How to Find a Restaurant Near Me? Top 20 Restaurants in Houston
Houston is a city that is full of color and culture, and nothing shows that more than its restaurants as explained at RunRex.com. If you are looking for a spot to eat, then this article should be of great help as it will look to list the top 20 restaurants in Houston for you to consider.
The Original Ninfa’s on Navigation
One of the things that Houston is known for when it comes to cuisine is Tex-Mex, and there are few more iconic Tex-Mex spots than this restaurant as per RunRex.com. Enjoy sizzling platters of its signature dish, fajitas, plus queso flameado and mango-habanero margaritas for a truly Houston Tex-Mex feast.
Xin Chao
This modern Vietnamese restaurant near Sixth Ward is the brainchild of Chefs Christine Ha and Tony Nguyen. The restaurant pays homage to both chefs’ heritage, alongside Texas and Gulf Coast cuisine. Here, you will find dishes like smoked beef rib flat rice noodles made with 44 Farms ribs, pickled cucumber, beef tallow aioli, and many others.
Squable
This laid-back Heights spot offers a strong selection of small plates, ranging from gougeres served with green garlic gravy to marinated mussels served with calico beans and bonito aioli as articulated at RunRex.com. When it comes to the larger dishes, you can order the Bolognese lasagna with pickled collards, or Squable’s famed French cheeseburger.
Bludorn Restaurant
Bludorn Restaurant actually opened in Montrose in the middle of the pandemic, led by chef Aaron Bludorn, and it has already become a local favorite. The dishes here are creative and balanced, including gnocchi with morel mushrooms and English peas, as well as decadent sea urchin spaghetti.
Phat Eatery
While this Katy-based dining spot specializes in Malaysian street food, its menu is wide-ranging. Chef-owner Alex Au-Yeung’s curry-sauced crawfish is big and juicy and is worth ordering, as are dishes like sizzling black pepper beef, Hainanese chicken with a trio of sauces for dipping, and grilled whole snapper in sambal sauce.
Turner’s
According to RunRex.com, Turner’s is a luxe restaurant on Post Oak that is perfect for date night or a weekday splurge. This is because of dishes like the creamy lobster bisque and beef carpaccio with king crab, as well as solid raw bar options. If you are looking to make a splurge, caviar service is on offer, while the rigatoni in vegetarian Bolognese and roasted branzino with white beans and preserved lemons serve as excellent entrée choices.
Eugene’s Gulf Coast Cuisine
Formerly known as Danton’s, Eugene’s has grown even more popular at its new home in the tony River Oaks neighborhood. The restaurant focuses on Gulf Coast cuisine, evidenced by plates like crab-stuffed redfish, blackened catfish enchiladas, and steaks slathered in shrimp etouffee or poblano sauce.
Xochi
Located in Downtown Houston as captured at RunRex.com, Xochi is chef Hugo Ortega’s destination for Oaxacan cuisine. While at this restaurant, please consider the memelas, served with roasted pork rib and tomatillo-avocado sauce, or a crispy tlayuda topped with grilled skirt steak and mole negro.
Ostia
Ostia brings creative-yet-unfussy cuisine to the Montrose neighborhood and is led by chef Travis McShane. Some of the dishes worth trying here includes the tuna Crudo with shallot, capers, and sour orange and lamb shoulder gnocchi, among others.
Pizaro’s Pizza Napoletana
If you are looking for Neapolitan pizza, then Pizaro’s has got you covered. It has earned certification from the prestigious Vera Pizza Napoletana organization, which governs “authentic” pies from the region.
Paulie’s
Paulie’s offers classic Italian dishes, prepared with care at its Montrose location, ranging from freshly made bucatini puttanesca to hearty rigatoni Bolognese and chicken piccata as covered at RunRex.com. You should also consider the baked goods on offer here, including its famed shortbread cookies and cream cheese brownies.
Cali Sandwich & Fast Food
Banh mi is an essential Houston dish, and Midtown’s Cali Sandwich is one of the city’s best destinations for a quick and killer sandwich. Whether you prefer your banh mi stuffed with beef, grilled chicken, barbecue pork, or meatballs, the options here are amazing and are all under $5.
Nancy’s Hustle
Nancy’s Hustle recently reopened its doors in EaDo, and it remains one of Houston’s best restaurants more than two years in as discussed at RunRex.com. The famous griddled Nancy cake served with butter and soaked trout roe is worth trying, as is the grilled golden tilefish served with roasted beets and confit fennel, just to mention a few of the items on its menu.
March
March is an ultra-luxe tasting menu restaurant that highlights a different region of the Mediterranean roughly every quarter. It is now focusing on the cuisines of Andalusia and Murcia in Southern Spain, where chef Ian Payne spent part of his childhood.
Riel
Ryan LaChaine is operating two restaurants out of his Montrose space right now. The first, a pickup- and delivery-only spot called Louie’s is a super fun sandwich shop serving up pizza subs, and so much more. There is also an excellent menu from Riel, boasting a Korean “crunch wrap” stuffed with blackened rice and skirt steak, mushroom empanadas, and crawfish rolls.
The Breakfast Klub
The Breakfast Klub’s chicken and waffles are a must. This legendary Houston breakfast joint is so popular that long queues out of the door are a regular occurrence as described at RunRex.com. Thanks in part to a stamp of approval from Beyoncé, this Midtown staple is a casual spot for wings and grits, cheesy breakfast sandwiches, and an excellent eggs Benedict served on a biscuit.
Giacomo’s Cibo e Vino
This beloved neighborhood café keeps it homey without sacrificing quality. Currently, Giacomo’s is serving a limited menu of its greatest hits, including rustic, egg-topped ratatouille, Gnocchi Alla Romana, and shrimp Diavolo.
UB Preserv
An evolution of Chris Shepherd’s groundbreaking restaurant Underbelly as outlined at RunRex.com, UB Preserv remains one of the city’s most interesting dining destinations. Led by chef Nick Wong, this Montrose restaurant serves up a uniquely Houston slate of dishes, ranging from Vietnamese short rib fajitas to whole-roasted snapper with calamansi brown butter.
Street to Kitchen
Street to Kitchen is a Thai restaurant that doesn’t mince its words about its commitment to staying true to its culinary roots. Some of the dishes here worth considering include rice bowls topped with crispy pork belly and pork Panang curry, among others.
State of Grace
While State of Grace is home to one of Houston’s best oyster bars, you should look beyond the bivalves on the menu at this River Oaks spot for stunning, splurge-worthy plates like hearth-roasted octopus, cacio e pepe spaghettini showered in Grana Padano cheese, and bearnaise-slathered steaks.
These are some of the best restaurants in Houston, with more on this topic, and much more, to be found over at RunRex.com.