Cafe del Sol   22116 Franz Rd Katy TX 77449 281.599.1886 You might also be interested in these:     Mexican Food Restaurants    Outdoor Dining    ZIP 77449   Add Review       MY REVIEW: We've been for breakfast twice and have had good meals both times. Omelets are very good. I get the migas - Breakfast Nachos - and they were very flavorful both times. The service can be slow but they are always nice. It's well-priced too. Worth a shot for breakfast on the weekends since everywhere else in Katy is on a 45 min wait. NAME: Summer SUBMITTED: 6/10/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 06/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: Keep trying to make this place work, but basically the most common Tex-Mex fare and a mediocre kitchy sort of Mexican atmosphere. Have had new waitresses several times who weren't familiar with the menu. Simply too bland and uninspired to keep us coming back. Odd sort of location, with little parking, but never been there when there were more than a few poeple, so not as much of a problem as one might imagine. Just okay in a marketplace that is full to overflowing with Mexican restaurants, many of which are better, cheaper, and easier to get to. There are a half dozen places on Mason Road that are much better and cheaper with better service. NAME: Professor SUBMITTED: 7/16/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 5/2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: I think the place is very plain. No frills and no thrills, but the best fajitas around. What ever they marinade the meat in is tasty and makes it tender. any dish with the fajita meat is a winner. NAME: 99er SUBMITTED: 10/31/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 10-30-06 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: I remember visiting this place back in 2002 when it was open for only a few months. Very unique style of food. It was owned by a couple and eventually, only the wife remained. The food was still better than average, but when she sold it, it turned to what you would normally find at any tex-mex restaurant only it wasn't that good either. Shame. NAME: Katyzen SUBMITTED: 9/1/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 8/2006 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: This restaurant is a comfortable place to spend an afternoon or evening. The food seems to be a bit more authentic than some other Mexican Restaurants in the Houston Area and I found it to be quite enjoyable. The Chile Rellenos were excellent, as well as the freshly made salsas. Bring the kids, let em play in the sand box. It was a pleasant experience. NAME: Katyman SUBMITTED: 4/3/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: April 2006 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: I usualy give a place a few chances before deciding not to go... however this was my first an last time at Cafe Del Sol. The building seemeed friendly and fun on the outside but once inside it was neather friendly nor personable. The porch was cool and the bar looked fun but the food was bad, horably greasy and bland. The nachos were good, but can you realy mess up beans cheese and chips. The place has potential but... NAME: Jason SUBMITTED: 3/5/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 3/2006 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Well the salsa bar that I have raved about several times is gone (see earlier reviews). The one thing that I felt set them apart (e.g. roasted corn salsa) is gone. We ordered two different types of beef fajita platters and they were OK. Without their unique edge to set them apart, we may or may not be back, certainly not at full price (coupon maybe). NAME: msu79gt82 SUBMITTED: 10/17/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 10/15/05 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: Reviews that only say things like "this place is to die for" or this is the "WORST FOOD EVER" lack credibility and are of no help to people looking for an honest critical review. Why was the place so good or so bad? We recently ordered the Beef Fajita Taco Salad and the Beef Pablano Pepper Fajita Platter. We have previously raved about their beef fajitas; however this time we could not rate them as excellent, but they were still good. The fajita platter had a decent amount of grilled onions, tomatoes, and pablano peppers; however the pablano peppers were overcooked relative to the beef and other veggies. I have said before that finding good/average Tex-Mex in the metro-Houston area is not difficult (excellent is a different story however); so that the many average restuarants in the area must find some way to stand out to attract our business. Cafe del Sol provides good food and their salsa bar (roasted corn salsa, pico de gallo, red and green salsa) sets them above the other good/average ones for us. NAME: msu79gt82 SUBMITTED: 4/27/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 4/23/05 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: WORST MEXICAN FOOD EVER!!! Do not even think about eating here, you are better off warming up a frozen tv dinner. Try El V*aquero (looks ugly but the best mex food in Katy) on Fry Rd or Los C*ucos on Clay (for the awesome kids playground) NAME: ann SUBMITTED: 4/22/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 3/1/05 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: Decided to give it one more chance (see below); thinking if the salsa still sucked then we'd make do. I'm happy to say the salsa is vastly improved. Two styles were served however (what's up with that?); a tasty pureed base salsa and then when that batch was refilled it was replaced with a typical very finely diced variety. Both were good, but we prefered the second batch. I spoke with the manager and she said their salsa is homemade and that their supply of tomatoes had been somewhat variable?? in any event a vast improvement over August. To recap: Excellent beef fajitas (so-so chicken fajitas, which we will not order again); an excellent roasted corn salsa; a very good pico de gallo; green salsa is good as well as their chips. "Traditional" salsa seems to be a hit or miss, but I can say their August disaster appears to be an anomaly. They are back on my recommended list, a nice alternative in the Tex-Mex lineup. NAME: msu79gt82 SUBMITTED: 11/1/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 10/29/04 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: The sign says: Under New management - I say with mixed results. Some things have improved since my last visit, unfortunately some things are worse (see my earlier review). They now use real plates, forks/spoons, salsa bowls, etc. The biggest disappoinment was the salsa they put in the bowls - it was horrible! No kidding we all agreed it was the worse salsa we'd ever been served (essentially spiced tomato sauce; that did not taste good). Regarding the changes under the new management, I inquired about the new salsa recipe and the waitress more or less said that what we had was what they now served??? The variety on the salsa condiment bar is now gone as well; all that remains is a very good pico de gallo, a very good corn salsa, and a repsectable green salsa (the other items I reported earlier are now gone). As far as the food goes it it about the same as before; the chicken fajitas are OK; however the beef fajitas are excellent (as good as we've had anywhere). Bottom line: IF (and its a big IF) you can tolerate mexican food w/o any salsa, then Cafe del Sol offers excellent beef fajitas and an exellent corn salsa. But as I said it a big IF - in my mind it is inexcusable for a mexican restuarant to serve up such poor "salsa" if you can call it that. NAME: msu79gt82 SUBMITTED: 8/2/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 7/30/04 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: This is a great restaurant! It has recently come under new ownership, and some changes can be seen; however, a great place is only being improved upon! Take the kids, relax... and enjoy... I love their fajitas! My wife lives for the chicken flautas, and we always have to have 2 chile con quesos to make everyone happy. The prices are low, which makes it affordable for a family on a budget like mine and we can still get great food! NAME: Rainman SUBMITTED: 6/25/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: Constant FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: It is not hard to find good Mexican food in metro-Houston (now excellent is a different story) and this place has good Mexican food! The small things set the restaurant apart and give a good reason to go. First, as I said, the food is good and priced fairly. The self-serve condiment bar is very unique and gives Cafe del Sol its edge in the "good" market. In addition to the standard salsa and pico de gallo, it offers fresh and pickled jalapenos, an excellent corn salsa, onions and fresh cilantro, pickled carrots, sour cream, etc. The variety on the condiment bar greatly enhances the typical chips & dip only experience of other Mexican restaurants. My only complaint is cheap plastic forks/spoons and very small plastic salsa/condiment {bowls). While I love the condiment bar, the small containers will necessitate numerous trips. Verdict: a pleasant restaurant that adds a little variety to the list of good ones to frequent. NAME: msu79gt82 SUBMITTED: 6/21/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 5/7/04 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: While they don't have the best Mexican food around, we do eat there a lot because it's cheap, close to home and relaxing. I love their tortilla soup, corn salsa, beef flautas and the chili con queso is incredible topped with their shredded beef (though a couple times we have been there they were out of it, or in the process of making it). The service is not that great, however. Thank goodness you can get your own chips, salsa and drink refills. They've added a few new items to the menu including mexican eggrolls (fabulous!) and a a rib eye, which was pretty darn good. They are also bad about being out of things (certain beers) and for some reason they have a lot of problems with their margarita machine. But overall it's a great place to have a meal with your family. NAME: Bianca SUBMITTED: 5/3/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: April, 2004 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: Poor quality food , bad service, filthy restrooms...I think that sums it up! NAME: Leslie SUBMITTED: 3/24/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 3/15/04 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: What can I say "this food has heart". You can tell that the ingredients are far superior to other Katy Mexican Restaurants. The salsas are fresh, the fajitas are outstanding. They make everything from scratch. The owner takes great pride in creating outstanding ambience and serving high quality food. They are kid friendly and that means alot. I personally found the negative reviews suprising as I frequent this establishment weekly. NAME: loyal cafe del sol customer SUBMITTED: 2/6/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 02/04 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: As I read over the other reviews I was amazed that people either loved Cafe del Sol or hated it. I'm in the love it crowd. I feel that the prices are extremely reasonable (there are always coupons around for buy one/get one, too), the variety is great, and their corn salsa and chicken chimichangas are to die for. No, it's not true Mexican (thank God), but I have never heard a complaint from anyone I have dined there with. Generally, I go there for lunch with large groups of people (10-20 at a time) and we all get served quickly and everyone has always left happy. I can't imagine what was bothering the other reviewers. I agree that evenings at the outside tables are only a good idea if a) you have kids of your own or b) you have been drinking for some time and don't care. The margaritas can be kind of weak, but during happy hour they are quite cheap anyway. Try one with flavoring, like rasperrry or peach. NAME: Kristen SUBMITTED: 2/5/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: November 2003 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: Absolutely the worst mexican food I have ever had. The last time I was so unhappy was 10 yrs ago at Los Ti*os. It did not take long after our plates arrived for me to realize everyone was a gringo. The margaritas were as strong as kool-aid. Makes Pan*cho's look like fine cusine. My grandfather always said..."when you go into a new mexican restaurant always look around. If everyone is white, you need to go somewhere else"... NAME: Picky Katy Eater SUBMITTED: 10/25/2003   LAST VISIT WAS: 10/10/03 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: The thing you'll like about Cafe del Sol is it's unassuming atmosphere. They use disposable plates! Totally cool. It feels like true cafe style dining. If you have kids they have a snadbox play area. They have a "salsa bar" from which you can load up on chips and dip whenever you like and they also allow you to refill your sodas whenever you like. If you are looking for a Mexican restraunt in which you will be pampered and fussed over, this is not your place. But if you want darn good and inexpensive Mexican food then give it a shot. I had the beef burritos and they were very good. My wife had spinach enchiladas and she really enjoyed them as well. As for "weak points" I can't think of any considering their prices and what you get. It's casual. It's comfy. A great dining experience. NAME: redundantman SUBMITTED: 10/9/2003   LAST VISIT WAS: 09/2003 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: This is by far the worst Restaurant I have ever visited. The prices were extremely High for being served on Plastic Plates with Plastic utensils as well as Styrofoam cups. The Beans were Ranch Style Jalapeno out of a can, the refried beans were just mashed up Ranch Style beans. The Children would not eat thier food and after i sampled it, it was Awful! The Fajitas which I ordered were plain and definitely not worth the 20 bucks. You have to get your own drinks and refills on chips as well as get your own condiments. There is definitely better Restaurants, better service, better food, cheaper prices right up the road. All the food seemed to be frozen foods that were defrosted for a meal and nothing added for flavor. Enchilada sauce tasted like Old El P*so Enchilada sauce from a can. The Cheese tasted like the Aged cheddar in a can sold at Sams. We definitely will never return. It was 6pm and only one other table in the place. It was very Clean, a small but nice set up. The food is awful... NAME: Katy Mom SUBMITTED: 9/12/2003   LAST VISIT WAS: 09/03 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Very easy atmosphere with great music and interesting bands on the weekends. Kid friendly patio, gets a bit rowdy but you can always stay inside! The staff are extremely friendly, expect to always get a table side visit from the owner. You can tell she puts her soul into the Sol! Love the salsa! My friends dig the award winning green salsa as well as the corn salsa. If you get a chance, try the sangria margarita during happy hour. NAME: Christine SUBMITTED: 9/5/2003   LAST VISIT WAS: 8/03 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: My wife had the torta which was excellent. My duahter had a fajita taco which was fair. I had the beef fajita chalupas. Very plain and not much flavor. The sauses were pretty poor also. The beans tasted like they were out of a can. I would go back for a torta but not for anything else. NAME: LJ SUBMITTED: 9/4/2003   LAST VISIT WAS: 09/2003 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: The place is not too much to look at, but their food is great. The atmosphere is relaxing, and the outdoor area is kid-friendly. Avoid outdoors if you don't like kids, because they tend to run wild as the playground is there. There is a small bar area as well. The food is great, and is served on plastic/paper plates with plastic utensils. The hot sauce is excellent, especially their corn salsa (I can't get enough of this stuff!) The staff is friendly, but is sometimes unattentive, so it is a good place if you want to slow down and relax awhile. They have Happy Hour drink specials from 4-7 also. They are closed on Sunday, as they are locally owned, and only Open Mon-Sat. NAME: David SUBMITTED: 6/3/2003   LAST VISIT WAS: 1 month ago FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: Horrible Experience! From the frozen fish stick tacos to the staff's children running wild and physically assaulting customers, this was overall the worst meal of my life. NAME: Jennifer SUBMITTED: 1/19/2003   LAST VISIT WAS:  FREQUENCY: Visited once ©Copyright 1991 - 2008 B4-U-EAT.COM. All rights reserved. Design and database by B4-U-BUY