Want to take a culinary trip to Mexico without leaving Houston?

Head over to La Fisheria in the Bayou city’s downtown area for the next best thing to visiting the Mexican coast. La Fisheria has been a Houston staple since 2016, serving coastal dishes in an upscale atmosphere. The much-lauded eatery has just released a new menu after being forced to close for eight months after Hurricane Harvey.

“We were overwhelmed by the support from our customers and friends after the restaurant flooded,” said Anas Mousa, owner of La Fisheria.

The restaurant re-opened with a new menu to showcase the best of Mexican flavors. These new menu additions include the Sonora Rib Eye, a 12-ounce Black Angus steak served with yucca, broccoli puree and guajillo pepper mushrooms. Other highlights include the Pulpo Ensendada, tender grilled octopus, sautéed in parsley, garlic confit and olive oil, as well as Empanadas del Campo that comes with three artisanal empanadas.

During my recent visit, I started my meal (as every meal should at La Fisheria) with ceviche. So fresh and tasty, with subtle flavor combinations depending on the citrus and vegetables used in preparation. I also tasted the Tamal Selva Negra and the Trio de Empanadas – both dishes were exquisite. The Trio de Empanadas came with shrimp and Oaxaca cheese, crab in tomato sauce and ribeye picadillo. The sign of a good empanada starts with the dough – it needs to be thin and flaky, without too much butter or lard as their flavor that will overpower the filling. The empanadas at La Fisheria rose to the occasion and all three were tasty, but the ribeye and shrimp were my favorites. The Tamal Selva Negra is beautifully presented over a bed of arugala and cilantro salad. The creamy truffled huitlacoche sauce balances the sweet corn masa of the tamal. The sweet corn used in this dish has such an authentic taste and is directly imported from Mexico, like many of the other ingredients used on the menu.

“I wanted to bring the flavors from Mexico to Houston,” said sous chef Mario Pina. “These are the flavors that I grew up with in my mother’s and my grandmother’s kitchens.”

Popular dishes like the Tamal de Elote con Camerones, a sweet corn tamale with shrimp which was named one of “Houston 30 Essential Dishes” by Zagat, will remain on the menu. Fans of the Mango Habanero Margarita (winner of the Houston Press Best Margarita Award) don’t have to worry – the flavorful drink isn’t leaving the menu either.

In additional to coastal décor, La Fisheria boasts live music on the weekends which adds to the festive atmosphere. The restaurant is large with two spacious rooms for seating, as well as a large bar. La Fishería offers all day drink specials Monday through Thursday and a happy hour food menu from 3pm to 7pm Monday through Friday, with $5 margaritas, wine and cocktails, $7 appetizers, and $3 beers. Complimentary valet parking is available on Friday and Saturday after 5pm, and paid parking is available on the street as well as in the lot located directly next door to the restaurant.

Cover photo: Like all of the dishes at La Fisheria, the Salmon Glaseadoen Chile Ancho is as pretty to look at as it is to taste.

Gabi De la Rosa lives in Houston with her husband and three children. You can usually find her at a great local restaurant or out exploring HTX with her family.