The 15 Most Essential Food Experiences in Houston

Houston has proven itself to be a fantastic place to eat (sorry, have you tried our tacos?), but going into 2023, it’s never been more clear that our food scene has blossomed into something truly special. Maybe that’s because our diverse population spans nearly 100 nations speaking more than 145 languages, or maybe it’s because of those tacos.

Either way, eating your way through Mutt City’s colossal culinary landscape can legitimately take a lifetime, so we’re here to help narrow things down. This 15-count bucket list will take you through the most important food and drink experiences in Houston today, and we promise, it’s more than just tacos (though those are in there too, of course).

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Mutt City’s barbecue scene has turned Texas BBQ on its head, offering a smoky amalgamation of old school smokehouses—where you can go big on meltingly tender brisket and snappy jalapeno sausages—and younger guns that are pushing barbecue boundaries to the edge with Gochujang Glazed Pork Ribs, fall-apart Birria de Res Tacos, and Smoked Beef Rib Panang Curry. You should totally venture out to try both, from classic ‘cue spots Corkscrew, Roegels Barbecue Co., and Tejas Chocolate & Barbecue to game-changing smokemasters Blood Bros. BBQ and Khói Barbecue.
How to book: Dine-in, takeout, and delivery options vary by location.

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As discussed, taco culture is alive and well in Houston, and while there is most certainly a place for the traditional, our taco spread stretches far beyond that. Blow your mind with newfangled creations like Piri Piri Paratha Tacos at Portuguese-Indian haunt Da Gama Canteen, smoked brisket-spiked Birria de Res goods from Chicano-style barbecue joint JQ’s Tex Mex BBQ, chicken tikka- and falafel-filled delights from cult favorite Fusion Taco, bulgogi beef- and kimchi-fueled numbers from Korean-Mexican fusion spot Oh My Gogi, and the Chinese Sausage Breakfast Taco from EaDo coffee shop and bakery Koffeteria.
How to book: Dine-in, takeout, and delivery options vary by location.

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Hugo’s achiote-rubbed Braised Suckling Pig, Urbe’s Campechana, and Xochi’s epic Mole. Picos’ Enchiladas de Mariscos and traditional Chiles en Nogada. Pozole Dumplings and Oaxacan Old Fashioneds at Chivos. Veracruz-style fish and towering Parrilladas at Teotihuacan. Irma’s out-of-this-world tamales and homemade flan. Suffice it to say, Mexican food in Houston is not to be missed.
How to book: Dine-in, takeout, and delivery options vary by location.

Greenway/Midtown/Montrose
The late Tony Vallone’s magic lives on at his timeless Italian joint, Tony’s, one of the oldest (and classiest) fine dining establishments in all of Houston. It’s been setting the gold standard for world-class service since 1965, wining and dining the likes of Tony Bennett, Oscar de la Renta, and a whopping seven sitting presidents. In Midtown, Brennan’s, est. 1967, is where Houston’s culinary elite cuts their teeth, as the kitchen has been the stomping grounds for top talent including Chris Shepherd, Mark Holley, Jamie Zelko, and more—plus, you can’t beat Bananas Foster flambéed tableside. But perhaps the most extravagant is artful newcomer March, where Chef Felipe Riccio delves into rich stories from around the globe to put out impressive tasting menus complete with housemade vermouth and cherry-picked wines and spirits.
How to book: Dine-in, takeout, and delivery options vary by location.

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That’d be the extraordinarily addicting combination of chips + queso + margarita (on-the-rocks or frozen, as long as the glass is bigger than your dome). Throw a rock in any direction and you’re bound to stumble head-first into this outstanding combo, but here’s a start: Tejano spot Superica, taco ice house Eight Row Flint, modern smokeshow Candente, or the absolute Tex-Mex titan that is El Tiempo. You’re welcome.
How to book: Dine-in, takeout, and delivery options vary by location.

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Only in Texas would a sausage-stuffed sweet bun be considered the perfect morning meal. Those klobasniky and their cousin, the kolache (buns with dollops of sweet cheese, poppyseed, and fruit filling at the center) are prevalent around this part of town thanks to the Lone Star’s Czech belt. Go for classic versions at The Original Kolache Shoppe, jalapeno loaded numbers and monthly specials at Kolache Shoppe, or more imaginative takes at Koala Kolache.
How to book: Dine-in, take-out, and delivery options vary by location.

Montrose
Spend a lazy afternoon at West Alabama Ice House, Houston’s favorite (and longest running) outdoor dive. You’ll find all walks of life here—the biker and the baller, mustached dudes and social media stars, first timers and longtime regulars. Everyone is here for the same reason: to enjoy no-frills, ice cold drinks on the patio alongside what many consider to be the best tacos in town, AKA the tiny, fiery numbers from neighboring taco truck Tacos Tierra Caliente.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating.

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Like a fine wine, Houston’s burger landscape keeps getting better with time. Take Heights hotspot Squable’s French Cheeseburger, for instance. The neighborhood bistro makes its pain de mie bun in house, then griddles it before stuffing it with a pasture-raised beef patty, thick and plump and dripping with buttery, greasy goodness and adding a cascade of funky, gooey raclette cheese and a tangy chopped cornichon finisher. Try that, or use our Best Burgers in Houston guide as a treasure map for your very own burger quest (smash burgers from Burger Bodega and Trill Burgers, Filipino-style Akaushi burgers at Flip N’ Patties, bodacious build-your-own burgers at burger-chan, and more!).
How to book: Dine-in, take-out, and delivery options vary by location.

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One of the best things about living in Houston is the fact that you can easily eat tacos all day long. Start with the city’s absolute best breakfast tacos filled with huevos, chorizo, and papas at spots like Laredo Taqueria and Chilosos Taco House. Later, change your life, or at least your afternoon, for the better with the most important tacos in Houston, from trompo at La Macro to street style tacos al pastor at Taconmadre before getting your late-night fix with birria at La Calle or Cuban tacos from El Rey.
How to book: Dine-in, take-out, and delivery options vary by location.

Chinatown
Peeling, pinching, and sucking down a bucket of mudbugs is a Houston rite of passage. You won’t feel like a true local until you master your technique, and definitely not until you’ve tried the Vietnamese-Cajun hybrid—hit with a blend of garlic, butter, and fragrant spices—that truly speaks to Houston’s global culture. Find it at cult favorites like Crawfish & Noodles (look out for its upcoming location at the Houston Farmers Market) and Cajun Kitchen.
How to book: Dine-in, take-out, and delivery options vary by location.

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Houston is home to the third largest Vietnamese population in America, which means there's pretty epic Vietnamese cuisine just about everywhere you look. Pho shops line the city, with superior noodle options including but not limited to the old school take at Pho Saigon, Pho Ga Dakao's chicken version, and the fatty brisket and meatball-loaded option at Pho Binh.
How to book: Dine-in, take-out, and delivery options vary by location.

Chinatown
We’d suggest orchestrating a full restaurant crawl through the buzzy district, but if you can only squeeze one meal in, make it the tongue-scorching Sichuan offerings at Mala Sichuan. Or seven courses of Vietnamese-style beef at Saigon Pagolac. And the soy duck and Spam katsu at Toukei, or crispy snapper and lemongrass prawns at Night Market. Oh, and dumplings at Golden Dumpling House and Fung’s Kitchen’s next-level Hong Kong-style dim sum. Shoot.
How to book: Dine-in, take-out, and delivery options vary by location.

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Despite the name, 1946 landmark Barbecue Inn is not famous for its barbecue, but rather its perfect 10 take on classic Southern fried chicken. And Lankford Grocery & Market isn’t a grocery and market at all (at least not anymore), but a place you’ll be going to smash one of the greasiest, most satisfying burgers you’ll ever have. And if it’s alarmingly good soul food you’re after, you’ll find it at the for-once appropriately named Houston’s This Is It Soul Food, which has been ridding us of the Sunday scaries since it got its start in Freedmen’s Town back in 1959. But perhaps the stickiest stick-to-your-bones meal? A giant stuffed turkey leg at The Turkey Leg Hut.
How to book: Dine-in, take-out, and delivery options vary by location.

Heights, San Leon
The ostiones asados—wood-roasted Gulf oysters dripping in chipotle butter and topped with cheese and toasted bread crumbs—at coastal Mexican haunt Caracol are a thing of beauty. Continue your bivalve quest with Gulf gems on-the-half-shell at La Lucha in the Heights; buttery, chargrilled numbers at Gilhooley’s; and seriously fresh oysters at Pier 6 Seafood & Oyster House, both of which you’ll find down in San Leon.
How to book: Dine-in, take-out, and delivery options vary by location.

East End/Uptown
“Mama” Ninfa Laurenzo first started grilling skirt steak and stuffing it inside tortillas to save her family’s struggling tortilla factory. Those “tacos al carbon” later became widely known as “fajitas,” a dish which her namesake restaurant, The Original Ninfa’s, has been perfecting since 1973. Though many have tried, the legendary sizzling hot mounds of fajitas here just can’t be outdone.
How to book: Reserve via OpenTable (East End, Uptown), order take-out online, or get delivery via DoorDash (East End, Uptown).

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