The Best Breakfast Near Carr Mansion, by the Record

Slow-roasted cochinita pibil is the anchor here, available as a plate with rice and beans or folded into tacos at this Mexican cafe and market in Houston's East End. Weekend brunch draws a crowd for chilaquiles and a loaded breakfast platter, while the daily agua frescas change with whatever fruit is in season. The chef behind it is a two-time James Beard semifinalist. Before you leave, the market sells frozen tamales and her cookbook.

1. Houstonia The Best Brunch Restaurants in Houston
2. Houstonia Houston’s Best Restaurants
3. Eater The 38 Essential Houston Restaurants

The line outside this Houston breakfast and brunch spot is so reliable that they've worked out a whole system: heaters in winter, water in summer, and occasionally a bouncy castle, which is a sentence you don't type about many restaurants. Southern and Creole comfort food is the draw, wings and waffles being the dish everyone mentions first, with catfish and grits not far behind. Show up when the doors open or plan around the wait.

1. Houstonia The Best Brunch Restaurants in Houston
2. Eater The 38 Essential Houston Restaurants
3. Houston Chronicle Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants

A vegan brunch spot tucked inside a vinyl record shop in the Museum District, which tells you a lot about who shows up and how long they plan to stay. The menu leans into plant-based comfort food hard, built around things like mushrooms fried crispy and served over grits or a waffle. Dishes can be ordered as flights with different sauces, which is either genius or a trap for indecision. The mimosas have their own following.

1. Houstonia The Best Brunch Restaurants in Houston