La Bikina, a Mexican cuisine restaurant in The Woodlands, is named for the legend of a Mexican woman who lived during the country’s revolutionary period and was known for her character, beauty and intelligence.
A popular restaurant in Mexico with many locations, La Bikina in The Woodlands is the first U.S. location and has been open for about a year.
“It’s very laid-back, a little bit nostalgic but still really progressive as far as our techniques in the way we cook and the way we make drinks,” Manager Samuel Melton said.
Melton said the authentic Mexican dishes La Bikina serves are nothing like menu options at Tex-Mex restaurants.
“This is the stuff that people from Mexico—when they want to go to a nice restaurant in Mexico—this is the kind of restaurant they go to,” he said.
The menu offers various seafood options, such as fish tacos and tostadas de atun aleta amarillo, also known as tuna tostadas—which are a popular appetizer choice, according to Melton.
“We have lobster tacos—two of the greatest words right next to each other,” he said. “Those are very, very good.”
The best-selling item on the menu is molcajete de queso—a blend of Monterey Jack cheese with a fried pork breading. It is served in a hot molcajete dish, which is similar to a mortar and pestle, and topped with tomatillo sauce, onions and cilantro. Molcajete de pollo is also available.
“Everything on [the menu] is good,” Melton said. “I can talk you into one thing, and then name another thing and talk you into that.”
Melton said one of his favorite dishes is tacos de arrachera–skirt steak inside a tortilla with a cheese crust.
“I consider them like inverted quesadillas,” he said.
La Bikina’s menu will be getting some upgrades soon with new happy hour specials, lunch menu items and dinner additions.
“I’m not going to go too crazy with my drinks, but [I’ll] still make them a little bit more 2016,” Melton said.
Although the bar at La Bikina is stocked to make various drinks, Melton said the house margarita is the most popular option. In fact, the restaurant has already reserved booth No. 1 for The Woodlands annual Margarita Festival at Northshore Park on March 26.
On Wednesdays, La Bikina features live music, and on Sundays, brunch is served from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
“I want to make things a little bit more streamlined, more self-sustainable,” Melton said. “Once the culture is set in stone, it’s easier to convey it to newer employees and guests.”
Melton likes to make sure the restaurant’s name is out in the community by getting involved with various local organizations, such as Villa Sport, Legends Sports Complex and the Young Entrepreneurs Association, to name a few.
“We’re just getting this place more involved because the more involved we are, the more people will know we’re here,” Melton said. “It’s very rare when I find someone who has eaten here that would never come back.”
La Bikina 4223 Research Forest Drive, The Woodlands 281-419-1985 Hours: Mon. 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Tue.-Sun. 11 a.m.-midnight www.labikinausa.com
