Local Houston Folks - Need restaurant help

[cruiseequalsfun]

Not cruise related, but planning a long weekend in Houston. I think I have enough things to do covered with the city pass options, baseball game, a few parks, etc, but could use some help with restaurants.

 

What do you consider some of the best BBQ places? How about pizza places? and Steakhouses? Any other fun/good restaurants? Places close to the "tourist areas" such as Museum area, Galleria, Downtown (Astros stadium or aquarium area), Space Center, and even Galveston would be best. Also they can be the local hole in the wall type place to "nice" places.

 

Thanks in advance!

[MrSnarkyPants]

What do you consider some of the best BBQ places? How about pizza places? and Steakhouses? Any other fun/good restaurants? Places close to the "tourist areas" such as Museum area, Galleria, Downtown (Astros stadium or aquarium area), Space Center, and even Galveston would be best. Also they can be the local hole in the wall type place to "nice" places.

Thanks in advance!

 

Warning: I'm an opinionated foodie...

 

BBQ is like a religion in these parts, so you will get some passionate opinions. Here's my picks:

Gatlin's 1221 W. 19th St. 713-869-4227

Pierson's 5110 TC Jester Blvd. 713-683-6997

 

Some of the best BBQ is in the Hill Country, between Houston & San Antonio. You could make an entire day trip out of eating BBQ alone in towns like Luling and Lockhart. That's probably out of the scope of your travel plans. But the rule to those BBQ joints apply to the good ones in Houston: go early in the day. BBQ done right is cooked slow and low for hours, so they put it on the night before and serve it the next day. When they run out, they're done for the day. If they haven't run out late in the afternoon, that meat has been sitting in the holding pan for so long that it's dried out. Lunch is a good time to get BBQ.

 

Chain places like Pappas, Goode Company, and Spring Creek make passable BBQ, but it's nothing more special than you can get at home.

 

However, don't be fooled by "Luling City Market" in Houston, which sullies the good name of the superior City Market in the town of Luling by putting out mediocre BBQ. They're not related.

 

Pizza places: In the suburbs, I'm partial to Grimaldi's in Sugar Land (at First Colony Mall, US 59 at Highway 6). Grimaldi's puts out great New York pizza from a coal fired oven. In the city, Star Pizza is my fave. 2111 Norfolk (at Shepherd Dr.) 713-523-0800. For something really unique, go downtown to Bombay Pizza Company for pizza with an Indian twist. It's great and unlike anything I've found anywhere else. 914 Main, 713-654-4444

 

Steakhouses: Vic & Anthony's, across from Minute Maid Park, is one of the best in the city, despite it being owned by the Landry's restaurant people. (Avoid the Aquarium. It's not really an aquarium, it's an overpriced mediocre restaurant developed by Landry's that happens to have large tanks filled with fish and an overpriced ferris wheel out front. Same goes for the Kemah Boardwalk; that's overpriced carnival games surrounded by overpriced Landry's restaurants.) Most of what Landry's touches is overpriced & mediocre. Vic & Anthony's is not cheap, but the food is worth it.

 

Around Minute Maid Park, my go-to place before a game is Irma's Southwest Grill. It can be expensive - you never see the menu; they recite what's on the menu for the day - but it's quality Mexican food and the service is great. It's about a block away from the ball park, and you can usually find free street parking after 5 and walk to dinner and a game.

 

Places I eat in the Galleria area: Jenni's Noodle House (in the shopping center with Maggiano's & The Container Store at the corner of Post Oak & Westheimer). Get dessert at Tasti-D-Lite at San Felipe & Westheimer (across the parking lot from Berryhill). Get the fish tacos or Tamales at Berryhill. Yia Yia Mary's has great Greek food at San Felipe and 610. Beck's Prime has some of the best burgers in the area on Westheimer.

 

Houston is becoming a burger town. Best places in the city:

Lankford Grocery (inner loop)

Hubcap Grill (downtown)

The Burger Guys (west suburbs)

Bernie's Burger Bus (it's a food truck, location varies)

The Shack (Northwest suburbs)

 

Space Center: save your money. This used to be a great attraction, but now it's a glorified gift shop. I stopped taking visitors here because they all left underwhelmed.

 

Galveston: Gaido's is my favorite white tablecloth place. Benno's has awesome cajun seafood and some great soft shelled crab in season (now). Stingaree on the Bolivar Peninsula has great BBQ crab (take the ferry from the island) but call first to make sure they're open. The Spot is a great place to have a drink, have a burger, and watch the water.

 

Okay, so I love to eat. Have fun in Houston!

[ssb]

Houston

www.babayega.com - * a must wonderful with beautiful gardens – near town

maishouston.com - * wonderful – vietnamese – downtown

www.pappasbbq.com – downtown

www.lastconcert.com – Mexican food and music venue – a dive - near downtown

www.mcgonigels.com – wonderful British Pub, Bistish Food and music venue – near town

Kemah

www.kemahboardwalk.com

Nasa Space Center

Galveston

Better restaurants in Galveston in my opinion are

 

Sunday Brunch at Galvez Hotel*

Rudi and Pacos...*white table cloths... no shorts.....

central american seafood, and steaks.... 20st Post Office Downtown

reservations recommended

Gaidos *...... legendary and wonderful ..Seawall

Gaidos-Pelican Club-separate kitchen- if you are members

of your local club, call them they may be reciprocal

Olympia Grill* views are great- wonderful greek food, seafood, and

steaks. on Port

Original Mexican* .....14th….Great and Oldest

Mosquito Café* and new bakery across Street....14th The Best

The Spot *------food and cervezas, BEST PEOPLE WATCHING

Family hamburger area

and The Spot’s different bars are next door and above

--new decks and bars on different levels with new and better views of gulf

LaKings Confectionary and Factory(The Strand, downtown)

Fishermans Wharf ....Port

Willie G's ..... ...on Port

Shearns - Moody Gardens views great....white table cloths..sunsets

Saltwater Grill .....Seafood assortments, soups, bisques, gumbos

20th Post Office St Downtown

Sky Bar ..... Sushi and Steaks........ 21st Post Office Downtown

Steak Restaurant in San Luis Hotel ....Seawall

Luigi's ......Italian .....Strand downtown

DiBellas....... Italian …..31st and O..... locals haunt and in old house

Le Croys Cajun... Strand

Sunflower Bakery and Cafe.... 14th

Clarys Seafood - Offits Bayou

 

Others:

New York Pizza - Seawall

Benos... Seawall

Shrimp and Stuff.....39 and O

Millers ....Seawall

Fish Tales ....Seawall

Joe's Crab Shack ....Seawall

Brickhouse……..Seawall

Landrys Seafood ....Seawall

Saltgrass Steakhouse ....Seawall

Rainforest Cafe ....Seawall

Gumbos....Post Office

M&M .....24th

Mod Coffeehouse (Postoffice St, downtown)

Lunchbox Cafe (23rd St, downtown, small eatery that serves locally grown food)

Murphy's Pub (22nd St, downtown, TONS of beer on tap, including Texas favorites; )

 

 

top 10 restaurants list in Galveston in the Houston Press:

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating...n_galvesto.php

 

look on galveston.com/what to do/dining in Galveston

 

There are special events in Galveston area almost every weekend galveston.com (what to do)(calendar of events) your calendar dates

Sign up on Galveston.com for email of weekly events

 

galvestonhistory.org ---Galveston Historical Foundation Properties

 

moodygardens.com ------ just look at site has everything

 

www.thegrand.com/calendar – 1894 Grand Opera House - Theater

www.moodymansion.org - Old Historical Home

 

 

 

Galveston:

beaches beaches beaches

old town Galveston *- on strand and post office streets(lots of shops and ice cream, old army surplus store, fine restaurants)

wineries and festivals

restaurants overlooking gulf and on port

many live theater venues

concert nights - old town Galveston *- on strand

film nights -old town Galveston *- on strand

band nights-“family/kids” oriented-summer outdoor tuesdays 24th & Sealy

1894 grand opera house * (a must see tour and/or performances of many types)

museums

antique stores and art Galleries

horse drawn carriage rides

swimming in Gulf

fine restaurants

night scene

art walks

Galveston Historical Foundation properties*

many Historical and Victorian homes

galveston has second largest preservation membership in United States

bishops palace (wonderful)

moody mansion (massive, fun and family oriented, many many events))

ashton villa (wonderful)

moody gardens *(lots and lots and lots to do) a must

schlitterbahn water park

restored tall ship schooner Elissa (wonderful)

1900 storm and pirate jean lafite documentary films at port

airplane museum

railroad museum

oil drilling rig museum

maritime museum

sea wolf park – WWII submarine and destroyer

many historical and Victorian homes

bishops palace (wonderful)

moody mansion (wonderful)

ashton villa (wonderful)

large souvenir shop over gulf water

restored tall ship schooner Elisa (wonderful)

1900 storm and pirate jean lafite documentary films at port

walks and shelling on the beach

cruise Ships

fishing (piers and charters-offshore & inshore))

golfing

shopping

dolphin watching and port tour

turtle rescue farm behind San Luis Resort

carved damaged trees tour from storm

kite flying on beach

free ferry ride and a short cruise

duck tour (amphibious boat)

galveston.com/ interact and discover/cams

many weekly events and festivals not mentioned

as example Dickens on Strand (Dec), Lone Star Motorcycle Rally (Nov),

Mardi Gras Galveston (Feb), October Fest, Greek Fest, Wild Game

Cookoffs, County Fair and many many more

Trauma 1 Emergency Hospital on Island - UTMB, Sealy Hospital

[cruiseequalsfun]

Wow, wow, wow! Thank you both!! I'll be checking out websites and reading menus for the next several days to come! Thanks a bunch for all the time you spent answering my questions. I do appreciate it!

[cruzelover65]

OMG!!! you need a vacation after reading the two posts above. Simply go to

any Pappas for BBQ- they're everywhere and great!! any Beck's Prime for Burgers - they are outstanding! Vic & Anthony's for really pricey fancy steak-it is worth it. Go to any Guadalajara or Lupe Tortilla's for the Best Mexican!! Have fun!!