Some people count down to the holidays. I count down to August 1.
That’s the day Houston Restaurant Weeks kicks off and it is, hands down, my favorite event of the year. For 38 glorious days {Aug. 1 through Sept. 7 this year} some of the best restaurants in the city serve specially priced, multi-course menus and every meal sends money to the Houston Food Bank. You get to eat ridiculously well and feed your neighbors. There is no better deal in this town and I will not be taking questions.
Menus go live July 15, so mark your calendar now. That’s your window to start plotting.
Here’s how it works
The pricing is simple and it’s a steal:
- Brunch: $25 ({two courses}
- Lunch: $25 {two courses}, quietly the best value in the whole program, and a sneaky-good way to score a table at a spot that’s impossible to book for dinner
- Dinner: $39 or $55, depending on the restaurant {three courses}
Every dollar donated turns into roughly three meals for the Houston Food Bank, which means your short rib ravioli is doing real work. The event was started back in 2003 by the late Cleverley Stone and is run today by her daughter Katie. Over the years it’s raised more than $18 million for the Food Bank. So, yes, this is the rare situation where ordering dessert is basically charity.
A few things I’ve learned over many Augusts:
The website is genuinely wonderful. You can search by name, but also by cuisine, neighborhood, vibe, and even parking … which, as a mom hauling kids across this sprawling city, I deeply appreciate. Not every restaurant takes reservations, but the popular ones book up fast once everyone’s chasing the same deal, so grab your spot the day menus drop if there’s a place you’re dreaming about. Midweek seatings are always easier than Friday or Saturday if you have the flexibility.
And if you’d rather give to the Houston Food Bank directly, you can always donate online or volunteer your time too.
Where I’m going first
BCN Taste & Tradition. Always. I love this restaurant down to my bones … the service, the vibes, the quality. The gin and tonics?! Listen, I was not a gin and tonic person until BCN converted me and now I’m insufferable about it. This is not somewhere I budget for the rest of the year, so I genuinely count down to August to go. {Bonus: it’s one of Houston’s few Michelin-starred restaurants.}
Pappas Bros. Steakhouse. Houston is loaded with great steakhouses, but the service and atmosphere here are immaculate. It’s an old-school steakhouse done right: dark wood, dim light, pure perfection.
Rainbow Lodge. A longtime favorite tucked into a historic log cabin near the bayou. It feels like a getaway without leaving the city, which is exactly the kind of reset I’m always after.
For the foodies
If you want to eat like the inspectors do, Houston’s Michelin scene is in the mix: BCN and Le Jardinier both hold a star and da Gama Canteen earned a Bib Gourmand. Pappas Bros. Steakhouse is in the Guide too as a Recommended spot.
And a few that aren’t Michelin-rated but have Houston moms talking:
- La Griglia {River Oaks}: the special-occasion Italian spot, charcuterie to zuppa to every pasta you love. Happy hour runs Monday-Friday, 3-7 p.m., if you want to catch the patio first.
- Bludorn {Montrose}: this one comes up again and again for date nights and moms’ nights out. Seasonal menus mean there’s always something new, from burgers to short rib ravioli.
- B&B Butchers {Washington Ave} — steak, a glorious slab of bacon, seafood if that’s more your speed, and Texas and Japanese Wagyu hand-cut in their own butcher shop. The Sunday brunch with live music on the patio is the move.
For families
Bringing the kids? These spots have the patios, the green space, and the menus to keep everyone happy:
- Bari — fresh, made-from-scratch pasta and an outdoor patio right next to a shady green space where kids can stretch their legs.
- Ciro’s Italian Grill — patio with bocce.
- La Mex — a spacious patio and an enclosed green space where kids can safely run while you actually relax.
- Riverhouse Houston — overlooking Buffalo Bayou and the skyline, with a kids’ playscape, ping-pong, bags, and fire pits.
- Traveler’s Cart — the $9 Little Explorers meal {entrée, side, drink} with options like cheeseburgers and lo mein, plus pandebono, the cheesy Colombian bread.
- Crisp — a fountain, ping-pong, and cornhole outside, gourmet pizzas for the kids, and steak and lobster with a glass of pinot for you.
- Karbach Restaurant & Patio — the biergarten with great food for everyone and a lively, there’s-always-something-happening vibe.
- Downtown Aquarium — giant tanks, a Ferris wheel, and a real-life Dory situation for the Finding Dory crowd. You get the three-course Restaurant Weeks meal while the kids pick from pizza, pasta, tenders, burgers, or fish and shrimp.
- The Melting Pot — the original fondue spot, where kids lose their minds over dipping everything in cheese and chocolate. The menu features loaded baked potato cheddar dip, filet mignon, shrimp, and Mexican chocolate.
So check the website to see if your family’s favorite made the list … or get adventurous and try something brand new! When you’re eating for a good cause, there’s no better excuse to support a local restaurant and help feed a neighbor at the same time.
See you in August. I’ll be the one at BCN with a gin and tonic.
