-
The horchata cream doughnut sells out early, which tells you everything about the pace of a morning here. Casaema is a daytime cafe in Houston Heights rooted in Mexican foodways, with a pastry case full of conchas and guava-queso empanadas alongside a coffee menu running café de olla lattes and piloncillo chai. The chilaquiles are built on housemade chips with brisket. A James Beard nominee for Best New Restaurant, and a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
The awards strongest first
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Best New Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Texas Monthly #6 · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
- Houston Chronicle #3 · Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
- Houstonia Best Coffee Shops in Houston
- Houstonia The Best Brunch Restaurants in Houston
- Eater The 38 Essential Houston Restaurants
- Houstonia Houston’s Best Restaurants
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker · Stephanie Velasquez
- Houstonia Best Bakeries in Houston for Pastries, Cakes, and Bread
- Houstonia The Best Mexican Restaurants in Houston
- The New York Times 2024 · Horchata Berlinesa · The 26 Best Dishes We Ate Across the U.S. in 2024
One number, weighted & current 89
How we scoreThe dishes from the writeups
-
Horchata berlinesas
“Come early if you want to secure one of Ema’s horchata berlinesas, a seamless marriage of European and Mexican confectionery.”
The New York Times, 2024 -
Hoja santa French toast
“At CasaEma, formerly known as Ema, diners start their day with dishes like hoja santa French toast and suadero chilaquiles.”
Houstonia -
Canela coffee panqué
“At Casaema, formerly known as Ema, diners can find an array of pastry options: a canela coffee panqué, empanadas, the Insta-famous horchata berlinesa, and conchas, served alongside caffeinated drinks.”
Houstonia
Reviews
Sign in to write a review.
No reviews yet
Reviews never count toward the Eat Score.
The neighbors closest first
- Berwick’s Birds of Paradise Drink · 68
- Chilosos Taco House Mexican Eat · 62
- Puebla's Mexican Kitchen Eat · 64
- Third Place Collaborative Coffee Eat · 79
- Jun Eat · 92
- Lei Low Tiki Bar Drink · 78
- Teotihuacan Mexican Cafe Tex-Mex Eat · 62
- Jane and the Lion Bakehouse Bakery Eat · 62
Something wrong with this entry? Tell us. Closed, moved, miscategorized: we want to know.