The Best Restaurants in Houston

"Look... I know Ihop is a chain. But I have come to this place on my worst days and the pancakes, coffee and service have made my day so much better!We ordered coffee and started out with the tres leche pancakes. THEY WERE SOOO GOOD! Ive had my eye on those for a some time now. Then we still werent satisfied. We then ordered the new pumpkin cinnamon pancakes with the new grinch hot cocoa. The hot cocoa was delish but didnt care for the mew cinnamon pumpkin pancakes. They were very rich and a little too sweet. Overall tue service and food were amazing."

"All a round great. The spicy house broth was a burst of flavor. Just amazing. The service was great. Great meat choices. Abundant vegetable choices. I also like that they have hot prepared food like braised beef, chicken curry, wings, lo mein, and fried rice. The ice cream selection was top notch too. Highly recommend."

"This place is right up my alley! Cali Alley. The food is amazing!! Awesome soul food that's so hard to find, incredible vibrant atmosphere with West Coast music to move your hips too all night. Incredible waitresses that are so polite and attentive. Great drinks, what more can you ask for. I've tried so many things as I've been here a few times and since it reminds me of my Cali home, I decided to have my birthday party here. Everything was easy, flowed great, everyone had a great time! You can bring your own cake. They play birthday songs for you and flash happy birthday on the TV screens. They add a firework to your cake for extra fun! Loaded potatoes with grilled salmon excellentLoaded potatoes with chicken - all the seasoning you've ever wanted!Fried salmon!! Yessss, give .e more pleaseCrab legs, YES pleaseFried shrimp okayyy!!You can't go wrong for a great time in this place. Please help our local private owned businesses stay alive by supporting anytime you can. We need this one to stay around."

"This place looks like a basement. Terrible slow service. Very moody and attitude filled staff. Drinks were nasty. You have to walk up to the bar in order to get your drinks or food. Food took over 1 1/2 hours (chicken wings and chicken tenders). Hookah was listed as one price and I was told another after it was ordered. They have a lot of things to work on. I'd probably never come back even if they fixed everything."

"I don't ever seem to learn my lesson with Jack in the box. I thought I couldn't go wrong with a small order of chicken nuggets and curly fries. Chicken nuggets were rubbery and about the size of a quarter. The fries were soggy and seemed old like they were sitting out for a long time. If you've ever had fried food cooked in burnt, dirty cooking oil...........combine all this together. Just overall gross horrible food. Honestly I don't really like calling it food. Couple of bites and in the trash it all went. I apologized to my body and said this was the last time for real."

"Me and my BFF came here for dinner. We both were craving curry and grill, and she suggested Pakwan House. My family had recently hosted an event at their banquet hall and we liked the food that was catered.While the exterior may not be too appealing, and the interior ambiance was plain and simple, the restaurant itself was clean. We were greeted by person, who was the cashier, host and server at the same time. Later on, I did notice the owner come in as the restaurant had gotten busy. I believe he used to be a partial owner of Shahnai restaurant. My friend wanted samosas as appetizers, so we ordered a few of them. We also ordered daal (lentils), and a mixed grilled platter, which consisted of Chicken Tikka, Chicken boti, Seekh Kabobs with sautéed onions. Regardless of diet, one must order Naan with these items. Our samosas were hot n crispy. Daal was creamy and rich with flavor and the grilled items were very good. Naan came hot off the oven and was a perfect compliment to the meal.They had plenty of other grilled items and traditional dishes which are available on the menu. From what I hear, they also serve a buffet, which might be for lunch only. Inquire within.I do plan on visiting again soon."

"This was a nice surprise.We went on Saturday around 3ish and were lucky enough to score a table. The place is small so space is limited.They seem to be constantly busy.When you walk in, go to the right to place order.We got the family pack and a mofongo to share. The family pack comes with 1/2 gallon of rice, 2 proteins, plantain and 4 canned sodas.Did not get a picture of everything. The 1/2 gallon of rice was huge. Our two proteins were the bbq boneless pork and the garlic chicken.The mofongo was disappointing.The rest of the food was awesome.There was plenty of food for seconds and to take leftovers home. We'll be back. Maybe not to eat there but most definitely to go."

"A bit overpriced but cool cafe space and nice service! I just realized that this business was originally Brazos Bagels - I had heard about the hype online and them selling out at soft opening. I have been wanting to try since, though it looks like there have been some rebranding. Ordered the smoked salmon bagel and breakfast bagel. The cream cheese was a bit too much for me so I'm not sold on the entrees yet. The space is nice and I plan to visit on a day I want to get some work done or grab a casual breakfast!"

"Love this place! It's like a chipotle but obviously for tacos! lolYou can choose any protein that you like and the toppings!I got 3 tacos (shrimp ceviche, carne asada, and chicken)The shrimp was my favorite. You can order to go, or sit inside and eat. Plenty of space and tables/seats.Bathroom could prob use a good cleaningDrinks are also available, as well as a bar. Street parkingI want one of these in my area !"

"Stopped in for some Bayoo Goo and Peach Pie. Very friendly staff, clean and well lit. Nice to have them so close to the house!"

"MKT has so many food options. I can't wait to come back!My friend and I came here after yoga at Union Studio next door for brunch on Saturday. We did not have a resy, and the place was packed. So I was shocked when we got seated immediately after walking in. We sat adjacent to the bar at a high top table for 2.Food - I got the waffle and the scallion biscuit. I was so excited to try the biscuit. It sounded yum, chedder & scallion in a homemade hot biscuit, at least I thought in my head. Well, it wasn't cheezy. It was ok. The waffles were also ok. The syrup tasted like guava or some other kind of flavoring, which I liked. As it wasn't the standard syrup I get at IHOP, etc. Overall, similar to the other reviews, food was average.Service - was great. She checked on us frequently. She asked us if we wanted to order drinks several times, which we didn't. But this is understandable during brunch time, and we were sitting next to the bar."

"Small place but great food! the owners are the cook and they care about their clients. The son also helps at the front desk. We really enjoy our food. The place is quiet and people keeps coming also many orders Togo. Will comeback soon. I also took some Togo for my son and he said food was great. We are happy to find it plus it's very close to home!"

"Love this place! They offer Gluten free and sugar free options. Our daughter loves the gluten free vanilla! They offer different flavors on each week days. This keeps the flavors interesting and coerces you to try something new. The strawberry lemonade is fabulous!"

"J J Gardens is a really nice neighborhood Chinese Restaurant. The nice lady at the register (wish I knew her name) is so friendly & very helpful & accommodating.There is so much variety everyone can find something they enjoy.They offer both lunch and dinner combos which include your choice of soup, spring roll or crab puffs and white, fried or brown rice at e trembly reasonable prices.I have eaten here and taken food to go.You can't go wrong with this terrific Chinese restaurant where every employee goes out of their way to make you feel comfortable"

"Sometimes you stumble upon gems. El Regio Mexican Bar & Grill is just that. After grabbing dinner close by, we were looking for a spot to grab a drink. El Regio came up on Yelp, had good reviews, and was open so we made our way. Despite it being a Sunday evening, the restaurant was almost fun. We sat at the bar in the corner of the restaurant. I'm always a fan of Mexican spots that offer jumbo margaritas in several flavors at affordable prices. El Regio has just that. And when you have a jumbo margarita with your choice of beer added to the top to make a Coronita, that's really all I need. El Regio is a casual spot but exactly the type of place I'd be stopping by regularly if I lived in the area. While we didn't try the food, a couple next to us went with a mixed paradilla with a bunch of different meats on a sizzling platter. It looked and smelled delicious. And it's exactly what I'll try the next time I'm in Sugar Land."

"Nice family owned liquor store with a good selection of whiskeys and bourbons. Located conveniently by my favorite pool sully store, this small liquor store has reasonably priced on all but allocations (rarer bottles) and no one has reasonable prices for allocations!None the less I was able to get a bottle of Colonial Tayler at a price that did make me blush, at least not to badly. The owner is a nice fellow. If you want something special he will try to find it for you. I know I had the same offer from Spec's and Total Wines but never heard from them. Parkway found what I wanted in a few weeks and like I said offered at a somewhat unrealistic price that I caved on."

"So I've been once and returned a second time, so I must give it 4 Stars, but I also must say that I'm concerned: Management seems a tad.......inexperienced. For example, there is a Sunday brunch, on SOME Sundays, but don't count on it every Sunday. I asked the staff, "How do I know which Sunday's to come for brunch?" They did not know. Staff also seems remarkably poorly trained: They are young and eager to please, but no one seems to have taken the time to teach even the most fundamental of service standards to them. I ordered the bacon grits for breakfast. They had placed shredded cheese atop the serving that did not melt. Some may have taken the clue that this meant the dish was cold, but not my server.Marketing is an issue: Recently I picked up a flyer: JOIN US FOR STEAK NIGHT EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT, it exclaimed: Why? Because I cannot grill my own steak on a Saturday Night? Because I cannot find 6 oz Filet Mignon in the local Kroger? Happily, there was a picture of a steak on the flyer in case I got confused. Instead there should be a picture of the beautiful landscape scene off the veranda. This place has a wonderful view (if you can see over the ill-conceived railing surrounding the deck). There are plenty of fans overhead that work great when you remind the under-trained staff to turn them on. And then there's the piped in music which, according to staff, the astonishingly unimaginative management has limited to Classic Rock or Country, guaranteeing that at least 50% of the audience will be annoyed. Have they heard of Spanish Guitar? Instrumental? Celtic? I suppose I'll keep my ear-buds handy.Does Management know what a happy hour is? It has been know to be promotional in a few bars on planet earth. How about $3 Gin/Vodka Tonics and 50% off beer 5-7 every night? Maybe offer free peanuts, chips? Well, I'd like to connect more dots for you; hopefully I've done enough so Woodforest Grille can remain In The Black while I enjoy the veranda during the next year."

"Good ice cream, adorable parlor, you can taste flavors first. The cookies and cream is out of this world, smothered with cookie and you can taste the vanilla. So good. Enjoy!!"

"They had my favorite Machado con Huevo, but ai went with the recommended Nopales con Huevo y Chorizo. This plate was amazing! They had the best refried beans I've ever had. Homemade flour tortillas too. Was well worth the stop!!!"

"Always a great experience. This location is fast, fresh & great. You can order on these iPads in the wall and in no time your order is processed and ready. Always a great experience here."

"Best tasting pizza, fresh ingredients, quick and easy pickup orders, friendly staff, highly recommend!"

"Pretty decent gyros. Fries are slightly soggy but nice. The value you get is pretty good. I ordered a gyro that might have needed a couple more slices of gyro meat but overall, the sandwich was enjoyable. The medium spicy sauce was good but should've been spread evenly."

"I'm so in love with the homemade ice cream !!! And now a little dessert to go with my ice !!!! Amazing!! Thank you for bringing a little Cali to Texas"

"Service and food still top notch. We always bring our out of town friends here for brunch. Our only complaint is each time we come we consistently have an issue using one particular credit card of ours. Managers have tried to get to the bottom of the issue, but it remains a mystery despite the card being fine on our side. Keep an eye out on their specials and drink concoctions. They are always worthwhile."

"If you love Mexican ice cream or candy, you can't go wrong with a watermelon flavored (pic1) or mangonada (pic 2) for the win! Topped with your choice of fruit and/or candy for a salty, sweet & savory cool down!"

"Dimassi's Mediterranean Buffets are highly variable affairs.Some are outstanding.Some are mediocre.Generally, the nearer you get to Houston, The better Dimassi's tends to be.* * *This is one of the good ones.Like a fool, I picked up too many vegetable dishes in the beginning,and didn't have enough room for the really really fine meat dishes.If you are smart ...Go for the meatballs first ... and then get everything else second or third.Their meatballs in tomato sauce are absolutely to die for.Everything else was pretty decent too.Nothing bad found its way to my plate - and I sampled a lot of things.* * *The best part of the Willowbrook Dimassi's though is the fashion show.There are some Middle Eastern families, where Mom or Grandma have really gone all out shopping before they went out for dinner.I don't know the name for Middle Eastern versions of saris ...But there were saris there that were some of the most fantastic garments I have ever seen at a buffet.Dad would be wearing plain old clothes.The boys would be wearing plain old clothes.The girls would be wearing something a little more elaborate.The married women were fashion-plate jaw-dropping.Do some internet research, because I strongly suspect these garments were obtained in Houston.There is shopping to be done."

"What a great cigar factory and shop. If you want to see some of the most amazingly wrapped cigars then this is then place for you. I bought one of each of there types and now I wish i would have bought a box of each. They are amazing to smoke easy draw and great flavor. I smoke all sorts of cigars from high dollar to low dollar and these are high dollar value with low dollar price tag. I will be buying boxes the next time im in"

"One dollar tacos. How is that even possible? And the answer isn't poor quality. I tested a sample set of Al Pastor, Barbcoa, and Longaniza (sausage) on corn tortillas and they were fresh and delicious. Yes you can cut some overhead costs with food truck vs brick and mortar restaurants but not by leaps and bounds and certainly most food truck vendors charge rates commensurate with the foodie fascination with mobile kitchens. In short, I have know idea how They sell it so cheap. I do know the Al Pastor I ate was top notch with the traditional flavorings and achiote induced coloring. Rosy's Al Pastor is served it slightly larger cuts than most Al Pastor I've experienced resulting in a juicier and more tender delivery of the meat. The Barbcoa was tender and holds its own against other Barbacoa I've enjoyed. The Longaniza was enjoyable but different than the Puerto Rican version I was first exposed to and it wasn't as good as that version. They surprised me with a cup of stewed beans with my taco trinity that was very well spiced and flavorful but wet enough to perhaps be classified as soup. That was served at no extra charge so I happily took and ate the bean soup offering. My whole order as described came to a whopping $3. I gave the lady a $5 and told her to keep the change and still walked away feeling a little guilty to get so much for so little. They do have a small covered seating area to enjoy their food there if you choose to. Definitely worth the stop if you are passing by and you like food truck fare."

"Had an awesome visit today. Wasn't feeling well today, hubby went through the drive-thru and ordered me a Big Chef salad and a Fruit Bowl. Asked for cucumbers on my Big Chef salad. Hubby got home and then realized no cucumbers on my salad. I simply made a call to Jason's Deli to let them know I didn't have cucumbers on my salad, next thing I know they're delivering me another Big Chef salad. I was just expecting a side of cucumbers! Now this is AMAZING Customer Service!!! I thank you guys who made this possible in this cold, rainy weather! I will forever eat at this location! You guys deserve 10 stars for this kind of customer service!!!"

"I finally got around to trying this new boba shop in our area. Ordered a Thai tea with lychee jelly and some tempura shrimp.The first thing to note is that they serve more than drinks, they have very nice snacks on the menu. They have a deep fat fryer so their shrimp tempura, chicken wings etc. are fried rather than baked. The shrimp had an absolutely fantastic texture, I loved them and will go back to try other snacks. Very promising.They have a wide variety of teas, coffees and juices, and seven different jellies (bobas) for the drinks. I actually don't like the texture of the jellies, I find it off-putting, but I wanted the flavor and the experience. The lychee jelly added a very nice layer to the flavor of the tea.The people are nice, and there is a beautiful custom mural on the wall. The furniture is pretty basic but goes well with the colors and there's plenty of room if you want to hang out. They have board games, so they are encouraging you to stay. I am taking off just a bit for the bathroom--it was not as clean as I would have hoped, though it was usable. Definitely worth going back."

"I dont know much about cigars but I do know they have a very extensive selection. They range from mild to bold. When you walk in theres comfortable bug chaurs and an espresso machine. All cigars are hand rolled."

"This place is getting better than before. The Sub is nicely done. Customer service is much better too."

"The true score of this place should be: 3.5Pros:- Lively on a Thursday night prior to the first weekend of the Fall college football season. - large spaces with various areas - Turtle racing occuring intermittenly with stands surrounding to view and place bets - Reportedly, it's a typical go-to Texas Longhorns Houston Texas bar. Cons:- 2-3 attractive ladies seen out of the whole space (Thursday evening). Impression: - It was fun to check out Houston, Texas. It's been sometime since I've been back to Houston. It looks like they're doing well."

"So this was definitely a different concept. Build your own pho at the counter... like subway or chipotle. The pho dip tasted like hoisin sauce and I think they forgot the bone marrow in it bc I didn't taste or see it. The pho broth was too sweet. I added the beef bone on the side. Overall I'd say it was just ok. The sandwich wasn't bad bc I like hoisin but it lacked any other flavor. The pho wasn't bad, just too sweet. Service was good."