Houston Texas Food Scene
Houston boasts one of the most vibrant and diverse food scenes in the United States. The city’s culinary heritage draws influences from around the world, blending together to create a uniquely Houston flavor. This melting pot of cuisines reflects the diversity of Houston’s population, which includes significant immigrant communities from Vietnam, China, India and more.
Houston takes pride in staples like Tex-Mex and barbecue. Iconic restaurants serving up Tex-Mex favorites like fajitas, queso and margaritas have been popular for generations. Houston also has classic barbecue joints slinging tender, slow-smoked brisket and ribs. The city’s barbecue legacy stems from influences both east (Memphis) and west (Texas Hill Country) to create a hybrid Houston-style barbecue.
The city’s Vietnamese community has made pho and banh mi ubiquitous local staples. Houston’s Chinatown is filled with delicious regional Chinese restaurants serving everything from dim sum to hand-pulled noodles. The Mahatma Gandhi District contains Indian restaurants offering fragrant curries, tandoori dishes and more.
Houstonians also love tried-and-true American classics like burgers, pizza and southern comfort foods. Innovative young chefs are putting new twists on tradition with dishes like brisket pizza, Korean-style fried chicken and pho burgers. Food trucks are abundant, serving up tacos, eggrolls, loaded fries and more on the go.
For fine dining, Houston has many celebrity chef restaurants. Chris Shepherd has led a movement celebrating Houston’s melting pot of flavors at restaurants like Underbelly. Other big names include Hugo Ortega, Justin Yu and Ronnie Killen. Houston Restaurant Weeks allows foodies to sample prix fixe menus at hundreds of Houston restaurants to raise money for charity.
From street food to five-star cuisine, Houston offers an extraordinarily diverse array of flavors. Food critics have taken note of the dining renaissance, naming Houston one of America’s top food cities. Whether locals or visitors, everyone is sure to find something to savor in Houston’s incredible food scene.
