El Tiempo Cantina

10/15/11

Poor...not up to the standard of the location in Montrose...

by new2Htown

My husband and I have enjoyed dozens of meals at the El Tiempo Cantina in Montrose. It is by far, our favorite Mexican restaurant in Houston.

On Tuesday, Sept. 27, we decided to try the El Tiempo Cantina restaurant on Richmond near Levy park. We arrived at about 6:30 and were immediately seated. Our waitress was pleasant and the service was good. The food however, was not fresh.

We ordered Queso. The chips served with it, which are normally our favorite part of the appitizer, were cold and chewy. We sent them back. While we began eating, the staff turned the music up in the restaurant so loudly we could not talk to each other, or the waitress without nearly screaming. The people at surrounding tables were yelling to keep their conversations going. It was awful. We finally asked a busboy to turn it down. He did, but it was still SO loud we could not enjoy our meal and people were still having to yell above it to be heard.

My husband ordered beef fajitas, normally his favorite dish but the beef seemed as though it had been cooked hours before. It was dry, tougher than usual and chewy. We did not finish the meal but we did not send it back. We paid our bill(Check #815357/1) and left.

We were very disappointed; the volume of the music was extremely annoying and the food was just not up to the standard we've come to expect from your restaurant location in Montrose. We definitely won't be back to this location.

What a disappointment.

06/29/09

HORRIBLE place to Dine at!!

by mgarza2734

When i first got there the waiter told me he was recommending the fajita fiesta to our party of 30 because it was easier, and i suggested we needed menus because i was sure not everyone wanted that dish. He never refilled our soda, was extremely rude and sarcastic. The customer service was horrible, and to top it off there was only 1 waiter for our party of 30, and we were not his only big party. Then he overcharged one person in our party for the 1lb fajiata dinner that feeds two people when my friend pointed on the menu and showed him the 1/2 pound. This is not the first time i have heard of overcharging at this place, so beware and check your receipts. I am making a complaint to the SBB and have this restaurant investigated for fraudulent charges to customers. I was very unhappy. Had the waiter been nicer I would have tipped double what the gratuity was. The food was also not that great. The fajitas that my friend ordered were very fatty. Gross!!!! Horrible all over.

• Cons:  1 rude, sarcastic waiter for our party of 30,& overcharged

11/29/08

If I could give it zero stars, I would be all over that!

by diekosiskak

After combing through the bulk of the reviews and considering my own expierence, I have concluded that the management or the staff have been writing the deceiving "above average+" reviews. The food was way-way below par (judging based on food sampled on at least three continents). The meat quality was not even suited for canning!!!! If you order beef brisket, would you expect nicely cubed pieces of fat?! Moreover, I thought it was quite akward to receive a mixture of rice and past as a side ... After living in (and eating my way through) Houston for three months, I have to say that this restaurant is the worst in Houston. I feel cheated monetary wise and time wise! Putting it in perspective I have had better meals in Botswana!

07/24/08

Awesome Tex-Mex food...my favorite in Houston

by bulldog0711

I like to go to El Tiempo every time I'm in Houston because I miss good Tex-Mex up in New England. I know good Tex-Mex after living in Texas for almost all of my life, and I really enjoy the seafood-Tex Mex fusion at El Tiempo. It's the best Tex-Mex I've found in Houston. The crab enchiladas are a favorite, and the cheese enchiladas, drowning in grease like they should be, are amazing. The salsa and guacamole dip served with tortilla chips are great. Queso and tres leches cake are delicious too. I love sitting on the patio, which is covered and whimsically decorated. It's a lively place, a little crowded inside, but I still love to go with my family. It's not as good as the hole-in-the-wall places I've eaten at in other towns, but it's still very tasty.

The valet is pricey, but the food is appropriately priced and quite speedy. The service staff seems a little overextended and they forgot to bring my queso last time, although they were otherwise attentive with refills and whatnot. They are also very friendly and helpful. Also, we never make reservations but seating is usually immediate.

I recommend El Tiempo Cantina--it's a fun place with good food for a great value. It's always a nice experience to go.

• Pros: Food, lively atmosphere
• Cons: Pricey parking

06/06/08

Trashy, low class, horrible atmosphere‎

by africansicklet

Crowded with low class people. We had a reservation for a table of 10, we waited 1 1/2 hour to get our table. The food was worse than mediocre, I had the carne asada and I implore all those who come across it NOT to order it. It's made of poor quality meat that is stringy and fatty for a price of $17 or so. Margarita was awful, way too strong to taste like anything. I got sick shortly after leaving the restaurant. The food is a disgrace to the Mexican cuisine, the prices are way over what they should be, the service is pathetic and the host staff is incompetent.

I do not recommend this place for anything else other than sitting on the patio on a nice day (and we all know those days are rare in Houston)

Will not return, will not recommend, will not even eat there for free.

• Pros: NONE
• Cons: Everything: food, drinks, atmosphere, value, staff