The New York Times recently named Hugo’s in Houston to its list of the 41 best Mexican restaurants in the U.S. Hugo’s was the only restaurant chosen from Houston, and one of just five selected from Texas.
Founded in 2002 by chef-owner Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught, Hugo’s is one of the most celebrated Mexican restaurants in the city. In 2017, Hugo secured a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest, Ortega has since expanded his vision into a wider restaurant group—featuring Caracol, Urbe, and Zaranda – the latter Texas Monthly named one of the best new restaurants in Texas.
Earlier this week, the New York Times shed a spotlight on Hugo’s in its article “41 of the Greatest Mexican Restaurants In the United States”. Rather than a strict ranking, the article illustrates a “mosaic” of standout Mexican eateries across the country – highlighting top-tier Mexican cuisine across the U.S., from Sonoran seafood and Michoacán carnitas to Poblano specialties and modern tasting‑menu concepts.
Photo credit: Hugo’s
The Times in part singled out Hugo’s for its
commitment to showcasing lesser‑known Mexican states and traditions, and for its role in shaping Houston’s identity as a city with some of the most serious Mexican fine dining in the country.
Of the featured restaurants in the article, only five Texas concepts were named, including:
Taqueria Elemi (El Paso) – border‑style tacos and regional specialties
Garcia’s Mexican Food (San Antonio)
The Times in part singled out Hugo’s for introducing lesser‑known Mexican states and traditions to the city and Texas at large with some of the most serious Mexican fine dining in the country.
Photo credit: Hugo’s
Here’s what the Times had to say about Hugo’s:
“Hugo’s, the couple’s first restaurant together, introduced Houston to regionally distinctive cuisine that was more expansive and refined than what Texans then widely understood as ‘interior Mexican’ cooking. Aged into a fine-dining lion in the cradle of Tex-Mex, Hugo’s still features longtime staples like banana leaf-wrapped cabrito, grilled octopus and sautéed chapulines, not to mention mezcals and Mexican wine”.
Hugo’s is located at 1600 Westheimer. The restaurant is open from 3 pm – 9 pm Tuesday and Wednesday; from 11:30 am – 9 pm on Thursday; 11:30 am – 11 pm on Friday and Saturday; and from 10 pm – 9 pm Sunday.
