Great Tex-Mex and atmosphere at Cabo restaurant downtown

By Sasha Schoch and Allie Schaich     11/9/11 6:00pm

Some restaurants are great to eat at because the food is good, but at others, the atmosphere completes the experience. Cabo, located just off the METRORail on Travis Street, is certainly one of those places.

The restaurant had rooftop seating, which was a pretty incredible experience. The outdoor patio is relatively large, and you can see a lot of downtown Houston from the table. There is also upstairs and downstairs seating – this restaurant can hold a lot of people! However, they are very well staffed, so the large number of people being served will not hinder the speed of dining. In fact, our waiter was very friendly and provided fast service. The environment of this restaurant is great for all kinds of people – we saw throngs of Taylor Swift fan girls (there was a concert downtown that night), families, couples, large groups of people and possibly even a pimp. Cabo also offers a private dining room for large groups and parties.

The pricing of the meals at Cabo is relatively moderate – most meals range from $8 - $13 and include rice and beans, as with most Tex-Mex restaurants. Cabo also has a variety of appetizers and a la carte items, so it is definitely possible to have a very cheap meal here.

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Like all good Tex-Mex restaurants, we were served chips and salsa on the house. The chips were basically your average chips that you would find at any restaurant of this type. However, the waiter was very good at ensuring that our baskets of chips and cups of salsa stayed full.

We ordered chicken fajitas and chicken enchiladas. The fajitas came with peppers, onions, rice, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, strips of chicken and lettuce. In the past, when we have ordered fajitas at restaurants, the dish comes with way too much food, and there is food left over. At Cabo, however, there seemed to be just enough food to make the meal. It was not a disappointment, but we were surprised that there was not more food.

The quality and taste of the food was very flavorful. Some things, such as the salsa, were a bit spicier, but the spicy taste could be easily balanced out by the sour cream or guacamole. Neither of us are huge onion fans, but the ones that were served were grilled very well and added to the overall flavor of the meal. We were satisfied with the meal that was ordered, but the flavors could have been a bit more intense to make it a truly delicious meal. We would rate it as better than the average Houston Tex-Mex restaurant, but certainly not the best in Houston.

The chicken enchiladas were also pretty good. There are two in a dish, and they are served with black beans, corn salsa and rice.  The enchiladas alone had a lot of flavor and spice and the black beans were average but still balanced out the spice of the enchilada.  It was definitely a filling meal, enough for one hungry person or possibly enough for two to share. Overall, I would say the enchiladas were very good, and we would certainly recommend them. The option of beef or cheese is also available on the extensive menu. Whatever kind of Tex-Mex meal you're in the mood for, chances are you can find it at Cabo.  

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