Restaurant in Houston, United States
Serious Oaxacan cooking, easier to book than its ranking suggests.
Xochi is Hugo Ortega's downtown Houston Oaxacan restaurant — OAD-ranked, approachable to book, and priced at $$ for food with a serious 530-selection wine list strong in Mexican bottles. It delivers more than its price suggests and holds a 4.6 Google rating across nearly 4,000 reviews. Return visitors should try the bar for a shorter, wine-forward visit.
Xochi is not a difficult reservation. For a restaurant that earned an Opinionated About Dining Gourmet Casual ranking of #164 in North America in 2023 and has held a spot on the OAD Casual North America list every year since, it runs with less friction than its reputation would suggest. Lunch walk-ins are realistic most weekdays; weekend dinner books up faster, but a week's notice is typically enough. If you've been once and liked it, there's no reason to wait on a return visit.
Chef Hugo Ortega and owner Tracy Vaught have run Xochi at 1777 Walker St since it opened in downtown Houston, and the restaurant has settled into a reliable cadence: Oaxacan cooking done with enough technical care to satisfy a serious diner, served at a price point — two courses landing in the $40–$65 range , that doesn't require occasion justification. The recent OAD Casual ranking of #835 in North America (2025) represents a position shift from earlier rankings, but the Google score holds steady at 4.6 across nearly 4,000 reviews, which is a more reliable signal of day-to-day consistency than any single list placement.
The room is downtown-polished: considered lighting, visual detail in the ceramics and wall treatments, the kind of setting that reads dressier than the price suggests. If you've been once and sat in the main dining room, the counter or bar area is worth trying on a return visit for a shorter, lower-commitment meal. Bar seating at Xochi works well for solo diners or a quick weeknight dinner , the format fits the food, and the wine program gives you something to work through while you eat.
On wine: Manuel Ponce directs a list of around 530 selections with 900 bottles in inventory, with particular depth in Mexico, France, and California. Pricing sits at $$, meaning the list spans a real range rather than defaulting to high-end bottles only. For a Houston restaurant at this price tier, that wine program is a genuine differentiator , Oaxacan cooking and Mexican wine is an underexplored pairing, and the list makes it easy to experiment without significant spend. Sommelier Luis Eduardo Lopez Santos is on the floor; if you're unsure what to order, ask.
For a returning diner, the question is usually lunch versus dinner. Lunch runs Monday through Saturday from 11:30 am, with Sunday brunch from 11 am to 3 pm. The $$ cuisine pricing applies across both services, so the economics are consistent. Lunch at Xochi is less crowded than dinner and gives you the full kitchen without the evening noise level. Friday and Saturday dinner runs to 10:30 pm , the later close makes it viable as a second stop if you're eating elsewhere first, or as a longer evening if you want to work through the wine list properly.
One practical note on off-premise dining: Oaxacan food , moles, tlayudas, braised proteins , travels better than most cuisines. The sauces hold, the flavors don't collapse the way delicate European preparations do. If you're considering Xochi for takeout rather than a sit-down meal, the format supports it more than most restaurants in this tier. That said, the wine program is a meaningful part of the experience, and you lose that entirely off-premise. For a first or second visit, eat in. Takeout is a reasonable option once you know what you're ordering.
Compared to Tatemó, Houston's other notable Mexican address with a masa focus, Xochi offers a broader menu and a more established booking rhythm , Tatemó is tighter, more specific, and harder to get into. For Oaxacan cooking specifically, Casa Oaxaca in Oaxaca is the obvious regional reference point; Xochi holds up favorably as a stateside version of that tradition. If you're building a Houston dining itinerary and want a sense of what else the city offers, our full Houston restaurants guide covers the range, alongside our guides to Houston bars and Houston hotels.
Smart casual covers it. The room is designed with visual intention , better lighting, considered details , so dress as if you're aware of the setting. Jeans work fine paired with a clean shirt or blouse. You won't feel underdressed in business casual and you won't stand out in something dressier. At the $$ price point, Xochi sits below the formality level of March or Le Jardinier Houston, so leave the tie at the hotel.
Yes, and it's one of the better solo options at this price tier in downtown Houston. Bar seating lets you eat the full menu without the formality of a table for one, and the wine program gives you something to focus on between courses. The $$ food pricing means a solo meal stays in a reasonable range. For comparison, solo dining at Musaafer at $$$$ is a bigger commitment with less flexibility at the bar.
Oaxacan cooking relies heavily on chiles, moles, and corn-based preparations, many of which are naturally gluten-free, though cross-contamination in a full-service kitchen is always a variable. Vegetarian options exist within the format. For specific allergen concerns, contact the restaurant directly before booking , phone details aren't listed in public records, so use the reservation platform or email route when you book. Don't arrive and assume; confirm in advance for anything serious.
Lunch is the better call for a returning visitor who wants the food without the evening noise and pace. The $$ price point applies to both services, so there's no financial advantage to either. Dinner runs later on Friday and Saturday (to 10:30 pm), which is worth knowing if you want to use Xochi as a late option. Sunday is brunch-only, 11 am to 3 pm, and worth considering if you haven't tried that service , it's a different rhythm than the weekday lunch.
A week's notice is enough for most evenings. Friday and Saturday dinner fills faster, so push that to 10–14 days if you have a fixed date. Lunch is more forgiving , a few days out is usually fine, and weekday walk-ins are realistic. For context: getting into Xochi is significantly easier than March or Musaafer, both of which require more lead time for prime slots. Xochi's OAD recognition hasn't translated into a hard-to-book situation.
Groups are manageable at Xochi given its downtown full-service format, though seat count isn't confirmed in public records. For parties of six or more, contact the restaurant when booking rather than relying on a standard online reservation , larger groups often benefit from pre-arranged menus, and the $$ pricing makes a group meal here more economical than comparably credentialed options like Musaafer at $$$$ or March at $$$$.
Bar seating is available and works well for shorter visits or solo diners who want the full menu without a table commitment. The wine program , 530 selections, with particular strength in Mexican wine , is accessible from the bar, which is part of what makes this format worth using. If you're a returning diner looking to try the wine list more deliberately, a bar seat with the sommelier on the floor is a practical way to do that.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xochi | Oaxacan | Easy | |
| March | Venetian | $$$$ | Unknown |
| Musaafer | Indian | $$$$ | Unknown |
| Nancy's Hustle | New American, Contemporary | $$ | Unknown |
| Hidden Omakase | Sushi | $$$$ | Unknown |
| Theodore Rex | New American, Contemporary | $$$ | Unknown |
A quick look at how Xochi measures up.
Business casual fits the room without being overdressed. Xochi sits in downtown Houston at 1777 Walker St and draws a lunch crowd that skews professional. Evening diners tend to dress up slightly more, but there's no formal requirement. Jeans and a decent shirt will not look out of place at any service.
Yes. The bar or counter seating works well for solo visits, and the $$ price point keeps a solo lunch affordable. Xochi's Oaxacan menu is broad enough that a single diner can cover real ground without a large group. Lunch service runs Monday through Saturday from 11:30am, which gives solo diners a lower-pressure window to eat.
Oaxacan cooking relies heavily on meat, cheese, and chili-based sauces, so strict vegans should check directly before booking. Vegetarians typically find options across most Mexican menus at this level. Xochi is OAD-ranked and chef-driven under Hugo Ortega, so the kitchen tends to be accommodating, but confirm specific needs when reserving.
Lunch is the better value play at $$ pricing with the same kitchen. Dinner on Friday or Saturday runs until 10:30pm and suits a longer, more relaxed meal with a deeper run through the 530-label wine list. If your priority is the wine program, dinner gives you more time to use it.
A week out is usually enough for weekday lunch or dinner. Friday and Saturday evenings warrant two weeks' notice, particularly for groups. Xochi holds an OAD Casual ranking for North America, which brings consistent demand, but it is not a months-out reservation the way higher-end Houston tasting menus are.
Yes, groups are manageable here. The downtown location at 1777 Walker St has the floor space for larger parties, and the $$ pricing keeps group tabs from escalating as fast as at Houston's pricier venues. For parties of six or more, call ahead to arrange seating rather than booking through a standard online reservation.
Bar seating is available and a practical option for solo diners or walk-ins. Wine Director Manuel Ponce oversees a 530-selection list with strong Mexico, France, and California coverage at $$ pricing, so eating at the bar with a glass is a genuinely good use of the space. It is one of the better ways to sample the wine program without committing to a full table booking.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
