Best Food Hall: Understory
It’s not in their press kit but Understory must be the preferred Houston food hall of claustrophobes. The space at 800 Capitol is cavernous and, like the best of caves, filled with treasures to explore. The food options are plentiful and overrun with downtowners at lunch time especially. With entrances above ground and five different entry points from the downtown tunnel system, it’s a good thing Understory’s square footage is large, with more than 20,000 feet of public space for food hall fans to gather under a 40-foot ceiling.
All that space is put to good use and not just by intriguing restaurants like Flip ‘n Patties’ Filipino street fare (try the “Loco Loco”) or birria tacos and tortas from La Taquiza. The extra elbow room allows for lots of working humans relaxing on long lunch hours. Not many (any?) other food halls afford diners the chance to sip Boomtown Coffee while taking in spirited table tennis and foosball matches. If those aren’t your games, you can shoot hoops in Understory or appreciate its gallery of artwork. Maybe contemplate all the work you’ll return to while drinking an old fashioned or consider one of the many events the space schedules for you once you’ve punched the clock on the day. Whatever you choose, you’ll be surrounded but not crowded by interesting fellow Houstonians.
800 Capitol
understoryhouston.com
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
