If you're looking for a Mexican restaurant near WinStar, the smartest move is to eat before you cross the Red River. Los Mariachis sits in downtown Gainesville, Texas, about a mile off I-35 and roughly 15 minutes south of the casino. We're the last real sit-down Tex-Mex meal on the Texas side, and we've been feeding folks here since 1998.
WinStar is one of the largest casinos in the world, and once you're inside, you're playing on casino time and casino prices. A plate of fajitas down and unlimited free chips and salsa here goes a lot further than a food-court tray up there.
Why stop in Gainesville on the way to WinStar?
It's a short detour. From I-35 you're about a mile from our door at 319 North Commerce St, just off the old courthouse square downtown. You pull off, you eat, you get back on. No resort parking garage, no walking half a mile from your car to a restaurant.
The math is simple. You can sit down to a hot plate, have a margarita from our full bar if you're not the one driving (21 and up, in-house only), and spend less than you'd drop on a quick bite inside the casino. Plenty of our regulars make this a ritual before they head north.
We're closed Mondays, so plan around that. Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday we're open 11am–3pm, Fridays 11am–8pm, and Sundays 11am–2pm. If you're rolling through on a Friday night, you've got the longest window.
What to order before (or after) the casino
You want something that holds you. Our #20 Chicken Fajitas ($15.99) and #21 Beef Fajitas ($16.99) come out sizzling with grilled onions and peppers, and reviewers tell us the fajitas are the thing they remember. Rolling through with a group? Fajitas for Two ($30.99) is a skillet built to share.
If you want the full spread, the Los Mariachis Plate ($17.99) gives you a chile relleno, two tamales, a chicken flauta, rice, beans, guacamole, and a sopapilla to finish. That one sends you off full.
Pork people, listen up. The #49 Carne de Puerco ($13.99) is tender pork simmered in your choice of spicy red or green sauce, and the green is one of the dishes guests mention by name. Start the table with a bowl of our homemade queso and some chips and salsa while you decide. The whole menu is online if you want to look before you leave the house.
Why locals have trusted this kitchen since 1998
Twenty-seven years in one town is its own kind of review. We've watched families go from high chairs to bringing their own kids in for the kids' menu. The salsa, the queso, the green sauce on that pork, those recipes haven't changed because the people who order them won't let us change them.
Guests say our chicken enchiladas and chimichangas are the standbys, and we hear it often enough to believe it. If you want more detail on what the regulars order, we wrote it all down in our signature dishes guide.
Order pickup for the drive north
If you're short on time or you'd rather eat at the room, order to-go pickup right on our website and grab it on your way through. Walk-ins are always welcome too, so you don't have to plan anything.
Feeding a whole bus or a group heading up together? Take a look at catering and we'll get you sorted. And if you want the fuller picture of stopping in town, here's why I-35 travelers pull off in Gainesville.
Find us at 319 North Commerce St in Gainesville, or call (940) 612-1721. We'll have the skillet hot.
