Attention Houston foodies and tex-mex lovers, alike! The newest incarnation of iconic Tex-Mex restaurant, The Original Ninfa’s, is here AND featuring Happy Hour and new cocktails!
I may still be working across the pond but am anticipating my trip back to Texas and as a break from my month of delicious Italian fare, cannot wait to have once again, some great Mexican food and where better than my hometown! That’s right, Houston…our original Tex-mex fave is making it even easier to enjoy their delicious food! After months of anticipation, Legacy Restaurants will open the newest incarnation of the James Beard Award-nominated Original Ninfa’s on Monday, June 10, with the launch of The Original Ninfa’s Uptown Houston.
Located in BLVD Place at San Felipe and 1700 Post Oak Blvd. in the space formerly occupied by Peska, the 6,400-square-foot restaurant has seating for approximately 280 guests, including nearly 100 in three covered patio areas and a flexible 50-seat private dining room. The menu and pricing will be exactly the same as the iconic Original Ninfa’s on Navigation, with the addition of a Happy Hour bar menu and new cocktails unique to the location with a little Uptown flair!
As if the food isn’t good enough, the restaurant’s interior was designed by Michael Hsu of Austin and Houston’s Studio Red Architects to honor the look and feel of the original location, with renovations done by Houston-based Construction Concepts. Black-and-white photos of “Mama” Ninfa Laurenzo adorn the walls, while a familiar tortilla station greets customers just inside the front entrance. The kitchen also features a wood-burning oven and wood-burning grill, which have become fixtures at the Original Ninfa’s on Navigation location.
Executive Chef Jason Gould, an Australia native (formerly of Cyclone Anaya’s and Gravitas), will oversee the restaurant’s day-to-day operations with General Manager Ashley Clark and Legacy Restaurants Corporate Executive Chef Alex Padilla. Beverage Consultant Linda Salinas will assist with the launch of the bar program, with new cocktails in the works for the Uptown location that will eventually find their way to the menu at The Original Ninfa’s on Navigation.
The Uptown location also will feature Happy Hour in the expansive bar area from 3-6 p.m. on Monday-Friday, catering to the many office workers in the area. Hours of operation also will be the same as The Original Ninfa’s on Navigation, opening at 11 a.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends, with weekend brunch on Saturday and Sunday. The Uptown location will launch weekday breakfast with expanded hours in the months to come.
For those of us that literally grew up with this amazing restaurant and many jaunts to Navigation to have what I have always considered to be “the best” Mexican food in the city, it is exciting to see it expand and to keep the legend of Mama Ninfa and her family alive! The Original Ninfa’s on Navigation, founded in 1973 by “Mama Ninfa” Laurenzo, is widely recognized in Tex-Mex history as the birthplace of fajitas, first known as “tacos al carbon.” Serving more than 10,000 customers each week, the restaurant has been featured on the likes of Travel Channel’s “Man v. Food” and “Zimmern List” and “NBC Nightly News” with Lester Holt. It was named a James Beard Foundation award semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurant in America in 2019.
Images courtesy of @originalninfas