Restaurants >>

• Best Restaurant
  Feast
  Frank Bruni, the restaurant critic of The New York Times, paid his props after a visit to Feast last spring. "It's a full-on, extended ode to offal that has no real peer in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and other major cities that pride themselves on their epicurean adventurousness," he wrote... More >>
• Best Pizzeria
  Grimaldi's
  If you believe that pizza should have a crispy crust rolled out as thin as possible with a spare amount of toppings, then the Sugar Land outpost of this Hoboken native might well be your place of worship. Ask the chef to leave the pizza in the coal-fired brick oven a minute or two longer than... More >>
• Best New Restaurant (1 Comment)
  Poscol
  Marco Wiles, the owner of Da Marco and Dolce Vita, extends his Westheimer winning streak with his new wine-and-tapas joint. The menu at Poscol might remind you of Mario Batali's Casa Mono tapas bar in New York, only without the Spanish taverna touches. The interior, which occupies the former... More >>
• Best Cajun Restaurant (3 Comments)
  BB's Cajun Cafe
  BB's Cajun Cafe isn't entirely Cajun. Sure, the oyster poor boy with big, gooey crusted oysters is plenty Cajun. And so are the "Bedtime in the Bayou" shrimp sandwich and the spicy battered soft-shell crab on a roll. But the roast beef and gravy poor boy is pure New Orleans. So is the... More >>
• Best Italian Restaurant (1 Comment)
  Da Marco
  For years, Marco Wiles has been delivering uncompromising Northern Italian cuisine to the appreciative masses. Some people have even complained that he is too Italian, with a menu that requires a dictionary to decode. However, his outstanding waitstaff is always ready to lend a hand. With an... More >>
• Best Vietnamese Restaurant (1 Comment)
  Que Huong
  The last time we ordered jellyfish salad, or "Summer Delight," the incredibly refreshing summer salad of mixed seafood served with crispy shrimp chips, our waiter at Que Huong (pronounced WAY HONG) told us to try something different. Beef and shrimp watercress salad is better, he said. But it... More >>
• Best Korean Restaurant
  Tofu Village
  You wouldn't think of going to a restaurant called Tofu Village for the barbecue — but in fact Korean barbecue is a specialty here. The Korean approach to tofu is nothing short of astonishing. Like the soft and comforting potatoes in the middle of a bowl of fiery curry, or the neutral... More >>
• Best Chinese Restaurant
  Chinese Halal Cuisine
  Chinese Uyghurs in the far western Xinjiang province were much in the news this year. So we are venturing beyond the usual Hong Kong, Hunan and Sichuan recommendations in favor of Chinese Halal Cuisine on Bellaire. Uyghur fare, with its strong cumin aromas and extensive use of lamb, borrows from... More >>
• Best Japanese Restaurant (2 Comments)
  Genji Japanese Restaurant & Karaoke Bar
  If you're looking for sushi, Houston is heavily populated with above-average sushi restaurants. If you're looking for a good time and fantastic Japanese bar food, Genji is the only show in town. Set to the soundtrack of some serious (and sometimes seriously painful) karaoke, Genji attracts... More >>
• Best Indian Restaurant (1 Comment)
  Indika
  Anita Jaisinghani earned a PhD in microbiology in her native India before she moved to Houston and changed careers. After working as the pastry chef at Café Annie for nearly two years, she opened the original Indika on Memorial. That restaurant was lauded by The New York Times, Gourmet... More >>
• Best Greek Restaurant (1 Comment)
  Yia Yia Mary's Greek Kitchen
  Although no Greek restaurant in Houston has it all, Yia Yia Mary's comes the closest. Once you get past the noise and the lack of intimacy, you'll find the Pappas family serving up some insanely tasty classics, including buttery spanakopita, creamy taramosalata and the ever-popular saganaki. The... More >>
• Best Spanish Restaurant (1 Comment)
  Oporto
  Oporto has a great selection of tapas at very reasonable prices, even when happy hour isn't in effect. And though the name implies Portugal, the menu reflects the spirit of Spain. Spanish and Portuguese wines pair nicely with a diverse list of meats and cheeses. The small plates here... More >>
• Best Middle Eastern Restaurant (1 Comment)
  Fadi's
  The food here may be served cafeteria-style, but it tastes gourmet. Diners line up along a sea of troughs stretching along two walls of the restaurant, each brimming with Middle Eastern delights. Pile your plate high with dolmas (grape leaves stuffed with rice, onions and tomatoes), tabouli and... More >>
• Best Tex-Mex Restaurant (3 Comments)
  Molina's Cantina
  The oldest Tex-Mex chain in Houston is Molina's, now in its third generation. When the restaurant was founded in 1941, the entire Molina family lived on the upper floor above its first restaurant on West Gray. Mom did the cooking, Dad was the waiter and the kids bussed tables and washed dishes.... More >>
• Best South American Restaurant (5 Comments)
  Pradaria
  Pradaria is a little different from the other churrascarias in town. There's sushi on the salad bar and a wider variety of rodízio meats. The servers in gaucho costumes come around with the usual rib eye and picanha, the juicy top sirloin that's doubled over into a C shape on the skewer.... More >>
• Best Mexican Restaurant (5 Comments)
  Tampico Seafood & Cocina Mexicana
  There are a lot of Mexican restaurants in Texas, but there aren't a lot of ostionerías, or Mexican oyster bars, outside of Houston. And since seafood is what makes the food in Houston great, we figured it was about time to recognize our favorite ostionería, Tampico on Airline.... More >>
• Best Brunch
  Dharma Cafe
  Dharma Cafe is a homey oasis smack-dab in the rundown industrial area along Houston Avenue that makes up the nexus of Downtown and the Heights. Get away from the hectic noise and the stiletto-heels scene that dominate many high-end Sunday brunch spots and pull up a chair in this unassuming cafe... More >>
• Best Chain Restaurant (1 Comment)
  Laurenzo's El Tiempo Cantina
  It's all about the ambience, fajitas and margaritas at this famous Houston Tex-Mex institution. The restaurants are dark and homey, with inviting bars that exude that relaxing cantina feel. Start off with a serving of queso and chorizo and then order up a heaping plate of fajitas, piled high... More >>
• Best Diner
  Avalon Diner
  Even though it's difficult to shake the newness of the new location (which is not so very new anymore), Avalon Diner is still serving up some of the best greasy-spoon food in the city. The place is usually filled with regulars, and the waitstaff has been there for ages. There's something for... More >>
• Best Old/New Fusion
  Rainbow Lodge
  When it was announced that wunderkind chef Randy Rucker — known for his daring molecular gastronomy and cutting-edge cuisine at the now-closed Laidback Manor — would be taking over the executive chef position at the supremely old-school Rainbow Lodge, the collective heads of... More >>
• Best Breakfast (3 Comments)
  Sabine River Cafe
  Known for its Cajun creations, the Sabine River Cafe might not be one of the first places you think of for breakfast. But it should be. Inside this sleek, modern-looking restaurant with wraparound outdoor seating, the kitchen is pumping out simple, flavorful food every morning from 7 to 11. From... More >>
• Best Vegetarian-Friendly Restaurant
  The Hobbit Cafe
  There was a time when we couldn't imagine the Hobbit Hole existing anywhere other than the ramshackle, shire-like house on Shepherd, and we doubted its ability to survive in its new incarnation — The Hobbit Cafe — and new location, on Richmond. Defying expectations, the cozy little... More >>
• Best Seafood Restaurant (1 Comment)
  Reef
  Bryan Caswell was named one of the 10 Best New Chefs in the country by Food & Wine Magazine this year. He owes much of that honor to the bounty of the Gulf of Mexico. Caswell is a fisherman, and he understands the treasures of the Gulf in a way that non-fishermen never quite get. His... More >>
• Best Soul Food Restaurant (8 Comments)
  The Kitchen Soul Food
  This place is a dump, but the cooking is stellar. The wise move is to get your food packed up to go and enjoy it at home. The steam table features melt-in-your-mouth oxtails in brown gravy, fork-tender smothered pork chops, a falling-apart pepper steak in spicy sauce, and Creole meatloaf, all... More >>
• Best Atmosphere
  Carter & Cooley
  The appeal of longtime Heights sandwich shop Carter & Cooley isn't only in its Bentwood chairs and pressed-tin ceiling, or in the highly polished wood floors and antique scales used to weigh fresh deli meat – it's in the entire neighborhood. The little shop that was once a drugstore... More >>
• Best Steakhouse (1 Comment)
  Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House
  From the day construction began, Del Frisco's set out to be the top steak house in Houston. The 13,000-square-foot Galleria location is a copy of the 17,000-square-foot Del Frisco's in Manhattan. The walls are mahogany, the floors are Brazilian slate and the grand light fixtures are made from... More >>
• Best Mom & Pop Restaurant
  Cafe Rita
  The spicy Middle Eastern food at Cafe Rita is spectacular — eating here is like going over to your Armenian grandparents' house for lunch. George Sarikhanian, the gregarious cashier/owner, is a friendly bear with a bald head and spectacles. His wife, Rita, is a smiling matron in an apron... More >>
• Best Jewish Deli
  Kenny & Ziggy's Delicatessen Restaurant
  Ziggy Gruber is a third-generation deli man whose family opened the Rialto, the first deli on Broadway, in 1927. After working in a string of Gruber family kosher delis in various NYC suburbs, he opened his own deli, Ziggy G's in Los Angeles, which became enormously popular. After the Los... More >>
• Best Pre- or Post-Theater Restaurant
  Artista
  If you want to impress someone with one of the most beautiful views of the Houston skyline, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better place than Michael Cordúa's showcase restaurant, Artista, on the second floor of the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. If the view doesn't impress your... More >>
• Best Comfort Food
  Barbecue Inn
  Barbecue Inn has been a Houston favorite since the 1940s, and most of the waitresses appear to have been there just as long. The food itself is long on comfort — the same hearty and delicious chicken-fried steaks and fried shrimp platters that have sustained families eating there after... More >>
• Best Late-Night Restaurant
  Spanish Flowers
  Often, late-night dining comes down to sheer convenience: Where can you find a place that's open at 3 a.m. to head that hangover off at the pass or keep you going as you pull an all-nighter? And more often than not, convenience completely trumps taste. At Spanish Flowers, however, neither is... More >>
• Best Taco Truck
  Taqueria Hecho En Mexico 2
  When you pull up to "Taqueria Hecho En Mexico 2," a carhop in a uniform approaches the driver's window of your car with an order pad at the ready. Taquitos here are 99 cents and are guaranteed to be 100 percent chilango. (That's slang for a native of Mexico City D.F.) Try the pastor (pork),... More >>
• Best Wine Bar Food
  The Tasting Room
  Even though executive chef Steve Super left The Tasting Room at Uptown Park this year to helm the newest sister restaurant, Max's Wine Dive in Austin, the food remains as good as ever. When the Tasting Room expanded a few years back, it opened up space for not only a professional kitchen but... More >>
• Best French Restaurant (1 Comment)
  La Brocante
  This little French restaurant is located on Kirkwood just south of Westheimer, not far from the old location of Bistro Provence, which was owned by the same couple, Georges and Monique Guy. La Brocante means "flea market." Monique Guy sells old furniture and bric-a-brac out of the space, and... More >>
• Best Cuban Restaurant
  Cafe Piquet
  It's always a good sign at a Cuban restaurant when you see actual Cubans eating there. And Cafe Piquet certainly passes the test. Located just west of the 610 Loop, this cafe boasts a large stone patio area and a warm wood and stone interior with photos of Cuban movie stars and the island's... More >>
• Best Burger Joint (2 Comments)
  Lankford Grocery and Market
  When Guy Fieri and his Food Network show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives visited Eydie Prior on his trip to Houston, he confirmed what many Houstonians already knew — Lankford Grocery is a treasure. Eydie's parents started the place as a convenience store in 1939, but it was the hamburgers... More >>
• Best Service (3 Comments)
  Barnaby's Cafe
  Although any one of the four Barnaby's locations will offer you unrivaled service, the original location — tucked away in a residential area in Montrose off Fairview — still sets the bar. Despite long waits on weekends and occasionally cramped quarters inside (especially when you're... More >>