Houston. It’s the fourth-largest city in the country, and anything but a parochial place. The Bayou City is a cultural mixing bowl, a city where Latin, Texan, and Asian influences simmer together under the south Texas sun. The result is terrific cuisine. The food is an admixture of Tex-Mex, Texas beef, Vietnamese victuals, and a slew of sub-specialties – subtle and not so subtle.
Here, with help from the good folks at the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau are some moderately-priced restaurants that locals love – eateries that won’t break the bank on your next trip:
Chacos has a number of restaurants, the newest at 2700 S. Loop 610 near Reliant. They concoct their marvelous Margaritas with real lime juice, sport a bodacious salsa bar, serve up large portions, and are open 24 hours a day. This is Texas folks. We (this Cheapflights reporter is a native Texan) take our Tex-Mex seriously, and Chacos more than measures up. Get filled up for the rest of the day by ordering the Carne Guisada Plate Lunch Special. $5.99 buys you carne Guisada, rice, beans guacamole salad, and tortillas – with a medium tea, soda or coffee thrown in.
Hub Cap Grill serves up burgers – big, beefy and juicy. Back in 2008, the Houston Chronicle voted the Hub Cap’s rendition “Best Burger” in town. Kiss your cardiologist goodbye (Houston has some of the best anywhere) and order a one-pound triple meat burger for $7.99. The price doesn’t include fries. But if you are able to stuff your face with anything else after a pound of beef you’re a better person than I. Roll into the Hub Cap Grill at 111 Prairie Mondays through Saturdays. The staff is home with their families on Sundays.
El Rey serves up more than Mexican. It also doles out some of the best Cuban cuisine west of Miami. The Espresso selection is particularly potent Stay classic and order a Café con Leche Doble for $2.95. You’ll find El Rey at 233 Main St.
Les Givral’s Kahve reflects Houston’s substantial Vietnamese presence. The restaurant serves authentic Vietnamese fare with a modern twist. Ask for Bun Tom Nuong, char-grilled shrimp for $7.95. Round out the meal with one of the restaurant’s specialty rices. You’ll find Les Givral’s Kahve at 801 Congress.
Irish Pub Kenneally’s is a family-oriented affair. It’s comfortable, friendly, and the bartender knows intuitively how to pull a good pint. Made-from-scratch Chicago-style thin-crust pizza reigns here. Wash it down with any one of a bunch of draught beers. No lunch crowd at Kenneally’s. It’s open from 3pm until 2am. Head to 2111 South Shepherd Dr.
BB’s Café. Okay, so by now you’ve caught on to the fact they call Houston ‘The Bayou City.’ There’s a reason. It’s not all that far from the Louisiana border. Cajun cuisine has just naturally migrated west. BB’s offers some of the Best New Orleans-style Po Boys on the planet – overstuffed and outrageously filling. Before you order one up, start with a mess of Shrimp Devils – bacon-wrapped shrimp stuffed with cheese and peppers. The most centrally-located of its Houston locations is, fittingly enough, at 509 Louisiana.
Story by Jerry Chandler
(Image: Alex)
