13/2008 Posted by macari
This was our first time dining at el meson,which was recommended to us by a friend. The service was so friendly our server was a young gentleman who was very knowledgeable about everything on the menu.He guided us towards the paella,but warned us it would take at least 30 minutes to preapare but it would be worth the wait.The young latino waiter was correct the paella was worth the wait. We finished of our evening with a tres leches and an expresso.All i can say is that el meson has a customer for their next 25 years.
Pros: Serice,Food
Cons: paying valet before you enter restaurant
Users Like You Also Viewed
Black Walnut Cafe
5510 Morningside Dr
Houston, TX 77005
Benjy's Restaurant
2424 Dunstan Rd
Houston, TX 77005
