Irma's Restaurant

Doesn't Recommend

olddad

Joined 6 years ago

Biggest ripoff I've ever experienced. The only reason they get a one star rating is that there is no zero option. $31.00 per person for 2 very small enchiladas, 1/2 portion of rice, 1/3 portion of beans, and a warm tortilla is absolutely rediculous. You would have to be out of your mind to EVER return, if you have the misfortune of going there in the first place. There's theft and grand theft - 5 of us agree, this was the latter. And 5 of us agree - we won't return. Ever.

Recommends

nineeightylunchclub

Joined 6 years ago

Inaugural 9/80 Lunch Club Review. We all agree it was expensive for lunch fare. Overall quality was good and we all left with smiles on our faces. Good food, good atmosphere, rather expensive for both

Highlight:

-A first time Mole enchilada eater (from Mass.) gave it a thumbs up!

-Best queso with fresh veggies/peppers added was a major plus.

-Great homemade corn tortillas.

-Friendly service and homey atmosphere

-Lemon and ice in the men's urinals......couldn't determine why limes and kumquats were being discriminated against. Must see!?

-Parking attendant is helpful.

-Service was fast and the food was hot.

Lowlights:

-Expensive prices and the club is unable to go on a regular basis

-$2.50 for a cup of ice tea is high when compared to the lemonade (same price)

-Price is a mystery (no menu)

Decision:

-Consider repeating in 6 months or longer due to price

Doesn't Recommend

arivera3426

Joined 6 years ago

Bring an extra arm and a leg because you're gonna need it when you get the bill !!!. Irma's used to be good. However, the prices far outshine the food...really. Let me explain. My sister and I each had the usual 1 of 4 dishes that are usually blabbed each time a customer walks in. Spinach enchiladas and chicken milanes with rice and beans (I didn't know these were an extra charge). Two strawberry lemonades and a guacamole later, we received our bill: $42 before tip!!!!! Sheeesh for this much money, I usually had a lap dance included!!!

Anyhoo, the good food and charm of this restaurant has gone out with the rest of the eastside of downtown Houston; probably in a landfill with the rest of the buildings and history. Needless to say, we probably will never return to Irma's again; and judging by the new 5 series BMW parked under the private restaurant awning I would say others are paying for this horrible food.

Don't feel sorry for Irma; she is a rich woman (just check HCAD records).

Doesn't Recommend

energyman2007

Joined 6 years ago

My least favorite restaurant in all of Houston. I simply cannot stand this place. The thought of it annoys me to no end. PROS: 1) Close to Minute Maid park. 2) There is worse Mexican food in Houston. CONS (where to begin!): 1) There is no menu. The typically rude waitresses spout off 5 unoriginal menu items that never change. There is nothing special about them. 2) Portions are miniscule. And I mean MINISCULE. We ordered guacamole and queso for starters, and they proceed to bring us helpings of each in the smallest bowls ever constructed by man. I believe they were $6 each. Absolutely ridiculous. Shrimp fajitas includes 5 small shrimp that I had to cut into even smaller pieces so I could have more than 1 fajita. You also get a small portion of rice (no beans or anything). Honestly, this was a Kid's plate. 3) The Bill. WOW - no explanation of what you are paying for. 3 of us had a margarita each, the aforementioned 2 starters, and 3 entrees, and it was 88 FREAKING DOLLARS (before tip)! Simply unbelievable. 4) Irma. I keep thinking that maybe she is so friendly that people feel the need to support her restaurant. Nope, not the case. She is very obnoxious, and like someone said before, full of herself.

As I left, I wondered how in the hell this place has been open for 15+ years. Thankfully, I have never gone on my dime (my boss loves it), and perhaps that's what's keeping this place alive - a bunch of businessmen that charge it to the Company card!

Doesn't Recommend

terri182ds

Joined 6 years ago

GREAT PLACE TO AVOID. WHAT A RIP OFF!!!. We went to this place for lunch. The chips and sala were good. That is about all I can say. This place does not give you menu but rather the wait staff tells you what is available. The reason for no menu is because you would not order a thing if you knew the cost! I went with a party of three and was charged $12.50 for a cereal bowl sized chicken soup. My soup seriously had THREE 50 cent piece sized chunks of chicken and maybe a 1/2 cup of vegetables at best! I grew up on a border city and have had plenty of delicious mexican food in my life and this was very mediocre. Very. $13.50 was charged for two small cheese enciladas! On top of the stupid prices, the cashier was rude. We asked how they could charge $12.50 for a small bowl of soup her response was "We have been here 18 years." I guess that gives them permission to steal from their patrons. We paid half cash and the other half on a debit card and she told us that next time she would not allow us to do that. No problem! There will not be a next time!!! Another tip, the have jars of pre-packed mole sauce on a shelf there. The same kind you can buy at your local grocer so save yourself some money and make it yourself.

Recommends

Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

For friendly service and hospitality as warm as the enchiladas and salsa, pull up a chair at this downtown landmark.. In Short
This tiny spot is a delightful jumble of home furnishings and bric-a-brac blanketed by the intoxicating smell of Mexican home cooking. Serving only weekday breakfast and lunch, Irma's has become a downtown fixture among the politico crowd, and is known for having no menu. Memorable lunches include fajitas, center-cut pork chops with ancho chili sauce, spinach enchiladas and, of course, the fresh-squeezed lemonade.

Doesn't Recommend

notarookie

Joined 7 years ago

Ka Ching. The staff is extremely friendly and the service is excellent (though we arrived after most of the lunch crowd was gone). The food was good, not great (I grew up in a small town in South Texas and am familiar with good, authentic Mexican food). I had the beef fajitas, my wife had a combo plate. We also ordered a child's plate each for our 3yr old and 5yr old consisting of a cheese enchilada, rice, and beans. Our experience was good until it was time to pay the piper to a whopping $53 (without tip). I felt violated!! I don't care about ambience, decor, charm, etc. No Mexican food is worth this kind of price period. We WON'T be back!!

Doesn't Recommend

ayeshanajam

Joined 7 years ago

Authentic Surprise!. The food is good, but the portions are on the small side. It's an authentic Mexican joint, so don't expect frou frou, adventurous items on the verbal menu, and don't expect the servers to speak much English. The SURPRISE comes at the end of the meal, when you realize that five lemonades and five orders of cheese enchiladas brings you to an un-itemized bill of $95.00 to which the server has already added herself a $20.00 tip, bringing the lunch bill to $115.00 (for what would have costed less than $40 at Lupe's, Chuy's, or La Taqueria Tapatia)!!!

SURPRISE!!!! YOU JUST GOT RIPPED OFF!!!

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josh1

Joined 7 years ago

Great Mexican food.. I love this place. Definitely good food and friendly service. It's not expensive at all, so it's a good place to go for just a casual meal.

Recommends

biggianted

Joined 8 years ago

Good, and expensive. Irma's has good, fresh food served by very pleasant staff in a lively and welcoming (if small) setting. I'd go back again and again for the spinach enchiladas or chicken mole (both of which are bursting with bright flavors, spicey sauces, and not overwhelmed with melted gooey stuff like too much Tex-Mex in this town), except that the prices are far too high. $32 before tip for two entrees and two lemonades for lunch is just too much for me to handle. I love the people and the food, just can't stoumach the high prices. A real shame. I'm sure I'll return,but I'll make sure that someone else is buying!