The sign promising "Steaks, Shakes and Pancakes" outside Dot Coffee Shop only hints at the splendor inside the the low-slung, river rock-covered restaurant in Gulfgate that's been serving all three since 1967. The interior is a perfectly preserved slice of mod Houston, complete with original chandeliers, reflecting the design aesthetic of the time and one of the few reminders of how the original Gulfgate Mall once looked.
The best thing about Yale Street Grill isn't its excellent chicken fried steak nor its strong diner coffee nor the smiling waitresses who have been serving both for decades. It's how -- despite the rest of the Heights changing around it, and despite an antiques store replacing the old pharmacy on one side of the restaurant -- it's still a neighborhood gathering place and has been for generations. There's even a Santa Claus at Christmas for the kids.
5. Perry & Sons Market & Grille
Although there are now a dozen Perry's steakhouses around Houston, there's nothing that can beat the first location on Scarsdale. It originally opened as a family-run butcher shop in 1979 and it still is -- except now, you can eat its killer steaks and pork chops right there on the premises. Order from the butcher counter at lunch, or come at night for a slightly more refined experience.
