Restaurant Reviews

Hidden Gem: Hangar Kitchen

Hidden Gem: Hangar Kitchen

Hidden Gem: Maria Rita's Tex-Mex

Hidden Gem: Maria Rita's Tex-Mex

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A Day Devoted to Dining Out In Houston

By Lorretta Ruggiero
Aug 11, 2021

We all have different ideas of a perfect day out and also with whom we want to spend an entire day. We have romantic dates with our significant others, kid-friendly experiences with our children and party nights with our pals. Then there are times you just need a friend. Just...
First Look: The Chipper in Katy

By Lorretta Ruggiero
Jul 27, 2021

The prairies of Katy might seem an unusual place for a British chip shop to land but in a strip center near Katy Mills Mall, The Chipper is bringing a taste of the British Isles to its residents. I was attending the opening of Howdy Homemade Ice Cream in Katy...
Houston's 5 Best Weekend Food Bets: Where to Get Grub This Father's Day

By Brooke Viggiano
Jun 18, 2021

Here's a look at this weekend's tasty food and drink happenings: One Year Anniversary at Becca Cakes Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. 1207 West 34th In celebration of the first anniversary of its storefront bakery and to thank its customers, Becca cakes will be offering birthday specials, including a...
Upcoming Houston Food Events: Derby Day Juleps and a Chick’nCone from Slim Thug

By Brooke Viggiano
Apr 22, 2021

Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss these deliciously fun culinary happenings: Chick’nCone, 1919 North Shepherd, has partnered with local celeb Slim Thug to raise funds that will support youth in low-income Houston communities, creating the ‘Still Tippin’ Cone” inspired by the artist’s favorite Kickin’ Ranch flavor and...
Happy Hour by the Bay: Pier 6 and Bayview Duck

By Lorretta Ruggiero
Apr 13, 2021

In April 2020, we were all still reeling from the daily bombardment of bad news about the coronavirus epidemic with no idea the actual toll it would take on us over the next year. Most of us did not expect that hundreds of thousands of lives would be lost to...
First Look: Shandy's Cafe Heights

By Lorretta Ruggiero
Mar 31, 2021

Having to spend a sunny Houston afternoon running errands can always be made better with a stop for lunch. Finding myself in the near downtown area, I decided to head for the Heights and try the recently opened Shandy's Cafe on W. 19th and maybe stop in at a few...
Taco Keto Continues To Bring Its Family Flavor To Houston

By DeVaughn Douglas
Jan 27, 2021

On the corner of Cullen and Gray, just a short distance from Polk, sits a trailer converted into a standing food truck. The smell of fresh baked bread wafts through the air as the ever-present reminder that the Leeland Baking building is about a block away. Two vertical lights frame...
First Look: Valencia's Tex-Mex Garage

By Lorretta Ruggiero
Dec 29, 2020

The holiday season is upon us and while it may not be as festive or grand as previous years, there are still many little joys to celebrate. One of those little joys are the sunshine-filled days that peek out occasionally in December. While our Houston summers are often unbearable, the...
Return to Marais and Normalcy

By Lorretta Ruggiero
Nov 3, 2020

My family and I have rarely gone out to restaurants since the pandemic began. My husband and I have braved a favorite Mexican restaurant for margaritas a couple of times and the tasting menu at Brennan's for our anniversary. Still, we hadn't gone out to dinner with friends for the...
Taco Cabana Margaritapalooza: Review

By Lorretta Ruggiero
Jul 14, 2020

Taco Cabana introduced its Margarita Palooza on July 3, just in time for the Fourth of July weekend, as we reported here in the Houston Press. The two dollar price tag and promise of 12 different flavors was too much temptation for this writer and her husband to pass up,...
Take Out Reviews: Sticky's Chicken

By Carlos Brandon
May 14, 2020

This column attempts to cover a wide variety of locally-owned Houston restaurants. We've reviewed takeout offerings from chef-driven fine dining establishments and local fast-food haunts. Some of our subjects have adopted takeout to survive in a post-COVID world, others are leveraging their existing takeout models to thrive in a down...
Take Out Reviews: Tornado Burger

By Carlos Brandon
May 6, 2020

The stay home order is, within limits, over for some businesses, among them restaurants. While many eager freedom lovers will rush our city's dining rooms, masked and carefree, I'd wager a bet the rest of us will continue looking for drive-thrus and takeout for the foreseeable future. I certainly will...
Takeout Reviews: Common Bond’s Box Lunch FTW

By Brooke Viggiano
Apr 28, 2020

As this crisis continues, we continue to support our local restaurant industry in anyway we can, including by ordering takeout. I always work from home, but my husband does not. While I’m usually cool with a fried egg, toast and avocado for lunch and he's used to taking some mix...
Take Out Reviews: Riel [UPDATED]

By Carlos Brandon
Apr 7, 2020

As this crisis continues, we're wading into unchartered territory. This once-in-a-generation pandemic is shutting entire industries down for longer than we've ever seen. Hospitality, in particular fine dining, is suffering perhaps the worst depression in the industry's history as restaurants in some cities go into their fourth or fifth weeks...
Take Out Reviews: Fat Bao

By Carlos Brandon
Mar 31, 2020

You may find, during these difficult times, that you miss not only your daily routine but also the spontaneous, "once in while" type things you inadvertently took for granted. For me, this has meant certain restaurants and their associated experiences — the intimacy and pleasure of sushi from the counter,...
Take Out Reviews: Georgia James

By Carlos Brandon
Mar 24, 2020

Pandemic aside, who doesn't love take-out? The convenience of taking home our favorite restaurant meals was, perhaps, something we took for granted before it became the only way to eat out. Long before this crisis, carry-out was a constant part of my busy life. That said, even the best take-home...
Upper Crust: Frank's Pizza

By Carlos Brandon
Feb 26, 2020

There's a slice of pizza for every occasion: the football game and a beer slice, the college all-nighter slice, the kids' sleepover slice, the fancy date night slice. Each pie tied to a moment of nostalgia, a sense memory that endears the simple Itianian street-food to our culture and cements...
Upper Crust: Costco and its Pizza Pies

By Carlos Brandon
Jan 15, 2020

My wife and I live alone with a medium-size dog who needs little more than dry food, water, and your endless supply of undivided love and attention. This is to say, we do not need our $60/year Costco membership. We don't need it because two people and a dog don't...
First Look: The Toasted Yolk Heights

By Lorretta Ruggiero
Jan 14, 2020

When people wonder why we Houstonians put up with the heat and humidity of our blazing summers, I like to point out that sometimes, in the middle of January and February, we get 70 degree temperatures under perfectly blue, cloudless skies. My Connecticut friends are not sitting outside on a...
Whining and Dining: Friday Night at Huynh with Quinn

By Brooke Viggiano
Dec 24, 2019

Life has changed for this food writer. As a brand-new mom, poppin’ bottles has taken on a slightly different meaning. But while I find myself seeking out diaper changing tables for the first time ever, I’m still on the hunt for all the awesome happy hours, exciting menus and H-town...

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