Tacos Doña Lena is moving its Spring Branch location down the street to a bigger space and adding a bar, according to the Houston Business Journal. The new Tacos Doña Lena is expected to open within the Bingle Village Shopping Center at 2030 Bingle Rd later this year.
What Now Houston reached out to owner Angel Cabrera to find out more about the move and changes. Unfortunately, we did not hear back by the time of this publication.
“Doña Lena started selling her tacos in her hometown of Salamanca, Guanajuato, Mexico in 1985. When she moved to the USA in the 1990’s, she continued her taco business from her home,” the Tacos Doña Lena website reads.
“People have been enjoying her authentic street tacos for many years and now so can you.”
Tacos Doña Lena was founded in April 2020 by Cabrera to honor his mother, Magdalena “Doña Lena” Cabrera, who spent 25 years selling homemade tacos out of their family apartment. Her earnings eventually helped pay for her son Angel’s college education. Angel always promised that he would open a proper restaurant for his mother once he grew up. That dream became a reality in April 2020.
The family launched the physical shop on Hammerly Boulevard right as the COVID-19 pandemic and business shutdowns began. Despite early financial struggles, loyal neighborhood customers helped the business survive and thrive. According to the Texas Monthly Review, the colorful restaurant became famous for its Guanajuato-style birria, winning a spot on Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S. in 2021. The family expanded in 2024 by opening a second restaurant on 18th Street in the Timbergrove/Lazybrook area near the Heights.
The OG location on Hammerly Blvd has already become a staple in the Greater Houston region. But even beloved customers said it filled up quickly and are excited about the larger venue.
“This is a bittersweet moment for us – but now we will be able to do so many things we couldn’t do at our current location,” a Facebook post on the Tacos Don Lena Facebook page reads.
“We will continue serving the same delicious food but the new TDL Spring Branch on Bingle will have a full BAR, serving margaritas, beer and specialty cocktails. Along with new menu items like queso, guac, flautas, desserts and other favorite Mexican antojitos.”
Check it out for yourself when Tacos Doña Lena opens in its new space within the Bingle Village Shopping Center at 2030 Bingle Rd later this year.
“Our current Spring Branch – Hammerly location will remain OPEN until the new Bingle location opens in a few weeks,” the Facebook post reads.
“Thank you for all the love and continuous support, we are super excited for this new chapter. Stay tune for more updates and our Grand Opening date.”
(This is a developing story. As more information is made available, we will update this article. Stay tuned!)
