Houston, Texas is one of the biggest cities in America, and unsurprisingly, it offers some of the best dining options in the country. While other cities like LA and New York might be more well known for being on the forefront of the dining world, Houston’s restaurant, diner, and food truck scenes have blossomed in the last couple of decades. It’s now one of the best places to find incredible food in the country. In this video, we’re take a look at a few select places that we love, to get you started on your Houston culinary journey. So join Viewcation as we present: The Best Restaurants in Houston, TX!
Nancy’s Hustle
The EaDo neighborhood in Houston is on the rise, and it’s beginning to offer some of the most intriguing and delicious food options in the city. And there’s perhaps no better indicator of this than Nancy’s Hustle. It’s a bistro with a throwback feel that will have you feeling nostalgic as you order one of their sublime cocktails. They offer fantasti shared plates that will keep you coming back over and over. The service is excellent, the music is always on point, and the overall vibe is one that locals love. It’s said that many of the local food pros hit up Nancy’s Hustle when they finish work. And that should be all you need to hear. It’s an ideal spot for both a meal or simply sitting by the bar to enjoy the scene. If you’re going to eat, we recommend the Nancy Cakes, which come with roe and butter, as well as the rabbit wings, and the lamb tartare.
Crawfish & Noodles
When the chef of your restaurant has been featured not only on David Chang’s Ugly Delicious, but also on Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods, it says a lot. First, it says that the restaurant offers something different than most places. And second, it says that said dish or dishes will be fantastic. Such is the case with the Asiatown fave, Crawfish & Noodles. The chef we’re talking about is Trong Nguyen, whose appearances on those two shows turned him into something of a celebrity in the cooking world. The reason for all the attention is the Viet Cajun-style crawfish, a delectable hybrid of Vietnamese and Cajun tastes, put to use on a southern coast staple. If you go to Crawfish & Noodles, and don’t get this dish, you better have a great excuse prepared. It’s that legendary. It stir friend with tasty spices and garlic infused butter. But if you do want to order some other things too, you won’t be disappointed. We recommend the stir-fried beef with rice, as well as the stir-friend blue crab. The restaurant has a casual vibe, and is a great place to go with a group!
Truth BBQ
Truth BBQ isn’t just known in the Houston area. It has quickly become regarded as one of the best BBQ spots in all of Texas. It started off as a tiny spot in Brenham, Texas. And that location did so well, they opened up a spot in the Heights in Houston. It’s a slightly fancier place than their first shack, but at its core it’s still down home Texas BBQ. They offer everything you’d hope for from a BBQ restaurant, like fatty brisket, beef ribs, hog roasts, and the like. And while the vibe of the place might feel like your uncle’s back patio on a holiday, they take their meat seriously, and offer competition-worthy slabs of mouth watering meats. You can also add to the experience by snagging their delectable sides that include tater tot casserole and corn pudding. It’s a classic Texas BBQ you’ll be talking about all day and all week.
5kinokawa
When you eat at 5kinokawa, you’ll feel like you’re Tokyo, tucked away at a secret sushi house that only a few people know about. And that’s an experience Chef Billy Kin has tried hard to cultivate. Before opening 5kinokawa, he was already known for Japanese standouts Hidden Omakase and Blackbird Izakaya. So, as with any respected sushi chef, you can trust him with his fish selections. In fact, he and his crew have the fish flown in directly from Japan every week. They take painstaking care to make sure it’s the best fish you can get, and the results are nothing short of magical. If you’re lucky enough to get a seat (and there are only 14 in the entire restaurant, so it won’t be easy) you’ll be treated to a world class sushi meal. And if you’d like something non-fish, there’s also the marbled wagyu beef that’s just as curated as the fish. (They even up the theatrics by showing you the cow’s birth certificate. It might be a little overkill for some, but it makes for a memorable dish, that’s for sure.) The menu is seasonal, so you can come back a few times each year and find a new slate of amazing dishes to try. Plus, it’s BYOB, so you can make it as festive an experience as you’d like.
Pondicheri
If you love Indian food, you’re in for a treat at Pondicheri. It’s a diner run by owner and chef Anita Jaisinghani that offers Indian staples in new and creative ways. This rapidly on the rise River Oaks spot offers indoor and outdoor seating, and pretty much everything on the menu is fantastic. If you’re into the traditional Indian elements, they have excellent saag, dosas, and butter chicken. And the menu only goes off from there, ranging from Nepalese dumplings to pickle naan pizza. Overall, we recommend the momos, pani poor, and the fish curry. But really, you can’t go wrong with any of the dishes. Plus, Pondicheri does an excellent job of providing options for the vegetarian and vegan set. In addition to their menu staples that are meatless, they also offer Meatless Monday that draws huge crowds, and for good reason.
Tian Tian Lu Chuaner
Sometimes you find a restaurant, and sometimes it finds you. In the case of Tian Tian Lu Chuaner, it’ll feel like the latter. That’s because it’s the most low-key of low-key places, and you won’t see it being advertised, well, pretty much anywhere. So the fact that you even hear about this place is pretty lucky. It’s a Chinese snack shack that not only doesn’t have a website, but they also don’t even take reservations. So just be glad you heard it here first. They have some of the best Chinese street food that you’ll find anywhere outside of mainland China. We recommend the puffy friend dough sticks, their mouthwatering dumplings, and spiced skewers. Plus the food is incredibly affordable. Plus they have little features that distinguish them from other restaurants, like the fact that they make their own soy milk, and offer off-beat dishes like stinky tofu and intestine sticks. It’s an adventure you won’t soon forget!
Theodore Rex
Theodore Rex has become a culinary staple in Houston, and it somehow manages to keep getting better each year. Chef Justin Yu runs a modern French/Asian bistro that is run elegantly and has a fantastic modern vibe. Veterans of the Houston dining scene know that Theodore Rex used to offer tasting menus and had a distinguished air to it. These days, things have chilled out quite a bit, and you can now order a la carte. Plus the dishes themselves are a little more laid back. But they are just as delicious. The menu has a focus on vegetables, like pickled radicchio and braised and smoked greens. We highly recommend trying some of their most popular dishes like the oyster mignonette and tagliatelle with butter. Just keep in mind that parking in the Warehouse District isn’t always easy, so grabbing a ride share might be the best move.
Xochi
Oaxacan cuisine is a delight when done well, and Xochi is a prime example of this. But if you’re imagining a classic Mexican family eatery, or a street food spot, you’ve got the worng idea. Xoxhi lives inside the Marriott Marquis and is an upscale restaurant with some food that will blow your mind. The chef is Hugo Ortega, who has already established himself as a Houston celebrity with his previous offerings. And Xochi lives up to his name. You can get a variety of Oaxacan staples like masa and corn plates and moles, as well as sopa de Piedra and suckling pig. There are also exotic dishes like ones with grasshoppers. And of course no Oaxacan dessert would be complete without some amazing churros, and Xochi has exactly that. Grab a taste of pure Oaxaca with this excellent and swanky restaurant.
Golfstrømmen
Besides being pretty fun to say, Golfstrømmen is an excellent seafood place that lives in the food hall at the Post Market. It’s a place that mixes Nordic tradition with some Texas and gulf coast swagger. And don’t let the fact that it’s in a food hall deter you. Norwegian celebrity chef Christopher Haatuft and local star Paul Qui have taken their fun blend of cultures and presented it in a more sit-down and elegant manner than you’d expect. They source their fish sustainably, and they then use it to create stunning and delicious dishes. Their Chef de cuisine, Alberto Cruz, does a stellar job at blending the Nordic and gulf coast influences skilfully, resulting in cevishes, crudo dishes and other cold plates that are to die for. Then they offer cooked fish dishes like pan-roasted Gulf fish or Maine squid that’s been grilled, that will leave your mouth watering. We recommend the pan-roasted kingfish, as well as the red drum crudo. Another cool thing about Golfstrømmen is that they have a chef takeovers, so you can experience a whole new set of offerings if you dine there while a guest chef has control of the kitchen.
Now it’s time to hear from you! What’s your favorite restaurant in Houston? Let us know in the comments section below!