Chilosos Taco House’s tacos are prepared with tortillas freshly made in house.
Chyna Blackmon
Tucked into one of Houston’s hottest neighborhoods is a tiny house you might drive right past … unless, of course, there’s a line out front. Without its sign, the building blends in with the neighboring homes on an otherwise quiet block in the Heights. But the former-home-turned-restaurant has become one of Houston’s go-to taco spots, with a name that fits the building perfectly: Chilosos Taco House.
The longtime local restaurant sits just off the corner of Gostick Street at 701 E. 20th St., inside a small one-story home. Step inside its bright red doors, and it still looks and feels like one too.
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‘She bought it, she believed in it, she didn’t stop’
Chilosos Taco House opened in the Heights in 2007.
Chyna Blackmon
In the words of Rensso Myers, his mother, Gloria, was always a foodie. Gloria dreamed of opening a restaurant. While some may have looked for an open property or vacant space, she set her sights on the home in the Heights. She transformed the house and its garage into a fast-casual restaurant with a bar built into the former garage.
“She just saw the place and she saw it as an opportunity. She knew it was going to have a good amount of traffic. She knew it was going to grow and be better in the future,” Myers told Chron.
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And Gloria’s intuition was right—both about the growth in the Heights and the restaurant itself, which now draws large weekend crowds for breakfast and lunch.
Diners during lunch service at Chilosos Taco House.
Chyna Blackmon
But Myers’ mother also wanted Chilosos to feel like a home with its atmosphere and its food, intentionally making sure the vibe lived up to its name.
The bar of Chilosos Taco House used to be a garage.
Chyna Blackmon
That feeling is evident inside, where the restaurant still resembles a home with decorative art, decor and books shelved on the walls above tables filled with customers dining in or waiting to take their meals to go.
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Its menu was created with that same sense of familiarity in mind, drawing inspiration from his mother’s hometown in Mexico. Inspired by Monterrey, Chilosos’ menu is full of traditional Mexican cuisine along with other classic Tex-Mex bites for breakfast and lunch.
That was the vision when Myers’ mother, Gloria, opened Chilosos Taco House in 2007. Since her passing in 2017, Rensso and his siblings have continued to carry out her dreams of running their late mother’s restaurant.
Chilosos Taco House is open for dine-in or carry out.
Chyna Blackmon
‘I grew up watching her build this place’
“And it’s crazy growing up, because I was a teenager—I mean, I was a little kid—and then growing up and hearing [people mention] my taco place. I would go to concerts or any events, and you’d hear people say, ‘Oh, that’s her favorite place,'” Myers said.
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“For example, I lived in Webster two years ago—that’s far away from here. We were at a Chili’s, and next thing you know, the waiter says this is her favorite place. She drives 40 minutes over here. It’s hearing all that and hearing how blessed I am to have people acknowledge the restaurant like that. That’s what drives me home every day.”
His passion for the family business came through in his hospitality during my visit on a random weekday. It was my first time at Chilosos, and while I admitted to taking my time looking through the breakfast and lunch menu, Rensso quickly jumped in to explain the offerings and share some of his favorites.
Chilosos Taco House serves tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, nachos and more.
Chyna Blackmon
At the time, he didn’t know I was there on assignment, and I didn’t initially know he was the owner while taking my order at the counter. So I was surprised by his kindness and enthusiasm to introduce a first-timer to the menu. He even ran to the kitchen to grab me a sample to try before I ordered.
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I saw that same kind of friendly service as he welcomed the other newcomers and regulars who walked in while I chowed down on my own food—which did not disappoint.
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Knowing it was my first taste of Chilosos, he of course recommended their tacos prepared with their fluffy housemade tortillas, so I customized a breakfast taco with scrambled eggs, cripsy potatoes and chorizo and got another one of their classics: carne guisada with beef tips drenched in brown gravy.
A breakfast taco made with eggs, potatoes and chorizo and a carne guisada made with beef tips in gravy.
Chyna Blackmon
Though the tacos offered different flavors, they had one thing in common: Both were very filling, with toppings literally spilling out into the basket the meal was served in. Rensso himself said two tacos were enough for him, and after trying two of my own, I agreed. I didn’t need to order more, but I could see how easy it would be to get tempted by the rest of the menu, including the fajitas, enchiladas and nachos.
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Nearly 20 years later, Myers said that little has changed in Chilosos’ design or on its menu so it’s not surprising to hear that they still see a stream of some of their returning customers from the restaurant’s early days.
Chilosos Taco House is open in a former house in the Heights neighborhood.
Chyna Blackmon