Where to eat in Houston

Restaurants, cafés and street food in Houston, United States that locals actually go to — plus the local names for the chains you already know.

• Truth BBQ — BBQ, Washington Ave (2). Order the Brisket + tater tot casserole. Brisket that put Houston into the Texas BBQ conversation for good.
• Burns Original BBQ — BBQ, Acres Homes (1). Order the Rib plate. North-side legend since 1973 — East Texas style, no shortcuts.
• Crawfish & Noodles — Viet-Cajun, Asiatown / Bellaire (2). Order the Garlic butter crawfish. The garlic-butter crawfish that defined Houston's Viet-Cajun style.
• Hugo's — Interior Mexican, Montrose (3). Order the Cochinita pibil + Sunday buffet. Hugo Ortega's love letter to regional Mexico; Sunday brunch is the move.
• Mai's Restaurant — Vietnamese, Midtown (2). Order the Bò lúc lắc (shaking beef). Midtown Vietnamese anchor since 1978, open late.
• Himalaya — Pakistani-Indian, Mahatma Gandhi District (2). Order the Hunter's beef + biryani. Chef Kaiser's beloved room — order the hunter beef and whatever he says.
• The Original Ninfa's on Navigation — Tex-Mex, East End (2). Order the Tacos al carbón (fajitas). Where fajitas as America knows them began (1973).
• The Breakfast Klub — Southern breakfast, Midtown (2). Order the Wings & waffle. Wings-and-waffles line that became a Houston morning institution.
• Lankford Grocery & Market — Burgers, Fourth Ward (1). Order the Old Fashioned burger. A 1939 grocery turned burger dive — cash-ish, creaky, perfect.
• Goode Co. Barbeque — BBQ, Kirby / West U (2). Order the Sliced brisket + pecan pie. The 1977 classic; end with the jalapeño cheese bread and pecan pie.

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