Here’s another one of those mistaken-identity cases to watch for: Ninfa’s, as reviewed here, is not related to the original Ninfa’s on Navigation. It was, once upon a time, but not anymore. You can’t get any more different from the original—where the fajita was purportedly invented—than these lazier, less noteworthy multiples run by the Austin-based Serranos Tex-Mex group. Most of the interiors of this mega-chain (which spreads across Texas and even Louisiana and Georgia) are quite pleasant, with the feeling of a Mexican indoor courtyard.

Frozen margaritas are small and lifeless cups of yellow-green tinted slushies; expect to spend a fortune to get even a slight buzz—it’s better to stick with beer. Ninfa’s salsa may be the only chips and salsa in town that aren’t even mildly addictive; they just taste of watery tomatoes and vinegar. The famous fajitas, served on a sizzling platter, look and smell delectable, but the show is the best part; skirt steak always seems to come chewy and flavorless. Platos mexicanos are Ninfa’s answer to the value meal. “El Dannie” (three crispy tacos) comes with dry, tasteless beef, while “El Henry” has the most variety, with a tamal, enchilada, and taco that are all dominated by a yellow-orange film of grease.

Ninfa’s was once a Houston Tex-Mex legend. Now it’s just a name. You’ll have to visit the original on Navigation for anything more than that.