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Best Pho

Pho Danh

When it comes to pho, the secret is in the broth. Pho Danh ladles it daily to discriminating diners from the location in the back of Hong Kong Market. The light yet deep beef flavor in your bowl tells you that some big bones have been simmering for days in large stock pots. Bold souls order the large, with tripe, tendon and fatty beef. Rookies should stick with meatballs and brisket. Doctor your dish with fish sauce, lime and Sriracha as you see fit. Cool your taste buds with a Vietnamese iced coffee.

Best South American Restaurant

Américas River Oaks

The new Américas River Oaks is stylish not only in decor but also in its food presentation and menu. Much like the grandiose booths and larger-than-life lighting fixtures, everything is presented with a flourish: Lobster mini corndogs with corn poblano dipping sauce are playfully served lollipop-style on a wooden block; mixed ceviche is presented in a four-compartment glass plate; an impressive three-tiered plate rack is used when more than one appetizer is ordered. Service is always excellent, and the signature Cordúa Churrasco steak is so flavorful and tender, it's been named one of Esquire magazine's top 20 steaks.

Best Bloody Mary

Flora & Muse

The Bloody Mary at Flora & Muse isn't the kind of heavily garnished, Clamato-heavy cocktail that you gulp down as a hangover cure. European-style bistro Flora & Muse offers an elegant twist on the standard cocktail. Served in a long-stemmed glass chalice — the same curving sides to it as a Stella Artois glass, sans the gold rim — this Bloody Mary is subtly spiced and wholly invigorating on a Saturday morning, whether you're hungover or not.

Best Mexican Restaurant

Tia Maria's Mexican Restaurant

Batli Joselevitz
Located just outside the Loop, this local spot is always filled with loyal, regular customers who have been coming here for more than 30 years and know it simply as Tia's. You'll find enchiladas, tacos and fajitas on the menu, but the real standouts are the more traditional Mexican fare, such as the carne guisada, the grilled quail served on a sizzling comal and, of course, the homemade tortillas. The food is cheap, the margaritas are strong, the salsa is hot and the roving mariachis are a good time.

Best Breakfast Restaurant

Tel-Wink Grill

Dawn McGee
Tel-wink cranks out breakfast so fast there are stacks of warm toast 18 inches tall at the expediter counter during peak times. Demand like that, and a line of waiting patrons that snakes through the interior, can mean only one thing. The breakfast special rocks: grits, sausage, eggs and toast from the stack. You could go for a biscuit, but don't eat more than two or you'll sleep through lunch.

Best Dim Sum

Dim Sum King

While some may lament its nontraditional choice to serve dim sum all day long, that's exactly the aspect of Dim Sum King we love most. Six days a week (it's closed on Tuesdays), you can get dim sum for brunch, lunch or dinner — and all of it good. There are no carts here, either; just a very cozy room with an à la carte menu. It's good for dim sum neophytes, too, as helpful photos of all the dishes and their English translations are listed throughout the menu. Turnip cakes and beef balls are favorites, but save room for fried bread at dessert.

Best Baked Potato

Demeris Bar-B-Q

The fact that it's named after one of our favorite Astros ballplayers is even more reason to love Demeris Bar-B-Q's Big Puma baked potato. The Big Puma comes loaded with Demeris's signature smoked turkey, juicy and sweet, atop a baked potato that's been split open and stuffed with everything else you'd want on a potato: butter, sour cream, cheese and chives. If that's not enough toppings, you can always load up at Demeris's toppings bar/salad station. But we don't think Lance Berkman would want it that way.

Best Chicken Soup

Tacos del Julio

Unlike a standard caldo de pollo or caldo xochitl, the caldo Tlalpeño at Tacos del Julio calls for the addition of a very important ingredient: chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. The dark red chiles come in a little plastic cup full of adobo, allowing you to flavor the broth as you see fit as stocky white squares of queso panela bob throughout the soup. The vegetables are similarly thick: ripe hunks of carrot, avocado and potato are barely covered by the broth in the bowl. Dosed with generous squirts of fresh lime, the caldo Tlalpeño is the kind of stuff that will fully reinvigorate you — and for less than $4.

Best Milk Shake

Avalon Diner

Photo by Houston Press Staff
There's nothing quite as satisfying as an old-fashioned milk shake made with real ice cream and served in a soda fountain glass with a metal mixing can on the side. At Avalon Diner, they've been doing it for years. Open since 1938, Avalon Diner is part of that dying breed of places that still boast a traditional soda fountain. Regular flavors like chocolate, vanilla and strawberry are always good, but you can also get banana, pineapple, butterscotch, Oreo cookie, mocha and Peppermint Patty. These cold and sweet confections are irresistible all year long.

Best Bang for the Buck

Oishii

In a city filled with swanky, upscale sushi restaurants serving up overpriced, Americanized fare, Oishii is a breath of fresh air. You won't find any pretentious decor, exotic cocktails or blaring techno music at the tiny restaurant just outside of Greenway Plaza; just warm, friendly service and traditional Japanese-style sushi. The happy hour — $1.25 domestics and $1 sushi Mondays through Fridays from 3 to 7 p.m. — is hard to beat, and the lunch menu is an all-out steal. But while the prices may be low, the quality is not. After all, "oishii" is Japanese for "delicious."

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