With the immigration of thousands of Mexicans into Texas cities, cultures were bound to clash and mix in many different ways. One of these was the formation of Tex-Mex which has become so popular.

However, there was a long process of Tex-Mex becoming a staple food in Houston and other Texas cities. The first Tex-Mex restaurant in Houston was called “Original Mexican Restaurant” and was created by George caldwell, a non-Hispanic man from San Antonio, TX.

Source: Wikipedia

This restaurant was famous for serving entrees with beans, rice, sour cream, and some cheese which has become a staple for Tex-Mex food. This became known as the “combo plate” but actually originated in a restaurant in San Antonio in the early 1900s. The San Antonio restaurant was created by a man named Otis Farnsworth.

Many of the spices and methods that Mexicans brought with them into Texas influenced the way that food was created.  One of these prominent methods includes a heavy use of cumin and garlic. In Tex-Mex dishes there is a much higher amount of these two ingredients than in traditional Mexican dishes. This practice can actually be traced back to the 1500s when Spanish immigrants settled in what is today Texas and Mexico.

 

This video details some of the cultural differences in traditional Mexican food dishes vs. Tex-Mex and other Americanized dishes. Other subtle differences between Tex-Mex and traditional Mexican include hard or soft shell tacos (hard shells are associated with Tex-Mex), the yellowness of cheese (yellow is associated with Tex-Mex), and sweet vs. savory corn (sweet corn is associated with Tex-Mex).

Source: Quora.com

So although there has been heavy influence by Mexicans on the dishes served in Texas, there is still a fine distinction between the two cuisines. This is part of what makes the food served in Houston so unique.