Xochi

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Celebration of Oaxaca in the Heart of Houston

Xochi (pronounced "so-chee"), named for Xochitl, the Goddess of the Flowers — meaning to bloom or catch fire — is the creative endeavor of award-winning Chef Hugo Ortega and the H Town Restaurant Group. Situated on the ground floor of the Marriott Marquis Houston, across from Discovery Green in downtown, the restaurant dedicates itself to the culinary and indigenous richness of Oaxaca, Mexico: its varied geographic regions, its primitive customs, and its extraordinary pantry.

The Kitchen and the People Behind It

Chef Hugo Ortega is no ordinary figure in American dining. In 2017, he became the first Mexican-born chef to win the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Southwest — a recognition he had been a finalist for each year from 2012 through 2017. Pastry Chef Ruben Ortega earned his own James Beard finalist nod for Outstanding Pastry Chef in 2022. CEO Tracy Vaught, a three-time James Beard semifinalist herself, has shaped the H Town Restaurant Group into one of Houston's most respected dining operations. That same year, Xochi was named the number-one restaurant in the Houston Chronicle's Top 100 Restaurants list. The restaurant's wine program has earned a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, reflecting the same seriousness applied to every other corner of the menu.

What Oaxacan Mexican Cooking Looks Like Here

Everything is made from scratch: cheeses, salsas, handmade tortillas and masa items fresh from the comal, and cacao beans roasted and ground in-house to produce authentic Mexican chocolate. A wood-fired oven handles oysters, tlayudas, and a rotating cast of meats, seafood, and vegetables. Mole is the true centerpiece — from classic mole negro to the striking mole de chicatana, made with ants, a genuine Oaxacan delicacy. The dedicated Mole Tasting Menu ($85 per person) moves through five courses, each paired with a different mole variety, building from a pipián verde with a blue masa tetela to a flourless chocolate cake finished with mole negro gel. An optional beverage pairing threads mezcal cocktails and carefully chosen wines through the progression.

The Room and the Drink List

The patio looks out over Discovery Green and the downtown skyline. Private rooms accommodate events of varying sizes. The bar stocks close to 100 varieties of mezcal alongside Mexican craft beers, inventive cocktails, and a global wine list — because, as the kitchen puts it, no trip to Oaxaca would be complete without mezcal. For those curious about edible insects, the menu obliges with chapulines, chicatanas, and gusanos appearing across several dishes, true to the region's traditions.