The restaurants most emphatically Houston
These are the best of the eateries that are uniquely Houston.
Andiron – If you think of Houston and steak, this is the most unique upscale effort. Upscale meaning very expensive, too. Featuring steaks and more cooked over a post oak-fired grill rather than the typical steakhouse broiler, the USDA Prime offerings, with just a scent of smoke and lower temps of the grill, taste just a little different. In a welcome way. The menu now features the standard quartet of cuts plus a steak au poivre, A5 wagyu cooked on a robata, and a recognizable array of steakhouse sides and accompaniments done a little uniquely. The expansive wine list encompassing both the Old and New World is an enophile’s dream, a wealthy enophile’s dream. The cocktail program is just as serious. “Handsome” or “gorgeous” might be the first word many would use to describe the main interior that seats 110 including a bar area, done in browns, blacks and green. This is Houston’s most attractive steakhouse. And the most interesting. Montrose
Blood Bros. BBQ – Barbecue – Central Texas-style barbecue is popular and famed throughout the state and in the last decade a number of excellent barbecue joints have opened in Houston. Blood Bros. riffs on this regional favorite, serving terrific smoked meats – especially the requisite brisket and plump jalapeño- and cheddar cheese-studded pork sausage – but with some multi-cultural flavors and specials at times. This slick, bustling and friendly spot, out of the way for most, is not only one of the best barbecue joints in Houston but maybe the most fun. Bellaire
Backstreet Café – American - A wonderful expression of a locally attuned American bistro that has matured in its several decades as a favorite along with the city’s dining habits. River Oaks
Breakfast Klub – American – On the weekends, and seemingly most days during the week, lines form well outside the entrance; some evidence that this has become a local icon since opening in 2001. Deserving of its national attention, The Breakfast Klub serves excellent and interesting, fun and unpretentious food – Green Eggs & Ham and Katfish & Grits – for breakfast and lunch in an informal setting with a certain amount of cool. Though stylish, the staff are noticeably very friendly, and the restaurant always seems to have a warm vibe to it. Though not soul food in the traditional sense, the offerings have a noticeable African-American feel, and are divided neatly among breakfast plates, omelets, breakfast sandwiches, salads, and lunch sandwiches and larger format lunch specials, most with a fair amount of fat and a lot of flavor. Midtown
Brennan’s – Creole – This sibling of the famed Commander’s Palace in New Orleans has been an fine-dining fixture in Midtown since 1967, it’s long part of Houston. Its locally attuned Creole cooking, some Mexican flavors and preparations that might be a little less baroque, seems to be better than in any time since Danny Trace departed as executive chef in 2017. The emphasis is on the bounty of the Gulf cooked in butter, and turtle soup and any fish preparation usually makes for winning meal. A bountiful wine list, famous desserts, indulgent brunches and 25-cent martinis during weekday lunches are some other draws. Midtown
Crawfish & Noodles – Viet-Cajun – Near the western part of Chinatown on Bellaire Boulevard, this busy and easily enjoyable outpost helped to introduce and popularize Viet-Cajun crawfish in the area so much so that it’s drawn national attention to the restaurant and proprietor and chef, Trong Nguyen, along with making the dish one of Houston’s signature culinary offerings, a testament to Houstonians love of the Louisiana-instigated mudbug culture and Vietnamese flavors. Even more, their crabs, wings and more show that casual, communal fare done very well can make the day that much more pleasurable and rewarding. A new location is in the commercial farmers market. Chinatown, Heights
Eugene’s – Texas Gulf Coast – Inspired in part by the full-flavored regional Gulf Coast cookery of yore along with a healthy dose of influences from neighboring Louisiana, this dark-wooded, clubby-looking space in the heart of a neighborhood, can delight in a number of ways with its updated presentations. Redfish stuffed with a blue crab dressing and broiled, several baked crabmeat dishes straight out of New Orleans, and the Oysters Kyle, green onion sautéed in a seasoned lemon garlic butter sauce are a few of main plates. The highlight here might be a starter, the very dark roux-based gumbo filled with shrimp, crab and oysters and served with white rice that quickly set the local and, for some critics, the gold standard anywhere for a dish that has been locally popular since soon after the first person with a French surname moved west from the Crescent City here. Montrose
Goode Co. Kitchen & Cantina – With their experience and aptitude with Tex-Mex and Mexican dishes at other concepts, it was natural that Goode Co. would finally expand into a full-service Tex-Mex restaurants. Thankfully, they did. These are now clearly the best in the area. The Mexican seafood cocktail Campechana is a refreshing, wonderful way to start while the mesquite-grilled fajitas in one of its many iterations here is another crowd-pleasing order found on many tables. Any of the enchiladas or old school combination plates are done better than what you had growing up and the preparations with that require some more expertise like local Gulf favorite redfish cooked on the half-shell or bacon-wrapped, stuffed and roasted jumbo shrimp are a reminder that this is from a top area restaurant group. Memorial, Heights, The Woodlands
Goode Co. Seafood – Texas Gulf Coast – It’s tough to think about Goode Co. without its iconic, widely copied Campechana coming quickly to mind. This Mexican-style seafood cocktail made with top-notch shrimp and/or blue crab meat that is very flavorful, refreshing, and features popular south of the border flavors that’s perfect for Houston. The entire restaurant, too, actually. Both locations. Shrimp, blue crab, oysters and fish from nearby waters served up enticingly be it raw, cured, grilled and even fried. The Mexican heritage of the Goode family extends delectably to other preparations like the remember-to-wait-for-it-cool-down empanadas filled with shrimp, and salsa and avocado on mesquite-grilled fish. Goode signature mesquite grilling can be had with several fish. Local coastal favorites like redfish on the hall shell, jumbo shrimp stuffed with jalapeño and cheddar, wrapped in bacon and roasted, can be terrific. There are oyster, enticing soups – their take on seafood gumbo and a blue crab, corn and poblano bisque – and even salads to start. For a quicker or more casual meal, the seafood po boys are excellent, and available mesquite-grilled in addition to fried. West U, Memorial City
Nancy's Hustle – New American – Though this could likely fit in seamlessly in the other top restaurant cities in the country, but it is also perfectly suited for the present-day Houston led by a very experienced and talented crew. Set in the still-gentrifying East End, with its quickly boisterous and nicely casual set-up in a comfortable strip center coupled with a serious kitchen churning out delectable dishes with flavors ranging from the Mediterranean on either side of the Bosphorus to stateside, most designed for sharing, and an expertly chosen array of wine, cocktails and even beers to complement the evening. One of the city’s best. East End
Roostar – Vietnamese – Now with a trio of locations in various parts of town, this Banh Mi 2.0 operation is both slicker and better, overall, than its predecessors. What began as Vietnam Poblano in Spring Branch, an area with much higher Hispanic and Korean populations than Vietnamese, this has adapted to a growing clientele with a menu and preparations that are broadly popular. Jalapeños, shredded pickled carrots, cucumbers, cilantro with stems, soy sauce and garlic aioli help provide the sandwich platform along with rolls from excellent Slow Dough Bakery that are maybe more traditionally French than is found at other banh mi spots. Not just the bread, but the proteins are generally better quality than similar spots, too. Spring Branch, Galleria area, East End
State of Grace – American – It has a seemingly scattershot menu – Gulf Coast-inspired fare, Tex-Mex, Italian, expense-account-worthy steaks, and some Asian flavors plus a postcard-pretty tiled oyster bar – that nonetheless makes sense here and is well done. Enticing, smart wine list to boot. River Oaks
Thien An – Vietnamese – Sporting the fairly lengthy menu that was seemingly similar to just about every other Vietnamese restaurant in Houston for a few decades including spring and fried egg rolls, banh mi, rice plates, vermicelli bowls, and pho, and other delights, Thein An hasn’t gone contemporary. It just turns out excellent fare among a wide range of preparations that is better most other local Vietnamese places, and that is a great value. The banh mi are just one longtime highlight, especially for the local favorite, the char-grilled pork, since the restaurant is more generous than most with the pork, which is nicely cooked, tender and richly flavorful, nestled along with the expected fresh, texture-providing accompaniments in a local-standard short Vietnamese-style baguette that is properly fresh, crusty and airy. The no-nonsense setting – often bustling with downtown office workers, Vietnamese-American cops and the occasional Catholic priest – provides an appropriate place for a tasty and wallet-friendly meal. Only opened until 6:00 every day but Saturday. Midtown
Turkey Leg Hut – Creole / Turkey Legs – A sensation and seemingly long weekend lines since opening on Almeda near the nexus of the Museum District and the Third Ward in late 2017 after generating considerable buzz prior as a concession at the Rodeo, this has drawn celebrities like Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, James Harden and a slew of other big names for its fun, amazingly caloric, carnival-like fare with a strong Louisiana accent with a starring role for those massive legs of poultry. The Florentine Leg is one measure of the festive food with slowly smoked turkey leg topped with jumbo shrimp, slices of red onion, mushrooms and spinach then their unique Cajun Alfredo Sauce and Parmesan is one measure of the kitchen’s output. But there’s a lot more, especially the scene that spiked with hearty drinks, frozen and otherwise, in large plastic cups. Make reservations if you don’t want to brave the queue. Museum District
At Goode Co. Kitchen and Cantina
Andiron – If you think of Houston and steak, this is the most unique upscale effort. Upscale meaning very expensive, too. Featuring steaks and more cooked over a post oak-fired grill rather than the typical steakhouse broiler, the USDA Prime offerings, with just a scent of smoke and lower temps of the grill, taste just a little different. In a welcome way. The menu now features the standard quartet of cuts plus a steak au poivre, A5 wagyu cooked on a robata, and a recognizable array of steakhouse sides and accompaniments done a little uniquely. The expansive wine list encompassing both the Old and New World is an enophile’s dream, a wealthy enophile’s dream. The cocktail program is just as serious. “Handsome” or “gorgeous” might be the first word many would use to describe the main interior that seats 110 including a bar area, done in browns, blacks and green. This is Houston’s most attractive steakhouse. And the most interesting. Montrose
Blood Bros. BBQ – Barbecue – Central Texas-style barbecue is popular and famed throughout the state and in the last decade a number of excellent barbecue joints have opened in Houston. Blood Bros. riffs on this regional favorite, serving terrific smoked meats – especially the requisite brisket and plump jalapeño- and cheddar cheese-studded pork sausage – but with some multi-cultural flavors and specials at times. This slick, bustling and friendly spot, out of the way for most, is not only one of the best barbecue joints in Houston but maybe the most fun. Bellaire
Backstreet Café – American - A wonderful expression of a locally attuned American bistro that has matured in its several decades as a favorite along with the city’s dining habits. River Oaks
Breakfast Klub – American – On the weekends, and seemingly most days during the week, lines form well outside the entrance; some evidence that this has become a local icon since opening in 2001. Deserving of its national attention, The Breakfast Klub serves excellent and interesting, fun and unpretentious food – Green Eggs & Ham and Katfish & Grits – for breakfast and lunch in an informal setting with a certain amount of cool. Though stylish, the staff are noticeably very friendly, and the restaurant always seems to have a warm vibe to it. Though not soul food in the traditional sense, the offerings have a noticeable African-American feel, and are divided neatly among breakfast plates, omelets, breakfast sandwiches, salads, and lunch sandwiches and larger format lunch specials, most with a fair amount of fat and a lot of flavor. Midtown
Brennan’s – Creole – This sibling of the famed Commander’s Palace in New Orleans has been an fine-dining fixture in Midtown since 1967, it’s long part of Houston. Its locally attuned Creole cooking, some Mexican flavors and preparations that might be a little less baroque, seems to be better than in any time since Danny Trace departed as executive chef in 2017. The emphasis is on the bounty of the Gulf cooked in butter, and turtle soup and any fish preparation usually makes for winning meal. A bountiful wine list, famous desserts, indulgent brunches and 25-cent martinis during weekday lunches are some other draws. Midtown
Crawfish & Noodles – Viet-Cajun – Near the western part of Chinatown on Bellaire Boulevard, this busy and easily enjoyable outpost helped to introduce and popularize Viet-Cajun crawfish in the area so much so that it’s drawn national attention to the restaurant and proprietor and chef, Trong Nguyen, along with making the dish one of Houston’s signature culinary offerings, a testament to Houstonians love of the Louisiana-instigated mudbug culture and Vietnamese flavors. Even more, their crabs, wings and more show that casual, communal fare done very well can make the day that much more pleasurable and rewarding. A new location is in the commercial farmers market. Chinatown, Heights
Eugene’s – Texas Gulf Coast – Inspired in part by the full-flavored regional Gulf Coast cookery of yore along with a healthy dose of influences from neighboring Louisiana, this dark-wooded, clubby-looking space in the heart of a neighborhood, can delight in a number of ways with its updated presentations. Redfish stuffed with a blue crab dressing and broiled, several baked crabmeat dishes straight out of New Orleans, and the Oysters Kyle, green onion sautéed in a seasoned lemon garlic butter sauce are a few of main plates. The highlight here might be a starter, the very dark roux-based gumbo filled with shrimp, crab and oysters and served with white rice that quickly set the local and, for some critics, the gold standard anywhere for a dish that has been locally popular since soon after the first person with a French surname moved west from the Crescent City here. Montrose
Goode Co. Kitchen & Cantina – With their experience and aptitude with Tex-Mex and Mexican dishes at other concepts, it was natural that Goode Co. would finally expand into a full-service Tex-Mex restaurants. Thankfully, they did. These are now clearly the best in the area. The Mexican seafood cocktail Campechana is a refreshing, wonderful way to start while the mesquite-grilled fajitas in one of its many iterations here is another crowd-pleasing order found on many tables. Any of the enchiladas or old school combination plates are done better than what you had growing up and the preparations with that require some more expertise like local Gulf favorite redfish cooked on the half-shell or bacon-wrapped, stuffed and roasted jumbo shrimp are a reminder that this is from a top area restaurant group. Memorial, Heights, The Woodlands
Goode Co. Seafood – Texas Gulf Coast – It’s tough to think about Goode Co. without its iconic, widely copied Campechana coming quickly to mind. This Mexican-style seafood cocktail made with top-notch shrimp and/or blue crab meat that is very flavorful, refreshing, and features popular south of the border flavors that’s perfect for Houston. The entire restaurant, too, actually. Both locations. Shrimp, blue crab, oysters and fish from nearby waters served up enticingly be it raw, cured, grilled and even fried. The Mexican heritage of the Goode family extends delectably to other preparations like the remember-to-wait-for-it-cool-down empanadas filled with shrimp, and salsa and avocado on mesquite-grilled fish. Goode signature mesquite grilling can be had with several fish. Local coastal favorites like redfish on the hall shell, jumbo shrimp stuffed with jalapeño and cheddar, wrapped in bacon and roasted, can be terrific. There are oyster, enticing soups – their take on seafood gumbo and a blue crab, corn and poblano bisque – and even salads to start. For a quicker or more casual meal, the seafood po boys are excellent, and available mesquite-grilled in addition to fried. West U, Memorial City
Nancy's Hustle – New American – Though this could likely fit in seamlessly in the other top restaurant cities in the country, but it is also perfectly suited for the present-day Houston led by a very experienced and talented crew. Set in the still-gentrifying East End, with its quickly boisterous and nicely casual set-up in a comfortable strip center coupled with a serious kitchen churning out delectable dishes with flavors ranging from the Mediterranean on either side of the Bosphorus to stateside, most designed for sharing, and an expertly chosen array of wine, cocktails and even beers to complement the evening. One of the city’s best. East End
Roostar – Vietnamese – Now with a trio of locations in various parts of town, this Banh Mi 2.0 operation is both slicker and better, overall, than its predecessors. What began as Vietnam Poblano in Spring Branch, an area with much higher Hispanic and Korean populations than Vietnamese, this has adapted to a growing clientele with a menu and preparations that are broadly popular. Jalapeños, shredded pickled carrots, cucumbers, cilantro with stems, soy sauce and garlic aioli help provide the sandwich platform along with rolls from excellent Slow Dough Bakery that are maybe more traditionally French than is found at other banh mi spots. Not just the bread, but the proteins are generally better quality than similar spots, too. Spring Branch, Galleria area, East End
State of Grace – American – It has a seemingly scattershot menu – Gulf Coast-inspired fare, Tex-Mex, Italian, expense-account-worthy steaks, and some Asian flavors plus a postcard-pretty tiled oyster bar – that nonetheless makes sense here and is well done. Enticing, smart wine list to boot. River Oaks
Thien An – Vietnamese – Sporting the fairly lengthy menu that was seemingly similar to just about every other Vietnamese restaurant in Houston for a few decades including spring and fried egg rolls, banh mi, rice plates, vermicelli bowls, and pho, and other delights, Thein An hasn’t gone contemporary. It just turns out excellent fare among a wide range of preparations that is better most other local Vietnamese places, and that is a great value. The banh mi are just one longtime highlight, especially for the local favorite, the char-grilled pork, since the restaurant is more generous than most with the pork, which is nicely cooked, tender and richly flavorful, nestled along with the expected fresh, texture-providing accompaniments in a local-standard short Vietnamese-style baguette that is properly fresh, crusty and airy. The no-nonsense setting – often bustling with downtown office workers, Vietnamese-American cops and the occasional Catholic priest – provides an appropriate place for a tasty and wallet-friendly meal. Only opened until 6:00 every day but Saturday. Midtown
Turkey Leg Hut – Creole / Turkey Legs – A sensation and seemingly long weekend lines since opening on Almeda near the nexus of the Museum District and the Third Ward in late 2017 after generating considerable buzz prior as a concession at the Rodeo, this has drawn celebrities like Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, James Harden and a slew of other big names for its fun, amazingly caloric, carnival-like fare with a strong Louisiana accent with a starring role for those massive legs of poultry. The Florentine Leg is one measure of the festive food with slowly smoked turkey leg topped with jumbo shrimp, slices of red onion, mushrooms and spinach then their unique Cajun Alfredo Sauce and Parmesan is one measure of the kitchen’s output. But there’s a lot more, especially the scene that spiked with hearty drinks, frozen and otherwise, in large plastic cups. Make reservations if you don’t want to brave the queue. Museum District
At Goode Co. Kitchen and Cantina
