Houston Restaurants
Things to do in Houston
Houston is a food-lover's paradise, from exquisite Mexican delights to seafood, barbecue and the freshest of fruits and veggies.
Houston also has a thriving restaurant scene, and you can tap into it at The Commons at HelloHouston.com.
From down-home to upscale continental fare, you’ll be able to find a restaurant in Houston to suit your taste. Just browse through some of the reviewed restaurants on HelloHouston.com, use the map tool to find a restaurant that is close to you, or see what your friend have to say about a restaurant at The Commons at HelloHouston.com.
If you have a hankering for seafood, you can’t miss Jimmy G’s Cajun Seafood Restaurant. It’s been in Houston for more than two decades, and it’s located near George Bush Intercontinental Airport off Sam Houston Parkway. It has two large dining areas and a prominent, neon-lit bar. Its specialties include baked oysters, gumbo and other classic Cajun and Creole cuisine.
If you’re looking for an authentic French bakery, look no further than the Woodlands Gourmet Bakery & Café. It’s located in the sprawling development north of Houston and it’s a popular spot for breakfast and lunch specialties.
If you’re looking to eat like a cowboy, try the Saltgrass Steak House, a Houston-born dining tradition with cattle trail origins and several locations in the Houston area. It has a dining atmosphere that reminiscent of a ranching scene from the Old West. In fact, it is named for a legendary cattle drive that’s commemorated at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo.
For other barbecue options, go to Pizzitola’s on Shepherd Drive near Loop 610 in the Heights. It opened in 1935. The owner has expanded on the restaurant's original brisket recipe to include tender ribs and chicken.
If you’re looking for Mexican food, you can miss the original Ninfa’s On Navigation. The restaurant is fill of authentic charm and is close to downtown. It has a newly added patio that is nice on cooler days, and it has a full bar that is now in operation.
As you can see, Houston has plenty of dining options, and at The Commons at HelloHouston.com, you can take full advantage of them.
There is something about waterfront dining that makes for an elevated, relaxing experience. Sharky's offers patio dining with the occasional glimpse of a heron or egret skimming the water in search of its dinner.
After a long hard afternoon of shopping at Sugarland's First Colony Mall (or at the Houston Galleria, since there’s a Kona Grill near that location), it's a relief to step into the sleek, modern sensibility that defines Kona Grill, from the darkened dining room with tropical accents to an innovative menu that leans heavily on fresh seafood and sushi.
Within minutes of a western-wear vendor and a hole-in-the-wall bar that bills itself as “biker-friendly,” there’s an authentic French bakery with a distinctly international vibe.
The restaurant kitchens here attempt to capture some of the flavor of true Texas cooking, amidst a dining atmosphere that’s heavy on ranching paraphernalia. The place is named for a legendary cattle drive that’s commemorated at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo even today.
Beach-goers know Benno's for great Cajun seafood.
If just the sound of French Silk pie (made with dark chocolate, light praline chocolate and oodles of whipped cream) makes you weak in the knees, you’re in for a treat at House of Pies.
Bitterman's Market Square Bar & Grill is one of the few businesses in the area across from the recently revived Market Square Park that remains open in the evening. Lunchtime can be crazy busy, but by nightfall, you’ll likely have your pick of booths in the dark, narrow cozy indoors environs, or a table outside in the courtyard.
Sitar Cuisine of India describes its cuisine as “fine North Indian,” and without claiming geography expertise for that part of the world, we have tasted the food and can confirm it as very good.
Authentically quaint, the Wunsche Brothers Cafe and Saloon effortlessly serves up the past in a charmingly rickety old building with a big covered porch.
We love the concept at Black Walnut Cafe: an innovative menu where nothing is status quo, and yet neither the food nor the atmosphere is too precious to dig into.
Raja Quality Restaurant & Sweets is just the place for an inexpensive Indian meal with dessert while you’re shopping the Harwin Drive Shopping District in southwest Houston.
Here's a guide to popular restaurants in Houston for visitors to the city.
We’ll take a presidential recommendation for a restaurant any day, and on the topic of Nit Noi restaurants and cafes, we’ll have to agree with former President George H.W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush, who dine here often: this is one of Houston’s best.
If you wake up in Houston, your first stop should be the breakfast klub. The festive atmosphere is the perfect appetizer for the breakfast klub's scrumptious food.
In a town with its share of outstanding restaurants – from high-end fine dining, to diamond-in-the-rough international strip shopping center cuisine – Houston’s chef of the moment is Monica Pope, owner of t’afia.
City Eats is a local purveyor of Sabrett all-beef hot dogs, importing them from New York City in 1,500 pound shipments. And there are plenty of folks who think that helps make these the best hot dogs in Houston.
This little place -- primarily an Asian market -- has a following when it comes to delicious and authentic Thai food. Regulars know to call ahead with their orders so they don’t have to wait so long, especially at lunchtime.
Danton’s Gulf Coast Seafood Kitchen is “old school” with the feel of a restaurant in Houston that’s been around forever, or at least a couple of decades.
Jimmy G’s Cajun Seafood Restaurant is as old school as it gets. Chances are, you’ll leave happy that some things, like this restaurant, never change.
When traveling the immense highways crisscrossing Houston, travelers and even local residents often run into a dilemma – should they risk getting off the straight and narrow path to where they’re going when it comes to finding a restaurant, or simply eat at one of the numerous chain restaurants that flank the interstates?
Bakeries across America have begun to adapt to changing times with more than just standard pastries, treats and goodies; now, most modern bakeries feature full breakfast, lunch and even dinner menus to allow their artisan bakers an opportunity to create delicious dishes for all to enjoy.
The three owners – comprised of two families – are passionate about offering Farmer’s Market-fresh food in a dining room that’s kept sparkling clean.
Maybe a trip to Hawaii isn’t in the cards this year, but at Hula Mamas restaurant in far north Houston, you’ll find the next best thing.
The bright white trailer by the side of the road adorned with the red, green and white colors of Italy, and sporting some picnic tables set up for roadside dining, is worth a stop.
Some of us have a more adventurous palate than others; The Bombay Brasserie is a great place to take the first-timer willing to try Indian food.
Houston has its share of legendary burger vendors, and Little Bitty Burger Barn is right up there at the top of the list. Voted best burger in Houston by KTRH radio, the Little Bitty serves nothing teensy and is the sort of place frequented by rugby and football teams after a game or practice.
Fresh seafood, classically prepared makes Pappas Seafood House a favorite destination.
Nestled in a small shopping center covered with greenery and shaded by trees, the original Kraftsmen Baking location in Montrose is built for noshing. Serving artisan breads, salads, soups and sandwiches, Kraftsmen Baking is a favorite place for a decadent snack, a healthy lunch, or a little of both.
There are many Mexican food restaurants in Houston, but only one Original Ninfa’s on Navigation. Just one look tells you this is no ordinary Tex-Mex joint.
Of the best-loved Houston-based chain restaurants, few come close to surpassing the affection many Houstonites have for James Coney Island, which has been serving up hot dogs for 87 (yes, 87) years.
Band
Business
Artist
Individual