Houston's hidden jewel has ultimate selection of Mexican food

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Rebecca Spera is finishing up her tour of international grocery stores with a place to find fresh and authentic Mexican food.

Mi Tienda has two locations in Houston. One on the northeast side and one on the south side, and whether you're into traditional Mexican cheese and candies or homemade goods, they've got you covered.

The second you walk into the bustling Mi Tienda, you realize it's an experience.

"It's a hidden jewel, I believe in Houston, where people come all over for fresh, authentic Mexican food," says Juan Alonso, a Regional Vice President at Mi Tienda.

One major attraction is their fresh tortillas made of just corn, water, and lime.

"We make about 100,000 tortillas on average every single week," says Alonso.

Customers also come to buy tamale ingredients or premade tamales, ranging from chicken, pork, beef, and bean, to sweet pineapple and strawberry flavors.

"Tamales - it's really a family event. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, and the family comes together, and we make tamales," he explains.

Next up is an authentic Mexican dish called Menudo.

"It's a stew made with beef tripe, well it comes from the stomach of the cow...We have customers who come on the weekends, and they fill their pots with our menudo," says Alonso.

Mi Tienda also draws crowds for their 17 aguas flavors.

"They're basically fruit waters that we make in house," says Alonso.

Finally, authentic Mexican desserts like tres leches and flan get lots of attention, and they even have a twist on the traditional flan with a chocolate flan worth trying, especially for Thanksgiving.

One of the coolest features of Mi Tienda actually isn't their food at all, it's their employees. They call their employees "partners" because they say they couldn't make and serve the authentic dishes that they do without their partners who stick to their Mexican roots and training.