The Top 100 Places to Eat Near Cooking Girl
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Rank 1. Badolina Bakery & Cafe
Bakeries
- Houston Chronicle Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Itai Ben Eli and Itamar Levy - Sof Hospitality Group
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Itai Ben Eli and Itamar Levy - Sof Hospitality Group
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Rank 2. Hamsa
Modern Middle Eastern
- Texas Monthly 2023 · #3 · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
- Houston Chronicle Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Itai Ben Eli and Itamar Levy - Sof Hospitality Group
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Rank 4. Navy Blue
Seafood
- Texas Monthly 2023 · #1 · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
- Houston Chronicle #20 · Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
- Houstonia Houston’s Best Restaurants
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- Texas Monthly 2025 · Honorable Mentions · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
- Houstonia Houston’s Best Restaurants
- Houston Chronicle Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
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Rank 6. Maximo
Texan Mexican
Maximo is a Tex-Mex neighborhood spot in West University that actually earns its Bib Gourmand, with a kitchen that takes both sides of that hyphen seriously. The vibe is warm and low-key, burnt orange booths, tile floors, and a covered patio full of locals who clearly come back a lot. The menu is creative without being showy, and the tasting menu is a genuinely good deal if you can't decide.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Winner · Emerging Chef · Adrian Torres
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Houstonia 2025 · The 10 Best Restaurants That Opened in Houston
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Rank 8. Black Walnut
American/New American
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Rank 9. Hungry's
Global, American/New American
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Rank 10. Le Jardinier
French
Tucked inside the Museum of Fine Arts, this Michelin-starred French fine dining spot earns its one star with cooking that's as pretty as the galleries next door. The seasonal set menu leans vegetable-forward in the most elegant way possible, with sauces that actually make you stop mid-sentence. The crowd dresses like they have opinions about art. Lunch is genuinely good value if your wallet needs a reason to show up.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- Houstonia Houston’s Best Restaurants
- Eater The 38 Essential Houston Restaurants
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Rank 11. BCN Taste & Tradition
Spanish
A Michelin-starred Spanish fine dining spot hiding in a white stucco bungalow off Richmond Avenue, which is exactly the kind of setup that makes Houston so weird and wonderful. The seafood is the move, the all-Spanish wine list is a flex, and the gin and tonic section on the menu is a very good idea. The crowd tends toward couples and regulars who know the staff by name, and the art on the walls is genuinely worth a look.
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Rank 12. March
Mediterranean
A Michelin-starred tasting menu spot on Westheimer that takes the whole Mediterranean as its syllabus, one region at a time. The kitchen works through the Maghreb, Andalusia, Greece, and beyond, with cocktails and small bites in the lounge before you move into the main room for the full show. It sounds academic on paper, but the hospitality is warm enough that you forget you're basically doing homework.
- World Culinary Awards 2025 · Nominee · World's Best Mediterranean Cuisine Restaurant
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
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Rank 13. Van Leeuwen Ice Cream
Dessert
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Rank 14. Tiger Noodle House
Chinese
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Rank 15. Musaafer
Indian
Musaafer earns its Michelin star inside a Houston mall, which sounds like a punchline until you walk in and find yourself in something closer to a palace, all soaring arches and intricate patterns. The menu travels India region by region, and the cooking is genuinely precise and exciting, not just pretty. The crowd dresses up and means it. Yes, there's valet parking at the Galleria, and yes, it's completely worth it.
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Rank 17. Nobie's
New American
Nobie's is a cozy neighborhood restaurant tucked into an old Montrose bungalow, with vinyl records on the walls and a staff that makes you feel like you've been coming in for years. The food is creative without being fussy, the kind of New American cooking that makes you genuinely torn about what to order. It has a Michelin Bib Gourmand, and honestly the pie alone might justify the trip. The room is full of regulars who clearly know something you don't.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Eater The 38 Essential Houston Restaurants
- Houston Chronicle Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
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Rank 18. Little’s Oyster Bar
Gulf Coast Seafood
- Esquire 2024 · The Best Bars in America
- Esquire 2023 · Golden Martini · The Best Martinis in America
- Texas Monthly 2024 · Honorable Mentions · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
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Rank 19. The Marigold Club
British French
A swanky cocktail bar and dinner spot in Montrose that earns the dress-up effort. The vibe is Mayfair-meets-Houston, which sounds absurd until you're there and it just works. A player piano sets the mood, the oysters and caviar at the bar draw the see-and-be-seen crowd, and the French-ish menu has a British accent that keeps things interesting. Decadent without being precious, and the room knows it.
- Esquire 2024 · Mayfair Martini · The Best Martinis in America
- Eater Most Beautiful Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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Rank 20. ChopnBlok
West African
- Eater Buka Stew · The 8 Best Meals I Ate This Year, 2024
- Esquire 2025 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- The New York Times 2025 · The Restaurant List
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Rank 21. ChòpnBlọk
African
A fast-casual Nigerian and West African counter tucked inside The Post food hall, and it earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand, so yes, you're eating well without emptying your wallet. The rice bowls are the move, built around bold West African flavors that feel genuinely homemade rather than watered down for the crowd. The room has good energy, books and vinyls on the walls, and a line of people who clearly know what they're doing.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Best Chef: Texas · Ope Amosu
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Esquire 2025 · The Best New Restaurants in America
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Rank 22. Perseid
French
A sunflower-yellow bistro attached to the boutique Hotel Saint Augustine that actually earns your attention rather than just your convenience. Aaron Bludorn's team turns out refined French-leaning comfort food, the kind of room where attentive servers make everything feel easy. Tall windows and a patio keep it bright and airy, and the crowd tends toward people who dressed up just enough to feel good about it. Breakfast all week is a genuinely nice touch.
- Wine Enthusiast 2025 · Top 50 New Restaurants
- Bon Appétit 2025 · America's Best New Restaurants
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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Rank 23. Nancy's Hustle
New American
Nancy's Hustle is a laid-back EaDo bistro that somehow makes every decision feel impossible in the best way. The menu jumps around confidently, from dumplings to wagyu to a cheeseburger on a housemade English muffin, and it all works. It's the kind of neighborhood spot where the regulars look like they never agonize over the menu even though they absolutely do. Michelin gave it a Bib Gourmand, which tracks.
- Food & Wine 2025 · The Top 15 US Restaurants
- The Infatuation Infatuation’s Highest-Rated Restaurants In America
- Wine Enthusiast 2023 · Forward 50 Restaurants
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Rank 24. Katami
Japanese
- Texas Monthly 2024 · #1 · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Chef · Manabu Horiuchi
- Houston Chronicle #15 · Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
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Rank 25. Koffeteria
Bakeries
Koffeteria is the kind of bakery-cafe that makes you wonder why everyone else is doing it so plain. Chef Vanarin Kuch won a James Beard Award for Outstanding Bakery by mashing together Cambodian, French, Mexican, and whatever else earns a spot on the menu that day. The pastry case pulls in creative locals who very much have opinions about croissants. Order the Salty Cambodian latte and figure out why sourdough butter belongs in coffee.
- The Infatuation Our Favorite Bakeries In The Country Right Now
- The New York Times 22 of the Best Bakeries Across the U.S. Right Now
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bakery
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- AAA Four Diamonds
- Wine Enthusiast The Wine Restaurant Hall of Fame
- Eater The 38 Essential Houston Restaurants
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Rank 27. Pondicheri
Indian
- Houstonia The Best Brunch Restaurants in Houston
- Houstonia Houston’s Best Restaurants
- Houston Chronicle Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
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Rank 28. Blood Bros. BBQ
Barbecue
A Bib Gourmand BBQ joint that treats Texas smoke as a starting point rather than a finish line. The pitmasters here grew up in Houston's cultural overlap, so gochujang-glazed ribs and pho-rubbed brisket feel completely natural rather than gimmicky. Solid brisket and ribs anchor the menu, but the daily specials are where things get genuinely interesting. You will absolutely covet whatever the table next to you ordered.
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Nominee · Best Chef: Texas · Quy Hoang
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- The New York Times 2021 · The Restaurant List
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Rank 29. Kiran's
Restaurant
- Houston Chronicle Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
- Houstonia The Best Indian Restaurants in Houston
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Texas · Kiran Verma
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Rank 30. the breakfast klub
Southern, Creole, Cajun
- Houstonia The Best Brunch Restaurants in Houston
- Eater The 38 Essential Houston Restaurants
- Houston Chronicle Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
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Rank 31. JP Tacos: El Patron Del Sabor
Mexican/Tex-Mex
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Rank 32. The Pit Room
Barbecue
This Montrose smokehouse earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand and somehow still doesn't make you plan your whole week around a reservation. The brisket and beef ribs are the real deal, the sides punch well above their weight, and whoever decided to make tortillas from brisket trimmings deserves a quiet medal. Grab something from the pickle station, find a seat inside or out, and enjoy the rare Houston barbecue experience of not having camped overnight to get here.
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- Houston Chronicle Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Itai Ben Eli and Itamar Levy - Sof Hospitality Group
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Rank 34. Truth Barbeque
Barbecue
Houston Heights gets a BBQ spot that actually lives up to the hype, and this Michelin Bib Gourmand winner is the proof. It's a proper barbecue shop, clean and busy, full of families and off-duty chefs who know a good thing. The brisket and house-made sausages are the draw, but the sides, especially the tater tot casserole, might genuinely steal the show. Get there early before the sausages sell out, and save room for a slice of cake.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Texas Monthly 2025 · #9 · The 50 Best BBQ Joints in Texas
- Houston Chronicle #10 · Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
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- Texas Monthly 2025 · #4 · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
- Houston Chronicle Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
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Rank 37. Josephine's Gulf Coast Tradition
Southern Seafood
Gulf Coast cooking in the middle of Midtown Houston, and it delivers. This is a casual, come-as-you-are seafood spot where families, couples, and solo diners all slide into booths and feel equally at home. Raw oysters, po'boys, shrimp and grits, a daily catch that actually rotates, and biscuits with jam that make you briefly reconsider your whole life. The crowd looks like people who know what they want and aren't here to perform about it.
- Texas Monthly 2024 · #5 · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Houstonia Houston’s Best Restaurants
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Rank 38. Pappas Bros. Steakhouse
Steakhouse
The kind of old-school steakhouse that makes you want to put on a blazer and mean it. Pappas Bros. has been around forever and still runs the room with serious confidence: dry-aged prime cuts, a wine list that borders on absurd, and veteran waiters who treat you well whether you're celebrating or just Tuesday. The crowd skews business dinner, though nobody's actually talking about business. Order the steaks, let the sommelier help, and don't skip the onion rings.
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Rank 40. Bludorn
American/New American
Bludorn is the kind of polished American restaurant that makes Houston feel like a proper dining city. The room is good-looking, with royal blue booths and an open kitchen, and the crowd dresses up just enough without taking itself too seriously. The menu swings wide, from seafood towers to hearty cioppino, and the service is genuinely attentive. Save room for the baked Alaska, which arrives on fire and earns every bit of the theater.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Houstonia The Best Brunch Restaurants in Houston
- Houston Chronicle Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
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Rank 41. Xochi
Oaxacan Mexican
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught - H-Town Restaurant Group
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Nominee · Outstanding Pastry Chef · Ruben Ortega
- Eater 2017 · The Best New Restaurants in America
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Thai street food done with zero apologies and a Michelin Bib Gourmand to back it up. The chef pulls recipes from her grandmother and from regions most Houston menus ignore, so the menu reads like a road trip through Thailand rather than the usual greatest hits. The room is loud, the Thai hip hop is louder, and the papaya salad at even medium spice will test your confidence. Come hungry and maybe a little brave.
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Winner · Best Chef: Texas · Benchawan Jabthong Painter
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Houstonia Houston’s Best Restaurants
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- James Beard Awards 2022 · Nominee · Outstanding Hospitality
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught - H-Town Restaurant Group
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Rank 44. Hidden Omakase
Sushi
Tucked behind a strip mall in a dark, 18-seat room that takes the omakase format and runs somewhere unexpected with it. The chef trained in classic Japanese technique but applies his own logic to it, aging fish in-house and leaning into premium cuts with real showmanship. The team talks you through every course, which either sounds annoying or exactly right depending on your mood. BYOB, so plan accordingly.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Eater The 38 Essential Houston Restaurants
- Houston Chronicle Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
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- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught - H-Town Restaurant Group
- Houston Chronicle #23 · Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
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Rank 46. Neo
Sushi
An omakase counter tucked inside a couture clothing store in Montrose, which tells you everything and nothing about what to expect. A handful of seats, chefs who take the fish seriously (much of it flown in from Japan and dry-aged in back), and a style that respects tradition without being enslaved to it. The crowd skews fashion-forward for obvious reasons. Check if they've reopened before you make plans.
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Rank 49. Tiny's Milk & Cookies
Dessert
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Rank 51. Candente
Tex-Mex Mexican
This sprawling Tex-Mex spot in Houston is big enough to feel like a destination, and the kitchen actually delivers at that scale. The fajitas are the move, prime beef arriving on a sizzling cast-iron with charred onions and tortillas made from brisket trimmings. The enchiladas pull their weight too. The crowd is festive and loud, the portions are enormous, and nobody's leaving hungry or particularly light on their feet.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Houstonia The Best Margaritas in Houston
- Houstonia The Best Mexican Restaurants in Houston
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- Houston Chronicle Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Chris Williams - Lucille's Hospitality Group
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Rank 55. Annam
Contemporary Vietnamese
Annam earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand for good reason: it's a contemporary Vietnamese restaurant that manages to feel genuinely elegant without making you feel underdressed. The room is all cream and soft light, the kind of place you'd take a date or a group you want to impress without dropping a fortune. The menu leans French-Vietnamese, the portions are generous, and the whole vibe is relaxed confidence done right.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Houstonia 2025 · Honorable Mention · The 10 Best Restaurants That Opened in Houston
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Rank 56. Cucharita
Mexican/Tex-Mex
- Houston Chronicle Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
- Houstonia Best Bakeries in Houston for Pastries, Cakes, and Bread
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Rank 57. J-Bar-M
Barbecue
Big, loud, and unapologetically Texas, this East End barbecue joint runs four custom smokers and a menu wide enough to keep everyone arguing about what to order. You've got classic meat plates and by-the-pound options alongside brisket tacos, quesadillas, and a brisket lasagna that sounds unhinged until you taste it. Groups, families, and meat-devoted regulars pack both the indoor and outdoor space on weekends, all of them wearing the same expression of focused intent.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Houston Chronicle Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
- Houstonia The Best Barbecue Restaurants in Houston
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Rank 58. Rosie Canonball
Wood-fired Pizza
A Montrose wood-fired pizza spot with Bib Gourmand cred and the kind of low-key cool that makes you want to linger. The crowd is stylish without trying too hard, and everyone gets a little pour of bubbles when they sit down, which tells you everything about the vibe. The focaccia di recco and the pizzas are the reasons to come, but save room for the honey cake or you'll regret it on the drive home.
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Rank 59. Late August
New American
Late August sits inside a converted tech hub and somehow that fits, because the food here is quietly ambitious in the same way. This is a proper sit-down restaurant blending American, Mexican, and African flavors through a short seasonal menu, or a "surprise tasting" if you're feeling trusting. The crowd skews creative and curious, the room is bright and easy, and a lot of the produce comes from a farm the team actually runs.
- Esquire 2024 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Chris Williams - Lucille's Hospitality Group
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Rank 60. Papalo Taqueria
Mexican/Tex-Mex
Tucked inside a food hall in downtown Houston, this counter-service taqueria punches well above its weight, earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand in a space barely big enough to swing a tortilla. The crowd is a happy mix of office workers and people who drove farther than they'll admit. Housemade tortillas come off the griddle all day, and the menu leans creative without trying too hard. Cash is probably a good idea.
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Rank 61. Burger Bodega
Hamburgers
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Rank 63. Theodore Rex
Contemporary
Justin Yu is a name Houston diners know well, and this cozy counter-service spot tucked off a highway is where he gets to cook whatever he wants. The food is hard to label, which is exactly the point: everything looks deceptively simple and then quietly knocks you sideways with how well it's seasoned. It's a sharing-plates kind of dinner, the room is elbow-to-elbow, and it has a Michelin Bib Gourmand to show for itself.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Eater 2018 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- Eater The 38 Essential Houston Restaurants
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Rank 65. da Gama Canteen
Indian
Portuguese and Indian flavors don't cross paths often, but da Gama Canteen makes a convincing case that they should. This casual tapas-style spot in Houston Heights pulls from the old colonial overlap between Portugal, Goa, and East Africa, and the result is genuinely unlike anything else in the city. It earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand, which means the food punches well above what you'd expect to pay. Bring someone adventurous and order a lot of small plates.
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- Houstonia The Official 50 Hottest Bars in Houston
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Sara Stayer and Martin Stayer
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- Houstonia Houston’s Best Restaurants
- Houstonia The Best Mexican Restaurants in Houston
- Houstonia The Best Tacos in Houston
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Rank 69. Killen's
Southern
Ronnie Killen's Southern comfort spot in the Heights is the kind of place where every dish arrives looking like someone's grandmother made it with intention. Brisket, ribs, fried chicken, cornbread skillet, the works. It earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand, and the room fills with people who came hungry and ordered like it. Leave the calorie app at home, wear something with a forgiving waistband, and plan your afternoon accordingly.
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Rank 70. Hugo's
Mexican/Tex-Mex
Hugo's is the kind of upscale Mexican restaurant where you actually want to dress up, and the food gives you a real reason to. Chef Hugo Ortega's flagship on Westheimer has been around for years, drawing a crowd of date-nighters and neighborhood regulars who know the margaritas are worth the trip alone. The Sunday brunch buffet with live music is a proper event, and the cabrito is the thing to order at dinner.
- Houstonia The Best Brunch Restaurants in Houston
- Houstonia The Best Margaritas in Houston
- Houstonia The Best Mexican Restaurants in Houston
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Rank 71. Cochinita & co
Mexican
- Houstonia The Best Brunch Restaurants in Houston
- Eater The 38 Essential Houston Restaurants
- Houstonia Houston’s Best Restaurants
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Rank 73. La Guadalupana
Mexican/Tex-Mex
- Houstonia The Best Brunch Restaurants in Houston
- Houstonia The Best Mexican Restaurants in Houston
- Houstonia The Best Tacos in Houston
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- Houstonia 2025 · The 10 Best Restaurants That Opened in Houston
- Houstonia Houston’s Best Restaurants
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Rank 75. Haii Keii
Sushi
- Houstonia 2025 · The 10 Best Restaurants That Opened in Houston
- Houstonia Houston’s Best Restaurants
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Rank 77. Camaraderie
American/New American
- Houstonia 2025 · The 10 Best Restaurants That Opened in Houston
- Houston Chronicle #13 · Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
- Houstonia Houston’s Best Restaurants
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- Houstonia 2025 · The 10 Best Restaurants That Opened in Houston
- Houstonia The Best Brunch Restaurants in Houston
- Houstonia Houston’s Best Restaurants
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- James Beard Awards 2026 · Winner · Best Chef: Texas · Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu
- Texas Monthly 2024 · Honorable Mentions · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
- Houston Chronicle #18 · Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
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Rank 87. Kata Robata
Sushi, Japanese
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Rank 88. Dessert Gallery
Dessert
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- Houston Chronicle Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
- Houstonia The Best Mexican Restaurants in Houston
- Houstonia The Best Margaritas in Houston
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Rank 95. Three Brothers Bakery
Dessert, Café, Bakeries
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Rank 96. Villa Arcos
Mexican/Tex-Mex
- Houston Chronicle Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
- Houstonia The Best Mexican Restaurants in Houston
- Houstonia The Best Tacos in Houston
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Rank 97. MF Sushi
Japanese
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Rank 98. Winnie's
Cocktails
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Rank 100. Delicias Maya
Mexican/Tex-Mex