Houstonist Bites: Spanish Village

Yes, that is some fried chicken you see. Yes, as the name would have you believe - this is a Mexican Restaurant review. Befuddled? Then you are too new. Or, perhaps, you don't know your fried chicken quite as well as you would like to think you do (just saying, or we need to be corrected by you, our reader). Houstonist loves a challenge, so we gave ourself one - get skinny(er) and keep giving you some food reviews that are not restricted to rice cakes and miniscule frozen entrees. To prepare ourselves for this resolved healthier-ness, we decided to have a last go at some stellar fried chicken. After the pies, cookies, roasted beast and gravy, stuffing and bacon grease addled vegetables the holidays bring, we need to do some thinking about what actually makes it to our pie-hole (and then becomes the junk in our trunk). However, a treat at times is in order - and the fried chicken and frozen margaritas at Spanish Village are a hella treat. We made this pilgrimage about a year ago-ish and found our "tasty" chicken to be too salty and somewhat dry and over-cooked, so, not-so tasty. The memory of chickens past brought us back around for another try.

We hit the joint this past Saturday with a couple peeps in tow, and we recommended the fried chicken (which burnt us last time) and the frozens. We are some serious food geniuses now, in their eye, anyway. The bird was spot on, amazing, super crispy on the outside and juicy inside. Uhuh, take that Florence Henderson. Arriving on a sizzling cast iron fajita platter, it was all we could do not to dig in immediately and burn our above referenced pie-hole in the process. The fried chicken takes approximately 25 minutes to prepare, and comes with a baked potato or fries. If it's what your after, as soon as your ass hits the chair you state with authority "However-many fried chickens, with (insert side of choice) and a pitcher of frozen margaritas". That way, you aren't wasting valuable cooking time. Now, what you get for about $11.50 plus tax, title and license is four pieces of chicken (one half of one bird) a guacamole salad, and a nice, smallish baked potato or a reasonable helping of fries. The pitcher or margaritas, well, that is gonna run you about $50, last we checked (don't take our word for it, in order to head off the "dumbass" we get one 'rita and switch to beer). The individual margaritas are around $6/each, so for a party of four or more - go pitcher. These are (and we will state, with absolute authority, you don't really scare us) the hands down, best-ever margaritas made in the greater Houston area, all 600 square miles of it!

What, all your heart desires is a couple frozens and some chips? Negative! The fine folks at Spanish Village have your safety at heart, you may not have booze without food. Sorry, that's just the rules. Also, for you parents, children are not allowed to leave out of the front door without an adult accompanying them, so you don't have to worry about Junior making an escape while you are pouring that next margarita. We may as well mention that the actual Mexican food is actually damn good too, and the salsa is nice and hot, pepper hot, not heat hot. So, if you haven't, you should. This place has not been around since the 1940's because they suck, you know what we're saying? Here's the menu, so you can sneak a peak.

Spanish Village
4720 Almeda Rd.
713.523.2861