The southwest Houston kitchen, with the trompo spit you can see from the counter. About the S Gessner Dr kitchen
8400 S Gessner Dr, Houston, TX 77074Southwest Houston, near Sharpstown
- Sun to Thu
- 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM
- Fri and Sat
- 11:00 AM to 12:00 AM
Houston, Texas
Tacos ElBigotes
Birria & Trompo Tacos in Houston
Birria quesitacos with consomé, trompo carved off the spit, birria ramen and mariscos. Two kitchens: S Gessner Dr in southwest Houston and Tomball Pkwy on the north side.
Explore Tacos El Bigotes
Tacos El Bigotes Houston Locations
South on Gessner or north on Tomball Pkwy. Same birria, same trompo.
The north Houston kitchen on SH 249, opened in 2023, with caldos on the online menu. About the Tomball Pkwy kitchen
12661 Tomball Pkwy, Suite 100, Houston, TX 77086North Houston, on SH 249 (Tomball Pkwy)
- Sun to Thu
- 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM
- Fri and Sat
- 11:00 AM to 12:00 AM
What We Cook At Tacos El Bigotes
Tacos El Bigotes is a counter-service taqueria owned by Juan Jaimes and managed by Joanna Celis. You order at the register from the board on the wall, take a seat, and the plates come out to your table. Two things cook all day behind that counter: a pot of beef birria and the trompo, a spit of marinated pork carved to order. If either one is new to you, read what birria is and how trompo differs from al pastor first.
Around those two sit street tacos sold one at a time, sopes, gorditas and tortas, a mariscos list with aguachile and shrimp cocktail, and pozole and menudo on weekends. Every item is on the full menu.
What To Order At Tacos El Bigotes
| If you want | Order | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Your first visit | Birria quesitacos | Three griddled tacos with cheese and beef birria, plus a cup of consomé to dip them in |
| The thing on the spit | Trompo tacos | Pork shaved off the trompo as you order, on corn or flour |
| A full bowl | Birria ramen | Noodles cooked in the birria broth and topped with the shredded beef |
| Seafood | Aguachile verde or camarones a la diabla | Cold and sharp with lime, or hot and red with chile |
| A Tuesday lunch | Trompo street tacos | The Taco Tuesday deal; check the board for this week's price |
| A weekend morning | Pozole or menudo | Saturday and Sunday only |
Dipping a quesitaco has a right and a wrong way. Our birria taco guide covers it in five short habits.
Tacos El Bigotes At A Glance
| Kitchens | S Gessner Dr (77074) and Tomball Pkwy (77086), Houston, TX |
|---|---|
| Hours, Sun to Thu | 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM at both kitchens |
| Hours, Fri and Sat | 11:00 AM to 12:00 AM at both kitchens |
| How it works | Order at the counter, food brought to your table |
| House salsas | Red and green at every table; the red is the hotter one |
| Weekends only | Pozole and menudo, Saturday and Sunday |
| Run by | Juan Jaimes (owner) and Joanna Celis (manager) |
| Pickup and delivery | Uber Eats, Gessner and Uber Eats, Tomball Pkwy |
Inside Tacos El Bigotes
Red booths, wood-top tables, a reclaimed wood wall and a red neon sign over black and white cement tile. Order a pineapple Jarritos or a frozen margarita with a chile-salt rim and you can watch the trompo being carved while you wait. Friday and Saturday the kitchens stay open until midnight. Not sure which side of town to go to? Compare both on the locations page.
Tacos El Bigotes In The Press
What Houston food writers and TV have said about our kitchens.
Houston chef Chris Shepherd ordered the trompo tacos, birria tacos and birria ramen on his first visit and named the spot one of his new favorites.
Covered the Gessner kitchen's Taco Tuesday birria and trompo deal and the wider menu of antojitos and seafood.
Listed the Gessner taqueria first in its roundup of the best cheap eats in Houston.
Tacos El Bigotes FAQs
What does "Bigotes" mean?
Bigotes is Spanish for mustaches. Look for the mustache in our logo and on the sign over both kitchens.
How does ordering work at Tacos El Bigotes?
Order and pay at the counter from the menu board, then take a table. Your food is brought out to you. Lines at lunch and on Tuesdays move quickly.
Which house salsa is hotter, red or green?
The red. The green is milder and brighter, so try it first if you are not sure how much heat you want.
Is Taco Tuesday at both kitchens?
Yes. Tuesday is trompo street taco day at S Gessner Dr and Tomball Pkwy. Prices can change, so check the board when you arrive.
Does Tacos El Bigotes serve seafood?
Yes. The mariscos side of the menu has aguachile verde, camarones a la diabla, shrimp gobernador tacos, ceviche tostadas and coctel de camarón.
Is Tacos El Bigotes good for a group?
Yes. Both kitchens have full dining rooms, and the Tablita Mixta is a mixed grill platter made for sharing.
Still deciding? Read trompo vs al pastor, or find the kitchen closest to you.