Eating Out

Openings & Closings: Welcome Montrose's Midtown Bar & Grill

La Guadalupana is one of Montrose's most beloved Mexican restaurants, a charming family-run bakery that also happens to turn out top-notch Mexican breakfasts every day of the week. And soon, it could become one of Pasadena's most beloved restaurants too. Owner Trancito Diaz told our own Francisco M ... More >>

The Eating...Our Words 100: Trancito Diaz, Chef and Owner at La Guadalupana

Who is he? La Guadalupana Bakery and Café is a small unassuming restaurant tucked away in the corner of a small lot that it shares with a convenience store and a washateria. It's easy to miss if you're driving down Dunlavy any given day of the week and not actively looking for it. However, if you ... More >>

Upcoming Events: Cinco de Malo and a Wine Dinner at a Gastropub

L'Olivier, the subject of a very recent (and mostly glowing) cafe review, is celebrating its one-year anniversary this coming Tuesday, April 23. In honor of that milestone, the restaurant is hosting its inaugural Soiree de Printemps -- a springtime soiree -- with an all-day happy hour menu, live mus ... More >>

Here, Eat This

A beginner's guide to Argentine cuisine.

Fat Bao: Bao Wow

Upper Kirby's Fat Bao offers delicious Chinese dough wrapped around savory and sweet fillings and now with lowered prices.

First Look At Local Pour, Now Open in River Oaks

Stepping foot into newly opened Local Pour, you wouldn't recognize the space as that of the late Sherlock's Baker St. Pub. The revamped bar & restaurant is now more -- in a word -- open. The walls between the old front and back bars have been torn down, making way for a beautiful open-air front di ... More >>

The Basics At Golden Hunan, One of My New Go-To Chinese Takeout Spots

There are tons of amazing restaurants in our city, but sometimes I want nothing more than some good old-fashioned (Americanized) Chinese food. When you're craving an egg roll, you're craving an egg roll; you know what I mean? On a recent Friday night, my fiance and I needed a quick spot to grab din ... More >>

The Eating...Our Words 100: Seth Siegel-Gardner & Terrence Gallivan of The Pass & Provisions

Who are they? Siegel-Gardner: I'm a Houstonian born and raised who's getting to run a restaurant in my hometown. Gallivan: I'm a cook, I'm a husband and I'm learning how to be a business owner.

Openings & Closings: And Every One Was a Woodrow's, Woodrow's

The week so far has been full of good news, bad news, blind items and idle speculation. In other words, buckle up for a bumpy ride of a round-up. First is news from B4-U-Eat that Portugallia -- the city's only Portuguese and Angolan restaurant -- closed quietly last week. The restaurant we reviewed ... More >>

The 5 Best Things to Eat or Drink This Weekend: Yaki Snack Attack, Arepas at Revival, East Montrose Tour of Homes and Bugs with Brews

Still haven't made plans for the weekend? It's not too late. It's never too late. Carpe diem and whatever else Robin Williams yelled at his English class in that movie where they all stood on their desks as the whitest act of defiance you've ever seen on-screen. Yaki Snack Attack at Grand Prize Bar ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 3: Jonathan Jones of Monarch at the Hotel Zaza and His Beautiful Spring Menu

This is Part 3 of a three part Chef Chat series. If you missed our previous posts, click here to read Part 1 and Part 2. Oftentimes, hotel restaurant menus are boring, safe, predictable. Where independent restaurants can take liberties with their menus and be as cutting edge or as esoteric as they ... More >>

Here, Eat This

A beginner's guide to Nigerian cuisine.

Bismillah Cafe: Let's Chaat

Bismillah Cafe specializes in spicy fusion-Pakistani food, going as hot as you dare to go.

Chef Chat, Part 2: Jonathan Jones of Monarch at the Hotel Zaza, On the Ethnic Diversity in Houston's Dining Scene, Comfort Food and Surprises on His New Spring Menu

This is the second part of a three part Chef Chat series. You can read Part 1 here, and Part 3 in this same space Friday. Yesterday, we chatted with chef Jonathan Jones of Monarch at the Hotel Zaza about his role as a chef in a big hotel restaurant. Today we talk about some of his personal influenc ... More >>

Where To Brunch: $7 Mimosa Pitchers and More at Royal Oaks Bar & Grill

Sundays are made for mimosas. The weekend is nearly over and you can feel your freedom fading faster than a Houston winter. It all seems to be going downhill. That is, until you remember you have the holy grail of weekend activities summoning you from the cocoon of blankets you've so delicately wrap ... More >>

Frank's Americana Revival and Chef Kevin Naderi of Roost: 2013 Menu of Menu's Big Winners

The annual Menu of Menus grand tasting is much more than just a night for our readers to come out, meet their favorite restaurants, find new favorites and get their faces stuffed with delicious grub. It's also a fierce competition. A wooden token was given to each guest as they entered Silver Stree ... More >>

Animal-Style Fries at Bismillah Chaat: California Meets Pakistan

What if I told you that you could get animal-style fries in Houston? What if I told you that those famously messy, cheese-and-onion-slathered fries topped with a final heart-stopping glug of Thousand Island dressing weren't at a brand-new In-N-Out Burger, but at a chaat house in Little India? And ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 1: Jonathan Jones of Monarch at the Hotel Zaza, On Running a Hotel Restaurant and Creating a New Menu to Give the Restaurant a Houston Identity

This is the first part of a three part Chef Chat series. Come back on Thursday and Friday, to read parts two and three of this series. Walk into the lobby of the Hotel Zaza, and as you're checking in you'll see a life-size billboard of the hotel restaurant Monarch's new executive chef, Jonathan Jon ... More >>

Here, Eat This: A Beginner's Guide to Argentine Cuisine

For this week's edition of Here, Eat This, we venture into South America, where hardy Houstonians possessed of a hearty appetite will find much to love in the pampas of Argentina. See also: - Here, Eat This: A Beginner's Guide to Nigerian Cuisine - Here, Eat This: A Beginner's Guide to Korean Cuisi ... More >>

The Eating...Our Words 100: Kaiser Lashkari, Owner and Chef of Himalaya Restaurant in Houston's Mahatma Gandhi District

Those people I know who are nuts about South Asian cuisine fall into two camps when it comes to Himalaya Restaurant. Half call it the best Pakistani restaurant in the city. The other half say that even if it's not the absolute, platonic "best," it's always worth a visit for a chat with owner and che ... More >>

Skeeter's Anniversary Burger W/ a Margarita (or Two)

Skeeter's Mesquite Grill has been serving the Houston community for 25 years and to celebrate they are offering a burger that's two tons of fun (despite being "only" a half-pound). I have meant to try Skeeter's for the longest time, but, unfortunately, my most recent attempt was foiled by some GI t ... More >>

Rainbow Lodge Wins the 2013 Burger Bracket Grand Championship

It may be tough to imagine in Texas, but beef isn't always king. That was the lesson learned at the 3rd annual Burger Bracket this past Saturday at The Refinery, where Rainbow Lodge took home first place with a blended burger patty so good that it won with a landslide of plastic silver voting tokens ... More >>

Openings & Closings: Manly Cupcakes Can't Cut It

How many Malaysian restaurants does it take to feed Houston? If you guessed two, you're correct. Proving that Houstonians like their Malaysian food in one single flavor -- Banana Leaf flavor -- newcomer Asam Laksa Malaysian closed this week in Chinatown. It could have also had something to do with t ... More >>

Upcoming Events: Complimentary Cocktails and Empty Bowls

Quattro is continuing its popular pre-concert dinner series with special menus coming up for both the Rihanna performance on April 15 and the Carrie Underwood show on April 23 - both at the Toyota Center, which is only a couple of short blocks away. The award-winning Italian restaurant inside the F ... More >>

In the Home Stretch for Menu of Menus: A Few Tickets Left

With just a few days left before this year's Houston Press Menu of Menus, coming this Tuesday night, fewer than 50 General Admission tickets and fewer than 100 VIP tickets remain. General admission tickets are $50 ($60 at the door) and VIP are $90. Menu of Menus kicks off at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, A ... More >>

Here, Eat This

A beginner's guide to Korean cuisine.

Gloriously Gallic at L'Olivier

L’Olivier stays grounded in French bistro territory while still managing the occasional surprise.

The Rest of the Best: Houston's Top 10 Restaurants Where Service is King

It's hard to find good help, or so the saying goes. Indeed, many of the chefs and restaurant owners I've spoken with over the years privately admit that finding good waitstaff in Houston can be a Sisyphean task: You manage to find a truly great server or two, they dazzle your diners and then -- beca ... More >>

Restaurants Behaving Badly: Maggie Rita's Calls Houston Woman "Fat" on Facebook

Although Maggie Rita's has now closed all but one of its Houston locations, the flagging Tex-Mex chain continues to redefine the phrase "can't win for losing." Seemingly looking to get in a parting shot...anywhere...at anyone...Maggie Rita's lashed out at a Houston woman this week on Facebook. Aman ... More >>

A Date Night At Coppa...And Why I Can't Wait To Go Back

When it comes time for date night, I want two things, and two things only: good food and flowing wine. Okay fine -- I guess my fiancé, too. So, three things and three things only... Follow me as I chronicle the magic of a good date night (and not in a creepy way like that totally sounds)... See a ... More >>

Michiru Sushi, Nazif's Turkish Grill, Artisans and More Added to 2013 Menu of Menus Lineup

Menu of Menus is less than a week away, and we have a spread of new restaurants that have been added to the tasting line-up: Artisans Cuisine & Savior-Faire Green Seed Vegan Gumbo Express.com House of Blues Los Cucos Michiru Sushi Nazif's Turkish Grill Sorrel Urban Bistro If you haven't made it ou ... More >>

Save on Tickets to Galveston Food & Wine Fest, Kata Robata, and More

Today's Houston Press Voice Daily Deal is good for more than half-off (53 percent) a ticket to the Fourth Annual Galveston Island Food & Wine Festival on April 20. In addition to sampling delicious wine and food you can enjoy live music and shop artisan vendors at Saengerfest Park in Galveston. Amon ... More >>

A Look Inside Batanga Tapas Drinks, Now Open Downtown

There's been a lot of talk about downtown Houston's "revival," sparked by a spate of restaurant and bar openings near Main Street. But the word "revival" seemed grossly inappropriate as I drove to Batanga Tapas Drinks this past Saturday for its media preview party, as the word itself suggests that ... More >>

Putting The Pass Behind Me

While the title may suggest that my experience at The Pass was negative, it was anything but. It was in fact, one of the most complex and satisfying culinary trips I may have ever taken. However, my first time dining there could well be my last. Let me explain.

Here, Eat This: A Beginner's Guide to Nigerian Cuisine

Tackling Nigerian cuisine so early in the Here, Eat This series? Why not? Nigerian food is some of the most accessible "ethnic" food out there -- or at least, it will be for anyone who grew up eating Cajun, Southern or soul food. I'm looking at you, Houston. See also: - Here, Eat This: A Beginner's ... More >>

The Eating ... Our Words 100: Staci Davis, Owner of Radical Eats

Eating Our Words has embarked on a project to profile 100 Houston culinarians of all fields, practices, careers and backgrounds. This isn't a Best of Houston list, it's not a 100 Favorites list and it's not in any particular order. Instead, the Eating Our Words 100 is a way to introduce our readers ... More >>

The Capitol at St. Germain: Closed for Renovations or Closed for Good?

Last week, The Capitol at St. Germain posted the above image on its Facebook page. The downtown restaurant that was once so promising when it opened in late 2011 suffered in the wake of losing its two opening chefs, Kevin Bryant and Mark Parmley. Lately, every time I walked by The Capitol past happy ... More >>

A Visit to Collin Street Bakery Changes My Mind About Fruitcake

I had an epiphany recently. Fruitcake doesn't always have to suck, especially when it comes from Collin Street Bakery. I nearly missed out on this revelation because I didn't know where I had landed when I stopped for a quick cup of tea and a bathroom en route to Dallas for a conference. I was abo ... More >>

Win 2 VIP Tickets to See Ryan Hildebrand of Trinti Battle Kevin Naderi at the Iron Fork Competition

The second competitor in our Iron Fork competition has been announced, and we've pulled out all the stops: Ryan Hildebrand, executive chef and owner of Triniti, will be going head to head with defending champion Kevin Naderi of Roost to see which chef can make the best two dishes with a secret ingre ... More >>

These Deals Are No Joke! Flakey's Pizza, Nelore, and More

Let's start this new week off right with a delicious deal, good for half-off ($8 for $16) at Flakey's Pizza. The hand-tossed pizza's at Flakey's are made-to-order--no pre-fab pies here, guys--and offer the only pizza delivery in EADO/Eastwood area; Flakey's will deliver free anywhere inside the loop ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 3: Trong Nguyen of Crawfish and Noodles, Crawfish and Classic Vietnamese All Under One Roof

This is the third part of a three-part Chef Chat series. If you missed our previous posts, you can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here. This week, we got to know the chef and owner of Crawfish and Noodles, Trong Nguyen. We learned how he struggled to maintain the restaurant while holding down a full-t ... More >>

Upcoming Events: What Do Duck Dynasty and Robert Earl Keen Have in Common?

Any and all crawfish-eating you've been doing so far this season has just been practice for the main event: the annual Texas Crawfish Festival in Old Town Spring, which is coming up on April 19 through 21 and April 26 through 28. The festival has to be two weekends to pack in all the food and entert ... More >>

Here, Eat This

A beginner's guide to Indian cuisine.

Eatsie Boys Go Brick-and-Mortar

Eatsie Boys still runs catering out of its food truck, but with a restaurant homebase now it can do so much more.

Saturday Funday? Houstonians Hold Sunday Sacred for Brunching

After the third out-of-towner in a week asked me why Saturday brunch wasn't a "thing" in Houston, I got curious. Once is a blip, twice is a coincidence, three times is a trend. The problem is that -- as far as I know -- Saturday isn't the traditional brunching day of choice in Houston. Saturdays ar ... More >>

Houston Press Voice Daily Deals at breakfast klub, Rioja

This week we are just THROWING money at you guys! (We were going to say food, but throwing food is mean. And messy.) First we offered you half-off at Rioja to help you celebrate National Paella Day in style, and today our Houston Press Voice Daily Deal is going to save you fifty percent ($10 for $20 ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 2: Trong Nguyen of Crawfish and Noodles, On the Vietnamese Food In His Menu, The Flavor of His Crawfish

Catching Up with Yelapa Alumni L.J. Wiley and Vincent Huynh, Both with Big Plans for Houston

It's a rare occasion when you get to enjoy a favorite dish from a long-closed restaurant, prepared once again by the chef himself. But that's exactly what took place this past Tuesday and Wednesday as chef L.J. Wiley and his old kitchen crew from Yelapa Playa Mexicana hosted four pop-up services at ... More >>

Healthy Fast Food Menu Items Can Lure and Deceive Consumers

If you're on a diet, or are at least trying to eat healthier, you probably don't frequent fast food restaurants throughout the day. A typical fast food menu isn't full of healthy and nutritious items. However, a few fast food chains recently began to add lighter options to menus, due in part to a re ... More >>

The Eating...Our Words 100: Philippe Verpiand, Owner and Chef at Etoile Cuisine et Bar

What he does: When I asked him what he does, Chef Philippe answered with a single word: "cook." It's what he's been doing since he was 16 (he is now 43). Philippe was born in France, where he was introduced to the culinary world by his parents, who, like their parents, were butchers. He remembers ... More >>