The Top 100 Places to Eat Near El Tiempo Cantina
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Rank 2. Tatemó
Mexican
A Michelin-starred tasting menu tucked into a strip mall next to a doughnut shop, which tells you everything and nothing about what's inside. The chef turns heirloom corn from across Mexico into something genuinely worth dressing up for, and the mole negro alone will make you rethink what a tortilla can be. Bring your own wine since they don't have a liquor license, and bring a friend who appreciates the joke of finding this here.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- Food & Wine 2023 · Best New Chefs · Emmanuel Chavez
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Nominee · Best New Restaurant
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Rank 3. Bar Bludorn
American Cocktail Bar
Bar Bludorn is a neighborhood cocktail bar and dining room that somehow makes you feel like a regular even on your first visit. Dark wood, warm lighting, and an open kitchen set the scene for a crowd that came for drinks and then quietly ordered way too much food. The menu runs from pasta to steaks, all built for sharing, and the beignets filled with ricotta and Benton's ham will ruin your plans to save room for dinner.
- Esquire 2024 · El Jardin · The Best Martinis in America
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Eater Place Where We Want to Be a Regular
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Rank 4. Feges BBQ
Barbecue
Feges BBQ is a full-service barbecue spot in Spring Branch where the sides are honestly as interesting as the smoked meats, which is saying something. The Brussels sprouts and hogfat cornbread attract the kind of attention usually reserved for brisket. It draws families, neighborhood regulars, and people who know that a full bar at a barbecue joint is never a bad sign. Check the site for weekly specials before you go.
- Eater The 38 Essential Houston Restaurants
- Houston Chronicle Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
- Houstonia The Best Barbecue Restaurants in Houston
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Rank 6. Tacos Doña Lena
Mexican/Tex-Mex
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Rank 7. Credence
Contemporary American
Live fire is the whole point at Credence, a roomy Contemporary American restaurant where the open kitchen runs on flame and the menu leans hard into Texas. The chef is a fifth-generation Texan with classical training, which means the whole duck and dry-aged strip get the respect they deserve without anyone getting precious about it. The crowd looks like Houston actually dresses, which is to say comfortably well.
- Texas Monthly 2025 · Honorable Mentions · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Houston Chronicle #7 · Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
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Rank 8. Baso
Live-Fire American
Concrete walls, moody lighting, heavy beats, and a glowing open hearth: Baso is a live-fire restaurant in the Heights that feels more like a party someone forgot to invite you to. The crowd is young and dressed like they know it, and the menu roams wherever it wants, from grilled oysters to Basque cheesecake. Bring a group, order everything, and plan to stay later than you meant to.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Houston Chronicle #11 · Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
- Eater The 38 Essential Houston Restaurants
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Rank 9. Agnes and Sherman
Asian Contemporary
A diner in Houston Heights where the menu grew up eating two cultures at once and never had to choose. The comfort food here leans into Asian American nostalgia with enough creative swagger to keep things interesting, whether you're sliding into a solo lunch or an easy first date. The crowd is laid-back, the vibe is casual, and nobody's dressed up for it. Order something, relax, and let the kitchen surprise you.
- The Infatuation 2025 · #12 · The Top-Rated New Restaurants
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Best New Restaurant
- Texas Monthly 2025 · Dishes We Wanted Seconds Of: Bean-offee Pie · The Best Things in Texas
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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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- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker · Susan Bae
- Houston Chronicle Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
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- Houston Chronicle #2 · Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
- Eater The 38 Essential Houston Restaurants
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Texas · Mark Clayton
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Rank 13. Gatlin’s BBQ
Barbecue
A James Beard Award-winning BBQ joint doing East Texas-style smoked meats the right way. Brisket, ribs, sausage, turkey, the whole lineup, and the sides hold their own too. The crowd is a good cross-section of Houston: families, regulars who know exactly what they're getting, and out-of-towners who've done their homework. Show up early and the breakfast menu is its own reason to make the drive.
- Houstonia The Best Barbecue Restaurants in Houston
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Texas · Greg Gatlin
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Rank 14. La Lucha
Seafood, Hamburgers
- Houstonia Houston’s Best Restaurants
- Houston Chronicle Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
- Houstonia The Best Margaritas in Houston
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El Hidalguense is a no-frills Mexican spot on a gritty industrial stretch of Long Point Road where the regulars arrive knowing exactly what they want and the newcomers spend ten minutes staring at the menu before a local talks them into the right call. That call is the barbacoa de borrego, slow-cooked lamb that arrives fall-off-the-bone tender with a consommé you'll be thinking about on the drive home.
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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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- The New York Times 2023 · The Restaurant List
- Texas Monthly 2023 · Honorable Mentions · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
- Eater The 38 Essential Houston Restaurants
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Rank 18. 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 19. 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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Rank 20. Casaema
Mexican/Tex-Mex
A daytime Mexican cafe in Houston Heights with a Bib Gourmand and the kind of menu that makes you wish you had two stomachs. The team elevated a bakery pop-up into something genuinely special, with heirloom corn taking center stage and coffee that holds its own. The horchata cream doughnut sells out early, so either arrive hungry or make dessert your opening move. The crowd skews weekend-brunch-regulars who knew about this place before you did.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Texas Monthly 2025 · #6 · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
- Houston Chronicle #3 · Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
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Rank 21. Ema
Indigenous
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Best New Restaurant
- The New York Times 2024 · Horchata Berlinesa · The Best Restaurant Dishes We Ate Across the U.S.
- Eater The 38 Essential Houston Restaurants
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Rank 25. Treats of Mexico
Dessert
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Rank 26. Latuli
Seafood
- Houstonia 2025 · The 10 Best Restaurants That Opened in Houston
- Houstonia Houston’s Best Restaurants
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Rank 27. 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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Rank 28. Magnol French Baking
Bakeries
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Rank 29. 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 31. Pinkerton's Barbecue
Barbecue
Pinkerton's is a proper low-slung BBQ joint on Airline Drive where the deer heads outnumber the napkin dispensers and the line starts forming before most people have finished their coffee. The beef rib is the move, thick and serious enough to make you reconsider your weekend plans, and the brisket is the kind that doesn't need sauce but gets it anyway. Michelin gave it a Bib Gourmand, which means the locals were right all along.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Texas Monthly 2025 · The 50 Best BBQ Joints in Texas
- Houston Chronicle Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
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Rank 33. Fat Cat Creamery
Dessert
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Rank 34. Himari
Japanese
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Rank 36. 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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- Houstonia The Best Mexican Restaurants in Houston
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Texas · Sylvia Casares
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Rank 38. PLK1848
Dessert
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Rank 39. 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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Rank 43. Burger Bodega
Hamburgers
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Rank 44. Burns Original BBQ
Barbecue
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Rank 45. Down the Street
Bar, Global
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Rank 46. 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 2026 · Nominee · Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service · June Rodil
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Rank 47. Kuu
Sushi, Japanese
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Rank 50. Fluff Bake Bar
Bakeries
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Rank 51. 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 56. 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 57. 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 59. 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 60. 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 62. 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 63. Underground Creamery
Dessert
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Rank 64. 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 65. 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 66. 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 67. 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 69. Uptown Sushi
Sushi, Japanese
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Rank 70. 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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- AAA Four Diamonds
- Wine Enthusiast The Wine Restaurant Hall of Fame
- Eater The 38 Essential Houston 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 75. ChopnBlok
West African
- Eater Buka Stew · The 8 Best Meals I Ate This Year, 2024
- Eater 2025 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- The New York Times 2025 · The Restaurant List
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Rank 76. 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 79. 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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Rank 80. 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.
- The Infatuation Infatuation’s Highest-Rated Restaurants In America
- Food & Wine 2025 · The Top 15 US Restaurants
- Wine Enthusiast 2023 · Forward 50 Restaurants
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Rank 82. Buttermilk Baby
Dessert
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Rank 85. El Tiempo Taqueria
Mexican/Tex-Mex
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Rank 88. Chilosos Taco House
Mexican/Tex-Mex
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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
- Eater The 38 Essential Houston Restaurants
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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 92. Kolache Shoppe
Eastern European, Bakeries, American/New American
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Rank 93. Pizzitola’s Heritage BBQ
Barbecue
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Rank 94. 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 95. Cheaters Creamery
Dessert
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Rank 96. 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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Rank 97. 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 99. 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 100. 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