Goode Co. is as endemic to Houston as the Pappas empire, and its taquería deserves serious praise for keeping the menu to such a manageable number of options. The absolute best order here is anything mesquite-grilled: deliciously marinated, tender, but undersalted fajitas; chicken breast, dry and bland compared to other meats, but still wood-kissed; ribeye, pork chops, and even quail—a rare delicacy in the rest of the world but a mainstay ’round these parts.

Cheese enchiladas are great and gooey, but well-seasoned queso gets thick-skinned after only about fifteen seconds of neglect. Burgers take on the headiness of mesquite; at the toppings bar, you can pile on jalapeños, pico de gallo, and a delicious, dark roasted-tomato salsa, in addition to the standard lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, and so on. It all makes for a burger well above average.

There’s a terrific, full breakfast served on weekends, including a spectacular eggs with quail or venison sausage, but it shuts down at 12:30pm, excluding the party crowd for whom it might otherwise hold vast hangover-cure appeal. Frozen margaritas are strong and balanced, although the plastic-cup presentation takes away from the effect. No romantic cantina, this; the characteristic Goode Co. theming (neon signs and contrived hand-painted menus) gets lost in the cavernous, airy space—but still, it’s a space filled with delicious mesquite-grill scents.