31. Rustika CafE & Bakery
City: Houston, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (713) 665-6226
Address: 3237 Southwest Fwy.
Description: Rustika serves an array of soups, salads, breakfast dishes, crepes, and tacos, but the baked goods are the real reason to come here. Stop in for a huge slice of cheesecake, dulce leche, and chocolate raspberry mousse cake are just a few of your choices. Or pick up an almost-too-pretty-to-eat cookie, lemon square, or—on Friday—a challah.
City: Houston, TX
Category: Restaurants
Address: 1936 Fountain View Dr.
33. Nino’s, Vincent’s, Grappino Di Nino
City: Houston, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (713) 522-5120
Address: 2701 W. Dallas (Vincent’s)
Insider Pick:
Description: The Mandola family has three restaurants located next door to each other on West Dallas: Vincent’s, Nino’s, and Grappino di Nino. All three serve basically the same menu, which includes a range of pastas, wooden-oven baked pizzas, salads, meat, and fish. Vincent’s is known for its rotisserie-cooked chicken. There’s also an extensive wine selection. It’s a good idea to call ahead for reservations, although you can always head to one of the other two if you can’t get a table at the restaurant of your choosing. Nino’s is slightly dressier than the other two restaurants, which are casual. That said, you won’t usually find people wearing tank tops, shorts, and tennis shoes at any of the restaurants.
City: Houston, TX
Category: Restaurants
Address: 500 Westheimer Rd.
35. Pronto Cucino
City: Houston, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (713) 528-8646
Address: 1401 Montrose
Description: Like other members of the acclaimed Mandola restaurant family, Pronto serves classic Italian dishes that Houstonians have come to expect from the owners. The menu consists largely of pasta, chicken, salad, and fish dishes; Pronto also serves panini and pizza squares. Unlike most of the other Mandola restaurants, this one caters to the take-out crowd as well as people who have no problem walking up to the counter to order their meal. Pronto has two additional locations—one on the border of West University and Braeswood, the other in Memorial’s CityCentre complex.
36. STAR PIZZA
City: Houston, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (713) 523-0800
Address: 2111 Norfolk St.
Description: Love deep dish, Chicago-style pizza? Star Pizza is worth a try. All the pizzas here are made with fresh ingredients, and you’ll find options ranging from the standard cheese pizza to specialties like the Joe (spinach and onions) and Starburst Deluxe (pepperoni, ground beef, mushroom, green pepper, onion, cheese, and sausage). No matter which pizza you choose, you can opt for a whole-wheat crust. Don’t want pizza? There are also plenty of salads, pastas, and sandwiches to choose from here. Service can take awhile since each pizza is made fresh. Free delivery is available to nearby locations. Star Pizza has a second location, Star Pizza II, in the Washington Corridor.
City: Houston, TX
Category: Restaurants
Address: 3755 Richmond Ave.
38. Fadi’s Mediterranean Grill
City: Houston, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (713) 532-0666
Address: 8383 Westheimer
Insider Pick:
Description: To love Mediterranean food is to love Fadi’s. This popular Mediterranean restaurant operates cafeteria-style, albeit with more upscale decor than you’ll find at most cafeterias. Entrees—which include sandwich, platter, and sampler options with falafel, kebabs, and/or shawarma—include your choice of fresh sides like balsamic mushrooms, cilantro zucchini, pomegranate eggplant, hummus, or tabouli. Every meal comes with all the warm pita bread and pita chips you can stack on your plate. Portions are huge, but you can order smaller portions of some items at lunchtime. This location is between the Galleria and Memorial areas; there are additional locations in Meyerland, Dairy Ashford, and Sugar Land.
39. Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen
City: Houston, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (713) 527-9137
Address: 2410 Richmond Ave.
Insider Pick:
Description: One of the city’s most popular seafood restaurants, Pappadeaux offers an extensive menu filled with grilled and fried seafood options, some Cajun-flavored fishes, lobster, crab, and even a blackened shrimp, and crawfish fondeaux (fondue). All of the fish are flown in daily. Visit during lunchtime and order off the slightly cheaper lunch menu. There’s often a wait to be seated, especially on the weekends, so call for reservations. Pappadeaux has several locations.
40. Taste of Texas
City: Houston, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (713) 932-6901
Address: 10505 Katy Fwy.
Description: Dining with children? Or don’t want to get dressed up to eat a steak? Check out the Taste of Texas, where the abundant Texas and ranch decor may make you feel like you’ve left the big city. Choose your own steak cut at the butcher shop, then grab salad, cheese, and bread from the salad bar. Don’t want a steak? You’ve got plenty of alternatives, including burgers, chicken, and steak sandwiches, a tenderloin salad, jumbo grilled shrimp, pecan-crusted chicken, and a veggie platter. Taste of Texas is open for lunch Monday through Friday and dinner daily.
City: Houston, TX
Category: Restaurants
Address: 1600 Westheimer Rd.
City: Houston, TX
Category: Restaurants
Address: 2411 S. Shepherd Dr.
43. Taco Milagro Restaurant & Beach Bar
City: Houston, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (713) 522-1999
Address: 2555 Kirby
Description: Taco Milagro doesn’t have the best Tex-Mex in town but the atmosphere, margaritas, and long list of top-shelf tequilas keep people coming back. There’s live music—and often salsa dancing—on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Those seeking a quieter atmosphere—or the chance to people watch—can find refuge on the patio. The menu includes standard Tex-Mex fare: hard and soft tacos, fajitas, tamales, burritos, and enchiladas, including the less-standard veggie sweet potato and spinach enchiladas.
44. Lupe Tortilla Mexican Restaurant
City: Houston, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (713) 522-4420
Address: 2414 Southwest Fwy.
Description: Lupe Tortilla is nothing fancy, but many people consider it one of the best Tex-Mex restaurants in town. The menu includes standard Tex-Mex fare, made with the freshest ingredients and (where appropriate) served with handmade tortillas. The casual, laid-back atmosphere makes this a great place to take young children. Be prepared to wait, though; it often takes up to an hour to get seated here. Lupe Tortilla has ten other locations in the Houston area.