Casa Ramirez FOLKART Gallery

Love this place! The couple that owns this business are complete sweethearts! They always treat me so well each time I go. The shop is filled with beautiful treasures. Whenever I’m there, I feel like I want to buy the whole store! It is a bit on the pricey side, but it’s worth it.

My family and i absolutely adored this shop. could easily spend hours looking up and down each walkway gazing at the beautiful artwork. The people who worked here were so kind and helpful. An authentic collection of mexican heritage collectables and knickknacks and many varieties of art with dia de los muertos inspiration. Can’t wait to go back and see more.

Not only is the merchandise excellent, they treat you with dignity and respect. I love this place!

Wonderful store. And the owners are extremely helpful. They are very interested in what products you want and will call you if the product comes in. Great selection.

This place is great! Very fun and interesting. Would definitely shop at again.

Houston’s little hidden gem! This store is awesome. The wide variety of authentic Mexican products they sell are really great. Everything is in it’s place and very well organized. Upon entering the store, it quickly lifts your spirit at the sight of all the vibrant colors filling the floors to ceilings. The owners are an extremely sweet couple who are willing to answer any questions you may have about their products. The best part about a visit to this charming place would be the free cookies they offer you on your way in and out, conveniently located by the door. :)

I love the authentic feel to this store. The owner is always so delightful and willing to answer all your questions about the products he sells in his lovely little shop. He has all kinds of gifts, for children and adults. I highly recommended checking out this store!

This place was awesome, I was visiting Houston with friends and wanted authentic souvenirs perfect spot!

Love this store! It’s great for gifts, home décor, and unique knick knacks. Also, they are super nice and always have free cookies! The authenticity of this place is just awesome. Plus, who doesn’t love dia de los muertos things?! I got my favorite pillow of all time here.

This is the best store/​gallery in Houston for Mexican arts. They have a great selection of authentic books, art, artcrafts, etc. It is just a joy to visit and take a look! –Although I am sure you will always leave with something nice! –Don’t miss the exhibition of «Altares de Muertos» towards the Day of the Dead (Nov. 2). It is a must!

This place is superb. Lots of variety of mexican folk art for a variety of price ranges. They have very inexpensive things to very expensive things– I love that kind of shop!
Went in for something specific and they did NOT have it– the lady told me that they had sold out of everything that they had brought back from their last trip. This reason highlights the fact they have a relationship with the artisans, and that they travel themselves.
Very warm and friendly vibe.

fantastic mexican folkart. Great place to take my kids to learn about different cultures, Wish their hours were a bit more flexible. I could visit more often. This reminds me of the times strolling through mexican markets which is now impossible with the current situation of that country. This is probably as close to the mexican folkart as I can get. Love their art

Awesome store. :D

I like this place. Even though it’s a gallery I think of it more as a store with art. There is a wide variety of items all around from small gifts to huge paintings. You really never know what you’ll get inside of here. From time to time they will have certain items on sale too including giant sized hats. It’s a fun experience and totally worth a stop and stroll down 19^th.

Yes, yes, yes, to all the reviews above. The store is loaded with goodies and all manner of trinkets from Mexico. Best of all Mr. Ramirez, the owner, is a great guy, ready with a story and a wealth of information. The people who work here are often family. They are friendly and warm. They convey a sense that they love what they are doing. In a society filled with politically correct, vague references to «multiculturalism» you’ll be delighted to find the fun side of Mexican culture in Texas. You’ll find cookbooks, children’s books, histories and memoirs plus lots of art and kitsch. Day of the Dead products are plentiful If you get the chance to go – GO.

If you don’t feel like driving to Mexico on a weekend whim to go shopping, then this place with fulfill your craving for Mexican folk art and other fun things. Check it out, especially since its close to Dia de Los muertos.

This is the best place in Houston to find Mexican crafts and art collectibles. The owner goes to Mexico frequently to pick up new items, so you will see different things each time you go. The owner is also very knowledgable about the culture and arts, and he is very willing to chat about the items in his store. Even if you don’t buy anything, it is an interesting store to browse and learn.

Fantastic mexican imports store. Not for the faint of heart, this place is loaded to the gills with all kinds of fascinating and exciting products. Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Zapata and Pancho Villa are widely represented as well as Luchadors, Calaveras/​Day of the dead and Catholic Icons and Saints.
They have everything from Loteria, papel picado, Virgin de guadalupe Panchos, Sugar skull projects, mexican folk art, literature, paper flowers, I mean the products go on and on and on.
The staff was so incredibly nice and maybe even supportive. They talked and delighted in each and every customer, took the time to offer them handmade cookies and find out where they were from. The customer service is jaw droppingly amazing. And incredibly genuine.
I was even told by the owner, who made conversation with me while I waited in line to be rung up, that if I ever needed anything from his store once I moved to the canadian border, he would be more than happy to mail it to me himself and handed me a card with his old, wrinkled, weather worn hands. This place is a true Ma and Pop business, family owned and operated.
As for the prices, a comment that keeps coming up in reviews, it is not what we are used to in Texas having a fiesta super store on just about every corner with generic products and an overhead that can afford to offer their product at lower prices. These are HIGH quality Mexican imports. Very good quality, well made products. They are also located in the heart of the heights, so I can imagine being a ma and pop place, the rent must be a bitch. The prices are actually not bad, there’s just more high quality items sold than more lower end, plain and simple. You get what you pay for, and it’s worth every cent.

Fantastic spot! I did the tourist stuff and Casa Ramirez was recommended.
I saw what i wanted… Mayan Calendar! Score!
I am now counting the final days we have left before the Apocalypse.
I plan to visit you soon.

I don’t want to ramble on about the same thing other reviewers said, so I will just say that I confirm! This is a great place to check out if you are in the area. My favorite thing I’ve purchased here so far was an absolutely precious Mexican dress for my 3 yr old niece. It was in the typical Mexican style, but only white with pale turquoise details on it. SO ADORABLE! It was $ 20 I think? So worth it!
AND yes. the Mexican cookies are fabulous!

I am super surprised I have only been to this place once! Shame on me! I love all things Mexican… you should see my room, it’s ridiculous. Anyhoo, I stopped in for a quick trip to see what curios they might have. I was pleasantly surprised to see the great assortment in imports they had. Everything from hand made pottery and figurines, hand bags, dresses, art, antiques, jewelry, and much more. The owners are always in the store and are so very helpful and very informative for those who don’t know the Mexican culture very well. One of my favorite things about Casa Ramirez was as soon as I walked in the door, there were free cookies! Ojarascas, my favorite! The store also offers classes about Dia de los Muertos during the month of October and has a gallery of ofrendas set up for three weeks to celebrate this festive celebration.
I only took one star away only because the items were a bit pricey. I totally understand considering they are imports and one of a kind items but having visiting Mexico twice a year and personally buying curios first hand, I’d rather buy certain items in the Motherland.

¡Cinco de Mayo! What a perfect day to visit Casa Ramirez. It wasn’t intentional, I just so happened to be strolling down 19^th street in The Heights when I spotted the name and a bright pink bus outside. I remember bookmarking Sergio S’ review, so I just *had* to go in.
I’m a sucker for Mexican nostalgia. So as I walked in, I was instantly hit with that feeling, and a huge smile. I first spotted a basket of complimentary ojarascas (Mexican sugar cookies). Love this place already!
The store was busy, and still Señor Ramirez, a tall man with a chicano accent, greeted me with a hello and also pointed me in various directions after asking what I was looking for. His wife was also a pleasure to talk with.
This gem of a store carries everything from Mexican handbags and dresses for infants and adults to art and books to pinatas and games. There isn’t an empty spot on any walls, tables or shelves; this places is nicely packed, and I want it all.
Specifically, the game Loteria is what I was looking for, along with colorful banners to hang from a patio. They had both. A little bit more priced than what I remember as a kid, but factor in inflation over the years and the cost of traveling back to Mexico, and it’s a fair deal.
Ladies, you will love their selection of Mexican handbags! They come in a bright assortment of colors, even neon colors for you hipsters. These would go great with a summer dress or a day out by the pool. You can even pin them up on a wall as décor because they have beautiful images of the Virgin Mary, Frida and other religious/​cultural/​historical people. And gents, surprise your lady with a luchador mask. You ARE Nacho Libre.
Regardless if it’s Cinco de Mayo, Dia De Los Muertos or Mexican Independence Day, you have to stop by this gem of a store. Get lost in their selection as you browse around, stock up on confetti-​filled eggs, or just learn something new.

«Casa Ramírez is located in Houston’s Historic Heights section. With its warm atmosphere and special color, Casa Ramirez attracts all visitors. The gallery exhibits and sells all kinds of Mexican craftwork, from portraits, antiques and ceramic, clay, metal and wood artifacts and figures, to the most varied artistic elements. You can admire the creation of artists and artisans.
An example of this is the traditional exposition of Mexican altars, which the gallery holds commemorating November 1^st and 2^nd, Day of the Dead.
For El Dia de los Muertos (the Catholic holiday All Souls Day) November 2, the store is adorned with 14 altars honoring the deceased, complete with calaveras de azucar, votive candles (to light the way for the souls), incense, yellow flowers called Xempoaltxochitl (similar to the African marigold) pan de muerto, the deceased’s favorite food and or favorite drink, their photo and favorite toys or items. It is an educational experience and cultural enrichment to learn from his exhibits how death is realistically accepted without fear.»
The above is from their website.
If you’ve never been – It’s a great place to go. Mr. Ramirez is a city gem. I had the pleasure of spending time watching him teach his altar classes, and it’s quite something to see the passion he puts into sharing this beautiful tradition.