Restaurant Recommendations: Hungry in Houston
Greetings from the frozen North! My sister-in-law, a Paediatric Renal Nurse, is attending a nursing conference in Houston at the end of March. I am so happy for her as she has never had the opportunity to travel. I would love to hand her a short list of places to eat while she is there. They would have to be cheap and cheerful and vegetarian—perhaps authentic Tex-Mex or something local that we don't see often in Canada. Thanks so much for any help you can give me.
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12 Comments:
I just got back to Canada after my first visit to Houston a couple of weeks ago. I would recommend Chipotle-it's a burrito chain-I kind of likened it to a Subway kind of set up-you pick your "bread" (burrito/taco shell), your fillings, your sauce etc. It was inexpensive, tasty, and more than I could finish. I also enjoyed Pappacitos (sp?) It's a tex mex place restaurant that was pretty reasonable. I would also recommend giving kolaches a try. They are a kind of pastry with various fillings-eggs, meat, fruit etc that Houstonians eat for breakfast (you can often find them near a Starbucks coincidentally). They are different than anything I've ever had in Canada. I'm sure some native Houstonians will have more suggestions, but I thought I'd chime in. I hope your sister enjoys Houston-but don't let her get sucked in-too many nurses get pulled to the US and we need them in Canada!!
psychsarah at 10:39AM on 01/16/09
Tell her to eat at all of the Goode Company restaurants. They are all right together on Kirby: Barbeque, Seafood, Mexican, and cowboy bar. They do all these foods perfectly. Jim Goode's Mom was Mexican and taught him to cook. He took these skills and built a dynasty on this corner in Houston. His son, Levi, is now running the restaurants as Jim is unwell. Not just because Jim is an old friend do I recommend these places, but because the food is relatively cheap and absolutely authentic. Do not pass on the Pecan Pie.
ocarol at 11:05AM on 01/16/09
Oops...vegetarian probably won't have much fun at Barbeque, but the others probably can manage a plate of something without meat.
ocarol at 11:07AM on 01/16/09
Hi bareneed! We indeed have many wonderful places to eat here in Houston, and I am sure there will be lots for your SIL to try, including many authentic cuisines. A question though: how strict a vegetarian is she? Many of the "authentic" places I frequent do use chicken stock and lard in some of their preparations. There are many other options, including some who offer regional ingredients with great vegetarian choices. Just want to fine-tune my list before sending it!
I'm more than happy to communicate via email, too; just go to my blog. I'll be happy to help any way I can!
hungryinhouston at 11:14AM on 01/16/09
The Hobbit Cafe is a good vegetarian option; they have some menu items that I would really call more cali-mex than tex-mex, but there's tacos, enchiladas, etc.
I'd also check out Ruggles Green, also on West Alabama - it's brand new and I haven't been, but the other Ruggles restaurants (Ruggles and Ruggles Cafe) are great. Ruggles Green is supposed to be their organic, green menu - has some meat, but probably also a lot of vegetarian options.
For regular non-vegetarian specific Tex Mex, I second Pappasito's; also El Tiempo and Ninfa's (on Navigation, not any other Ninfa's location). As hungryinhouston mentioned though, non-meat dishes at these places still may likely have lard or other animal products.
no offense to psychsarah, but I personally would not do Chipotle - it's about as chain-Mexican as you can get, they are owned by McDonalds and they're all over the U.S., including NYC and other places in the north.
misskris15 at 12:14PM on 01/16/09
Fair enough miskris-I figured Chipotle might raise an eyebrow. I didn't realise they were owned by McDonalds...that makes me sad. I haven't eaten there in years due to their labour and political practices...now I can't return to Chipotle if I go back to Houston :( Oh well-gald to see that others like Pappassitos-I really enjoyed the margaritas there in particular!!
psychsarah at 12:26PM on 01/16/09
Actually, I'll correct myself- I just googled it and McDonald's divested their stake in Chipotle in October 2006. Chipotle for everyone again! (haha.)
misskris15 at 12:44PM on 01/16/09
I'm vegetarian and there are lots of good Houston options! Love Hobbit, excited to try Ruggles Green, and even I can enjoy a Goode Company baked potato. Ninfa's and El Tiempo are awesome. For "fast food," I think Mission Burrito is pretty good. If she'll be near the medical center, she might check out Rice Village. We love D'Amico's for Italian (cheap lunch deals) and Istanbul Grill for Turkish mezzes. Star Pizza has tons of vegetarian options (I like pineapple, spinach, and fresh jalapeño -- we're now calling it the Obama Special!). For something really vegetarian/health food-y try Field of Greens. But our all-around, anytime, guests-in-town favorite is The Raven: nice but not too expensive, meat and vegetarian options, laid back neighborhood atmosphere.
mamita at 3:35PM on 01/16/09
Dimassi's has several locations in Houston, it's like a Lebanese/Middle Easter buffet, with numerous vegetarian options. It's been years since I went, but I definitely enjoyed it.
http://www.dimassisbuffet.com/Home.php
renzata at 7:23PM on 01/16/09
@hungry in houston - sorry, I am not computer savy and although I was able to find your blog (after half an hour!!) I couldn't find your email - sorry, so I hope you check back here - my SIL will be staying at the Hilton Americas Hotel on Lamar which is connected to the convention center, so hopefully there are a few good places in the vicinity - thanking you in advance for any help. She is not a strict vegetarian and will eat gravy, eggs, fish, milk, lard.
A big thank you to the other 8 posters who gave me their great suggestions - I will print this out for my SIL - she hasn't been on a plane since 1984, you can imagine how excited she is to visit Houston!
bareneed at 10:29AM on 01/17/09
Hi bareneed! Sorry about the vagueness of the blog info; if you look under any entry within my blog, you'll see "by nowserving in...". Click on "nowserving" and it'll take you to my profile, with an email link.
Everyone else has come up with some great suggestions; Original Ninfa's on Navigation (not terribly far from the Hilton Americas) is my top choice for authentic Tex-Mex. Second would be El Tiempo (related to Ninfa's), where they serve an amazing mixed grill that includes shrimp and lobster. Best margarita is at Teala's on W. Dallas, which also has a killer warm black bean dip. Their Progreso Mesquite Shrimp are great (as are the pork chops!). Last Concert Cafe is a very fun, eclectic place that serves Tex-Mex food and has live music. Their menu boasts vegetarian and vegan items, too! They are reasonable, pricewise, and not that far from the Hilton. Last Concert definitely fits the criteria of "cheap, cheerful and vegetarian," not to mention being in the area!
Other good vegetarian-friendly places include the aforementioned Hobbit Cafe, Star Pizza (THE BEST PIZZA!), and Baba Yega.
If your SIL wants a gourmet splurge, I recommend Monica Pope's t'afia. She boasts a "passionately local" menu that is absolutely delicious. There are always vegetarian options on the menu, and many that are not. The tasting menu, with Texas wine pairings, is almost always stellar. I learned that there ARE good Texas wines to be had!
All of the above places not only have good food, but a unique character and ambiance, which to me, is very important when dining out, especially in a new city. Pretty much all of these places have their own websites, so you or your SIL can take a look at them at your leisure for more info.
That's what come to me right off the bat. And I haven't even covered other cuisines, like Asian!
Get in touch if you need more info; like I said I'm glad to help, as others SE members are!
hungryinhouston at 1:17PM on 01/17/09
Recommend Kim Son ! Best way to describe it is a local Viet dynasty. There are many vegetarian dishes. It's a must try and the (almost original) is walking distance from the Hilton. I say almost original, because they built a beautiful building across the street from where they got started.
Also another local oriental place is Nit Noy, somewhat famous for their Triple Spiced Tofu - this will turn many carnivorous fans into Tofu lovers !
And then there's the Dot Shoppe - used to be a Kips Big Boy. Nothing super special about it, owned by the Pappas brothers..but beats the daylights out of the bigger chains of diners. Actually its the kind of quirky place you'd see on Guys - DDD.
However the suggestion above is great...any one of Goodes locations. The main location on Kirby is almost instituional, even if you're not much of a beef eater the smells, decor and side dishes plus a slab of jalapeno cornbread will excite almost anyone !
Could go on. Houston is what I call a hidden gourmands delight !
Ribster at 6:43AM on 01/19/09