A Tex-Mex rarity, Puffy queso is a signature dish at Houston's Los Tios. This crunchy, cheesy delight has delighted locals since 1970, becoming a must-try culinary treasure.
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Houston has a lot of Tex-Mex restaurants, but thick queso stands out as a rare and long-lasting favorite. This food has a cult following because it can only be found at Los Tios, a family-owned restaurant that opened in 1970. Los Tios has five sites in Houston and serves thousands of puffy quesos every month, which shows its popularity.
A corn tortilla is fried until it puffs and turns brown and crispy. This is the base of puffy queso. Add decadent toppings like creamy chile con queso, beans, meats, or fajita ingredients to this light base. The most famous part of the dish is when people "pop" the tortilla open to see what's inside.
Danny Trujillo, general manager of Los Tios Memorial, said that the restaurant sells a thick queso every six minutes during the week. Still, on the weekends, the demand goes through the roof. People love the Original Puffy Queso, covered in chile con queso. They also like the stuffed versions with beef or chicken fajitas and guacamole.
Flaky tacos from San Antonio are where puffy queso got its start. The original owners of Los Tios, the Garbett family, got the idea for the dish and made their version of it, which became a menu staple: puffy queso. When the Adair family bought the chain in 2000, they kept the famous dish that had already become a legend in the area.
Fans think that puffy queso is perfect because one can't avoid the creamy cheese and crunchy tortilla. The puffy queso has been a fan’s favorite for over a decade.
A bite of thick queso is more than just a meal; it's a tasty tribute to Houston's unique Tex-Mex history.
