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Fearless Critic restaurant review
Houston
Food
Feel
Price
7.9
8.0
$30
Mexican
Casual restaurant

Hours
Sun–Thu 8:00am–midnight
Fri–Sat 8:00am–3:00am

Features Kid-friendly, live music
Bar Beer, wine, liquor
Credit cards Visa, MC, AmEx
Reservations Accepted

www.doneraki.com

North Houston
2836 Fulton St.
(713) 224-2509
Hours
Mon–Thu 9:00am–midnight
Fri 9:00am–2:00am
Sat 8:00am–2:00am
Sun 8:00am–midnight

Westchase
7705 Westheimer Rd.
Houston, TX
(713) 975-9815

East Houston
300 Gulfgate Ctr.
Houston, TX
(713) 645-6400
Doneraki
Reliable Tex-Mex until the wee hours

The name doesn’t exactly sound Mexican, but supposedly, it’s named after a man called Eraki, who invented tacos al pastor. Putting aside all the coincidences and dubious stories, though, the Tex-Mex menu here, if predictable, is dead-on. That doesn’t mean everything tastes ideal—the salsa is just okay, with little kick; queso’s pleasant enough but similarly light on chile intrigue. But then grilled quail—which comes à la carte or on a pricey parrillada—scales the heights of char-grilled supremacy, its skin crisped without its juicy meat exposed to heat for a second too long. Beef and sirloin adobada also perform well, their marinades infusing the flavor but not dominating it. Chicken breast can be slightly dry, but you’re not here for that, anyway. Various enchiladas perform with consummate skill: the cheese is not congealed, the salsa verde has the right degree of tang, that Tex-Mex chili gravy is rich and guiltily good. Margaritas aren’t quite tart enough, but they’re not absurdly sweet either, and they pack a good punch (especially at $2 a pop, all day on Monday through Wednesday).

Of the two locations, the one of Gulfgate is the original and most interesting, sporting an enormous, room-sized replica of a Diego Rivera mural. But if you’re stuck at work, they’ll deliver, so long as you order 10 items or more.