Escalante's Mexican Grille

4053 Westheimer Road
713.623.4200

Located in the Highland Village, this new outpost for this Houston favorite will undoubtedly congest this little area even more. Escalante is all sleek light tanned leather chairs, open windows and bright colors. While there, we discovered, to our horror, that all the patrons knew each other and that we were foreigners at a new inside the loop restaurant.

We ordered the fajitas for two at a very reasonable $22. The meat came moist, the onions slightly translucent and the sour cream and guacamole plentiful. Unfortunately the salsa has the imagination and flavor of ketchup. We had to get jalepenos to add at least a little heat to this bland concoction.

Do order the President margarita, a very smooth, very entertaining bit of alcoholic goodness. I had mine on the rocks with salt--it was so smooth the salt actually detracted from the taste.

Service was very urban. The outdoors felt great. The light made me happy and the alcohol made me goofy. Add the fact that Bob Allen was sitting in the booth across from us with a cute blonde, and I felt like a local celebrity in what is sure to become a Houston hotspot.