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Loida Casares Ruiz

Wife, Mother, Writer, Advertising Manager

Loida Casares Ruiz grew up in Northeast Houston. She graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Minor in English. She received a Master of Arts in Communication in 2001. She works in advertising by day and is a mother, wife, and writer by night. She has al...

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Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen

Loida Casares Ruiz

If you are looking for great Mexican food in Houston look no further than 12637 Westheimer Rd. This is my cousin’s restaurant, Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen. So what, I may sound a little biased, but I’m not. Just read this review by The Houston Chronicle’s Allison Cook and judge for yourself. Better yet, get in your car and drive yourself to West Houston and check it our for yourself.

I visited my cousin’s restaurant recently, because i wanted to take her a velox copy of her recent profile in La Voz de Houston, and I was reminded of how great her restaurant is. I ordered the chicken soup and it was fabulous. This was the first time I ate there post-lap band, so unfortunately I didn’t get to eat the enchiladas and I didn’t get to enjoy the chips and salsa, but I wished that I could.  I’ve had them many times before. I love love love the green enchiladas and the carne guisada, among many other things. I’ve even had the famous chocolate tres leches cake. To die for! 

When I decided to write about Sylvia’s today I thought I’d Google her first. I loved reading some of the reviews by real people on B4-U- Eat. 99% of the reviews are extremely positive, of course. I wouldn’t expect anything less, having eaten there myself.  I love the way many of the customers mention the personal touch that she adds to the restaurant experience when Sylvia goes around to each table to greet the guests.

Unfortunately I couldn’t find the great review that Dai Huynh wrote about her in The Houston Chronicle Dining Guide, even before Allison Cook’s review. That was also a great review.  I remember a co-worker saying, “Some restaurant owners would die to get on the cover of the Restaurant Guide once. Your cousin has made it twice in two years!”

I’ve had so many co-workers tell me that they eat at Sylvia’s and that they love it. I’ve had friends tell me that they have friends who eat there on a regular basis or when I mention that Sylvia is my cousin they tell me that they’ve been there and that they love it. One co-worker told me that her husband’s employees eat there on a regular basis. One day, for some kind of customer appreciation day or executive assistant’s day, he asked them where they wanted to go eat. They all said, “Sylvia’s,” even though they eat there all the time. That says a lot!

If you live in Houston, or you visit Houston, make sure you check out Sylvia’s. Like she says, she really does have  “enchiladas to drive for.”