Ninfa Rodriguez Laurenzo was a Mexican American widow with five children when she started a taco stand in July 1973. She was trying to help her struggling tortilla factory in Houston’s East End. Banks turned her down for loans, so a friend in Mexico City lent her the money.
Tacos al carbon
Her signature dish was tacos al carbon, grilled skirt steak served on tortillas. The dish later became widely known as fajitas, and Ninfa’s is widely credited with popularizing it around Houston.
From one stand to a chain
A second location opened on Westheimer Road in 1975. By 1993 the Ninfa’s chain had grown to 43 restaurants across Texas and Louisiana. Rapid expansion led the parent company to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1996, and the Laurenzo family left the business in 1998. Ninfa Laurenzo died in 2001 at age 77.
The original today
The Original Ninfa’s on Navigation, at 2704 Navigation Boulevard, has been owned and operated by Legacy Restaurants since mid-2006. Other restaurants using the Ninfa’s name are run by independent owners and are not affiliated with the original.
Know before you go
- Location: 2704 Navigation Blvd., Houston, in the East End.
- Check current hours before visiting.
Ninfa’s is a reminder that some of Texas’s most famous foods began with one determined person and a small stand.
Featured photo: Ninfa’s, Houston by WhisperToMe, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
