Xochi

I stopped by Xochi for lunch on a Thursday for my birthday. Located downtown, we parked at the metered parking across the street. Valet is also an option. With this Mexican restaurant being located close to Discovery Green, self-parking is not easy. But definitely worth it for a Hugo Ortega restaurant. One of Houston's most famous chefs, and a James Beard winner at that, I've tried out a lot of his other restaurants in town. Xochi had been on my list for a while. The restaurant is attached to the Marriott Marquis. We were seated promptly and started to look over the menu. The ambiance at Xochi is nice. Fresh and modern with an emphasis on Mexican decor. Hugo Ortega is from Oaxaca which is renowned in Mexico for its cuisine. I started off with a Mexican beer I had never had before and then tlayuda de res. The tlayuda is a popular street food in Oaxaca and it was my first time having it. The best way to describe it is think of a Mexican pizza. Start with a crisp large tortilla and then add skirt steak, chicilo mole (the sauce), quesillo (the cheese), and black beans. It's a visually appealing dish and something different than anything I've ever had. Not my favorite but the beef was flavorful. The service was fantastic. Our waiter was attentive and had an attention to detail. You can tell that Hugo trains his staff very well. He asked us if we were celebrating anything and we told him that it was my birthday. They provided me with a complimentary flan with "Happy Birthday" written in chocolate and a candle. Super nice of them! We also tried their Oaxacan hot chocolate and churros. The hot chocolate is made tableside which is a cool experience. The churros were delightful---one of my favorite desserts but the hot chocolate was lukewarm so this was a mess. Overall, a little room to tie up some loose ends but a great restaurant!

After traveling to Oaxaca, my perception of "Mexican" cuisine changed for the better! I never thought I would find a memela in Houston, but when I saw that we had a fine-dining Oaxacan restaurant beautifully placed in Discovery Green, I could not wait to give it a try. Xochi is located inside the Marriot and offers valet parking. It is a chic and modern restaurant, typical of upscale hotel restaurants. Once we were seated at our table, our waiter was completely dry and detached. When I asked him what sides came with the fish of the day, he responded "vegetables." Since I obviously wanted a detailed response, I asked what vegetables, in which he got irritated. As a waiter of a fine-dining restaurant, you should be able to describe a dish vividly rather than acting disinterested in the menu. Needless to say, I opted out of that item. I ordered the memela which came with roasted pork, refritos, crema, queso fresco, and a few dollops of a tangy tomatillo-avocado sauce- absolutely delish! I also ordered the tiradito which came with thinly sliced, extremely flavorful chiles with avocado mousse- a visually stunning dish. Our order of the pulpo arrived slightly undercooked in my opinion, however the thickness of the tentacles was noteworthy. Just want to point out that our waiter did not check on us once during this experience which led me to ask one of the bus boys for a dessert menu. I ordered the horchata mousse cake which was velvety and artfully crafted. Despite the exceptional quality of food, the overall experience was ruined by the less than subpar service. Our waiter treated us as a burden from the moment we sat down. After I left, I realized that I didn't ask about parking. The gentleman at the host booth politely informed me that I had to go to my waiter. I walked back towards him and he rudely said you are supposed to pay at the table. How am I supposed to know that? Not a good look for H-Town Restaurant Group.

The Sunday brunch was so good, I ate once and immediately made reservations again two weeks later. For someone that has only eaten mostly Tex-Mex, this was a dream come true for me as I got to try so many Mexican cuisines for the first time. Loved all the vegetable options such as squash and cactus! I wasn't a huge fan of the meats, a lot of which were chicken, and some of the pork were a bit dry, but man did the food pay for itself with the oysters, guac, and all the expensive berries at the end for dessert. Also loved their hot chocolate which was not too sweet and had a strong chocolate taste. Ambiance was amazing with live music going on and resort style decor and atmosphere. Felt like I was transported to a different country while inside!

Stopped in here for lunch after our Houston Hyrox race. This was my first time at a traditional oaxacan restaurant. This was a great first experience we got great service and even though this wasn't what I was used to as far as Mexican it was still a great culinary experience. Went here for brunch and my dish featured sunny side eggs, chorizo, and some greens. The dish was great and all the ingredients went super well together. Definitely a spot I want to go back to try some more oaxaca Mexican food.

Xochi is an upscale Mexican restaurant situated in downtown Houston. It boasts "the flavors of Oaxaca." This creative endeavor of award-winning Chef Hugo Ortega focuses on freshness in a restaurant where everything is made from scratch!The ambiance is such that you are invited to sit back and relax in dimmed lighting with the noise of other patrons, busy wait staff, and music filling the air. Each table is adorned with a small, brightly colored cactus flower in a glass jar. The sturdy menu is beautifully printed and describes all of the unique offerings of Xochi.As an appetizer we tried the Aguachile de Naranja Roja - spicy yellow fin tuna, blood orange, and lime. It was delicious. The tuna seemed to just melt in your mouth; however, with a price tag of $20 I would have expected a little more substance.For my main course, I ordered the Pato Crujiente - crispy duck, salsa albañil, adobo Oaxaqueño, chicharron, and refritos. I highly recommend this dish. The duck was cooked to perfection with crispy skin and juicy meat all while sitting atop a bed of refritos. My friend ordered the Cachetes de Res en Mole Pasilla, and he was very pleased! They even have a mole tasting menu for those who can't just choose one.For dessert, we tried the Helado de Elote - corn custard ice cream, blue corn atole, corn cookie, and Texas blue corn whiskey-infused ice cream. This was a very unique dessert; a small serving size but with mighty flavor! I would definitely order this again and again!I highly recommend Xochi for a night out or special occasion.Note: Parking in downtown can be difficult, especially during dinner time. Take this into account if planning a trip to Xochi.

Man what a treat. If you're looking for a wonderful fancy date night out in town with good... no Great! food then this is it. A bit on the pricey side coming out a total 123$ for two. But the quality of dishes, the amazing table service, and the ambiance really pulled everything together. We ordered 1 drink, 1 appetizer, 2 entrees, and 2 desserts.The portions may look small on the plates but it really did fill my friend and I up! A high recommendation to those looking for a more upclass experience that won't totally break bank.I'll def come back to try out their other dishes!

I absolutely loved this spot! It is the perfect blend of authenticity and sophistication, and it is also owned by Chef Hugo, if that means anything to you. It was recommended to me, so I decided to give it a try for lunch. I split the barbacoa de res rolled steak and the calabacita side with my partner, and it was enough to feed two. We could have been fine with just the steak. Portions are large. The steak was deliciously tender and came served with potatoes, carrots, and a mole sauce beneath it. Although I am not a huge fan of mole, I thought it paired well with the steak. There were also balls of masa with a tomatillo sauce over them that great. We were also given corn tortillas on the side, which were a great addition to make tacos. The dish was plated beautifully, and all the flavors worked well together. 10/10, I would order it again. The calabacita side was recommended to us by the server, as the most popular side dish, so we gave it a try. Although I am not a huge fan of squash, it was cooked perfectly. It also came with a mushrooms, queso fresco, and a tomatillo type sauce. It was such a large portion for a side, and I enjoyed it very much. 9/10, I would order it again as well. The interior of the restaurant is nice. It is bright inside with lots of windows, and the seating is comfortable. Ambiance is on the quieter side, which I appreciate. Service is fast and consistent. Our server made great recommendations and checked up on us repeatedly. Food came out fast. There is no free parking. The restaurant itself has valet, and there is downtown street parking if you can find for cheap. Overall, I'd give the spot a 9.5/10. I thoroughly enjoyed everything, and I will be back to try more of their menu. I would highly recommend for a date night.

This was our first time at an authentic Oaxacan restaurant and were very pleased. We were unfamiliar with many things on the menu and the waiter was incredibly patient and helpful when it came to ordering. He was also attentive throughout the entire time that we were there and we ended up staying for about 5 hours because the drinks and the food and ambiance were such a good experience. The taquitos and the margaritas were our favorites.It is attached to the Marriott Marquis and has valet parking, but there is street parking and parking lots a few blocks away. The have a large bar inside and a patio outside. The restaurant is across the street from Discovery Green so the only downside of our experience was that we were interrupted by a few unhoused folks while we were enjoying our time outside.

Went with a group of 5. Some of the dishes were outstanding! We ordered melotes for a starter which was perhaps the best dish of the night. My ginger masa cocktail, masa memos, was original and quite tasty.I got the enchiladas which were duck this particular night. Served in a tomatillos sauce that tasted fresh and vibrant with a perfect level of heat. The black bean refritos were amazing.The chicken mole negro was lightly fried which was unexpected but my brother in law was very happy with it. My wife got Tlayuda de res. She liked it but I found it dry and over salted. Service was great.

We had an early dinner on March 30th and once again Chef Hugo and Xochi did not disappoint. I had the Cachetes De Res En Mole Pasilla and the beef cheeks we super tender and the Mole, Holy Mole! The mole was the best I've ever had. If I could wish it, I could eat a bowl of just mole with Xochi's corn tortillas in the side. Just pure mole-gasm!