Marco's Mexican Restaurants

[ChannelTwoNews]

Wanted to see if anyone recalled or missed this chain of Tex-Mex restaurants around the area. I know they used to have a number of locations.

Growing up, our family ate at the one in Sugar Land at the shopping center on Highway 6 & Settlers Way fairly often. When I was in elementary school, they were one of a few restaurants that would give out reward certificates for perfect attendance or high grades or things like that. It held on for quite a while even as the center itself changed tenants. Generally good Tex-Mex and never had any issues with the service. It most recently was an Indian restaurant for most of the 2010s and is now an urgent care clinic. 

I also remember eating at the one in Galveston - I think it was on 61st in the shopping center with the Randall's just north of the Seawall, on the north side of that center.

Also seem to remember one as far out as Victoria on N. Navarro, but I can't exactly remember where it was or what center it was in. Maybe the one where the old HEB was at Sam Houston?

I do remember passing the one on OST & Kirby a number of times over the years. I know it's been closed for some time but the website still lives. Menu certainly looks like the one from when I was younger in terms of the options.

[Montrose1100]

My Mom took us to Marco's in Spring, close to the previous Dairy Queen - same strip center as the ex-Klein Bank. This was back in the mid 90s. Was a staple in our restaurant rotation, along with Chef Chan's further south, Pappadeaux, and Bennigan's on FM 1960. All of which are no more.

Remember being held hostage in Marco's as my mom and grandma would talk for hours, long after we finished our meals.

Can't recall how good it was being such a picky eater at that age. Even if in pristine condition today, likely wouldn't hold up to the options we have now. Shame that Kuykendahl/Louetta area really looks run down.

[Firebird65]

Yes, I remember Marco's. I liked their location on the North Freeway across from Greenspoint.

That restaurant does certainly appear to be the sole surviving descendant of what was once a chain of about 15 or so locations. Marco's Mexican Restaurants had a location at that address. The name of this place is Marco's Mexican Bar and Grill, but that may just be so that people know it also serves alcohol. 

The original chain was run by a Pakistani named Bombaywaya. He went bankrupt in 1999 and another company - Watermarc - took over the chain. In the mid 2000s  they began closing locations. I moved to the westside and there was one on Westheimer near Hwy 6. But the quality had gone way down.

I'm guessing someone took over this final location between 2006 and 2010, when the website you listed came online.  I can't find a story about any change of ownership.

I see a poster named Montrose1100 believes the original chain couldn't compete today, even in pristine condition. I beg to disagree. I think if they had the same standards they had in the late 1980s, they'd do very well. They were a nice step up in selection and quality from Casa Ole and Monterrey House. Not on par with the Original Ninfa's but going there meant a trip to the east side. I'd say they were, in their prime, on a level with the modern Los Cucos/Los Gallitos chains.

[technoevil]

I grew up in First Colony and remember that Marco's on 6 in the old Kroger center too.  We went there a few times back in the 90's, but preferred Los Tios across the street in the Randall's center and frequented that more often.  Los Tios is still there!  There was another place off Cartwright and 1092 that my dad liked that we would go to on occasion too.  I think it was called Don Bravos.

Edited June 10, 2023 by technoevil

[jwsheffield]

We always went to the one across from Willowbrook Mall off of 1960. It was a go to for just about everything. We also frequented the one off of Rayford Sawdust and the one in Greenspoint. 
 

Old memory. Going to Children’s Palace to look at toys and later on to Media Play in the same shopping center in Greenspoint. 

[BEES?!]

Crazy! I was just thinking about Marco’s. My family used to go all the time when I was growing up to the one in Sugar Land. I remember the perfect attendance coupons they did for local elementary schools, too! 

When did the one on OST close? I think I remember going there a couple times in the mid 2000s- it may have even been as late as ‘08 or ‘09. We’d found out that it was around and my family went one last time. We were still in SL at the time so it was a big hike to go all the way there. (And I’m pretty sure 59 was a disaster getting there/back lmao)

[Pleak]

On 6/10/2023 at 6:56 PM, technoevil said:

I grew up in First Colony and remember that Marco's on 6 in the old Kroger center too.  We went there a few times back in the 90's, but preferred Los Tios across the street in the Randall's center and frequented that more often.  Los Tios is still there!  There was another place off Cartwright and 1092 that my dad liked that we would go to on occasion too.  I think it was called Don Bravos.

I too went to this Marco's numerous times in mid-90's.    Not a terrible place to eat lunch.     We were the opposite - preferred Marco's over Los Tios - which had the Randall's location,  one across from Meyerland Plaza and I believe one out Westheimer.    

Los Tios always is a mental image of the standard 90's Tex-Mex plate or enchiladas,  refried beans & Mexican rice all oozing together in one gelatinous mass.    Marco's seemed more of a sizzling fajita plate kind of place.