Rincon Norteno

This is probably the single most dangerous bar experience that I have had in my life.  And I am so grateful that I didn't lose a kidney or something here.  

This is as Mexican as a Mexican bar as you can get.    And as you might expect on a Friday or Saturday night you will find some quite well imbibed macho Mexican men and if you're not Mexican, some long uncomfortable stares.  

Here's why I went.   Having a friend in town from Germany, and upon his noticing the extremely apparent effect on this part of Houston as in it's close location to Mexico, and liking beer, us both, he wanted to see a "real' Mexican bar.   So, I enlisted the assistance of a real Mexican lady, a good friend whom while fully Spanish speaking, her father being from Romania, well, let's just say left this beautiful lady quite light skinned.  Are you with me here???  

So we come inside, and are quickly patted down by security for guns or knives, and were asked if he had a "pistola".   We were not packing, this was true.   And while this was going on, my German best buddy raised his arms in the air, in response to the pat down search, which brought massive attention to us three.   Later I whispered to him "Dude, hehe, why did you do that?"  To which he answered that that's just common courtesy when being searched entering a club in Europe.    Okay....   :)  

The live music here was loud and very authentic.  It was brightly lit and packed out with 100% Mexican adults enjoying the music and drinking beer.   Well, the two of us brought that percentage down to 99.9999%.    We ordered a few tacos to go with about half a dozen Coronas we downed.   Service from the waitress was in fact friendly, but we could tell she was nervous.   And we came close to being stabbed or killed in the restroom.  

As everyone knows drinking beer does cause you to have to pee.   So we visited their little mens room a few times.   And guess what?   I know Spanish as does my German pal.   Which is why we looked at each other in fear when two drunk Mexican youngsters came in behind us and said in spanish "You should stab them."  (apunalelos que usted debe.)  The other replying "No you do it".     So we got the fuck outta there.    

Someone threw a beer bottle at my car when we were leaving, but I sure wasn't going to stop and ask who did it.    

When leaving our cute little Hispanic-American guide was giggling and laughing, about how we "almost got our asses kicked".    And I congratulated my German friend with "So, you wanted to see a real Mexican bar in East Houston?   There ya go!"    Hahah!  

My room mate at the time was a Houston Police Officer.  When I told him the next day, where we went, he gave me a long stare and said "You're kidding right?  You mean, you guys went in Rincon?"  And "What were you doing trying to get killed?"   And he went on to tell me how many shootings and stabbings have happened here and in the general neighborhood.  

So this was a once in a lifetime experience for us.   And I am just truly grateful that I knew spanish, and still have both of my kidneys and full assortment of internal organs.