About Tacos El Bigotes
One counter on Gessner, then a second kitchen up on 249. Here is how it happened and who runs it.
It Started On S Gessner Dr
Tacos El Bigotes opened in 2018 at 8400 S Gessner Dr in southwest Houston. The owner is Juan Jaimes. The menu was set by what sits behind that counter: a pot of beef birria and a trompo of marinated pork. Neighbors came for the weekly specials, and $1 street tacos on Tuesdays brought lines that still reach the door at lunch. The dining room has since been expanded to make room for them.
Birria ramen grew out of the same pot. It is noodles cooked in the birria consomé, and along with the trompo it is the dish visitors most often write about. If you have never had birria at all, start with what birria is.
A Second Kitchen On Tomball Pkwy
To reach north Houston, work started on a second space on State Highway 249 in late 2022. The Tomball Pkwy kitchen opened in 2023 with the same birria and trompo, plus a separate soups and caldos menu online.
Who Runs Tacos El Bigotes
| Owner | Juan Jaimes |
|---|---|
| Manager | Joanna Celis, both kitchens |
| Questions | Ask at either counter, or see the contact page |
Tacos El Bigotes Timeline
Dates come from public records and press coverage, linked in each row.
| When | What happened | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Tacos El Bigotes opens on S Gessner Dr; the year is printed on our logo as Est. MMXVIII | Our logo |
| Late 2022 | Interior build-out begins for a second kitchen, a 3,290 sq ft space at 12661 Tomball Pkwy | TDLR record |
| March 2023 | Secret Houston writes up the Gessner Taco Tuesday deal on birria and trompo street tacos | Secret Houston |
| Mid 2023 | Tomball Pkwy build-out is finished and the north Houston kitchen opens on SH 249 | TDLR record |
| October 2023 | Chef Chris Shepherd visits Gessner for KPRC 2's Eat Like a Local taco episode | KPRC 2 |
| April 2024 | Hoodline's roundup of Shepherd's taco picks names our trompo tacos and birria ramen | Hoodline |
Want to see what all the fuss was about? The full list of birria plates, tacos and mariscos is on the menu.