Best New Restaurants in Houston
People love to eat out. That’s a fact. Not just because they’re hungry, either. It’s all about the experience. Think about it. Eating is at the center of most recreational activities. Whether you’re hanging out with family or friends, it’s just not the same if you don’t do it over scrumptious, delectable plates of great-looking food.
It’s no secret that dining out in Houston is one culinary adventure in itself. The best part about it is trying out new cuisines that leave a lasting impression on your taste buds.
We’ve put together a list of the best new restaurants Houston has to offer, especially during Houston Restaurant Week.
The Blind Goat
Season 3 MasterChef winner Christina Ha, who was fondly christened “The Blind Cook,” is giving some of the best restaurants in Houston a run for their money. The talented chef is now sharing her culinary delights with the world at her newly established restaurant – The Blind Goat.
If you’re looking for a different dining-out experience in Houston, we recommend sampling some of the mouthwatering Vietnamese cuisines on the restaurant menu. We particularly enjoyed the juicy, melt-in-your-mouth pork-belly skewers and the smoked brisket swaddled in crisp, well-seasoned spring rolls.
The Vietnamese pizza is another must-try on the menu. It’s not like your conventional pizza, though. The base is made of charcoal-grilled rice paper, topped with spring onions, egg, cheese, and several other delicious toppings. The effortless fusion of Asian and American cuisine offers a dining experience like no other.
The Blind Goat was a finalist in the 2020 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant.
Acme Oyster House – Houston
Next up is the Acme Oyster House seafood restaurant. If you’re a seafood lover, then you’ll love what this New Orleans-style eatery brings to the table – quite literally. The restaurant, which was first established in 1910 in New Orleans, is no stranger to the seafood world. Now, it’s sharing all that delicious goodness with Houstonians.
If you’re looking for places to go on a date in Houston, the laid-back ambiance you get at Acme, alongside the affordably priced menu options, makes it one of our top picks. The Boo Fries, which are French fries topped with cheese and roast beef gravy, are an all-time favorite. Of course, you also have to try the Oyster Rockefeller Soup. It’s chock-full of flavor – plus you know what they say about oysters, right? Thank us later.
Acme has also incorporated a few new menu items to cater to its Houston market. The Crawfish dip, which consists of crawfish tails cooked with onions, garlic, and celery and smothered in Romano and cream cheese, hits all the right spots. You also need to try the Boom Boom tacos, which have to be some of the best-tasting tacos we’ve sampled this year.
Gatsby’s Prime Steakhouse
If a lavish dining experience is what you’re after, you might like what the all-new Gatsby’s Prime Steakhouse has to offer. The menu options are rich and decadent, and so are the prices. It’s not the sort of place you go to every Saturday night, but it’s a great venue when you want an intimate space to indulge in some great food along with the wide selection of top-shelf wines.
For the appetizers, we had the deluxe deviled eggs, which came with bacon jam and fried shrimp toppings. We also tried the fried calamari, which was cooked in buttermilk and topped with shrimp, peppers, and squid rings. The flavor for both starters was out of this world and certainly worth every penny.
The menu has a wide selection of surf and turf options for the seafood and steak lovers in the house, with a bevy of tasty sides to choose from. The Delmonico steak is no doubt the star of the show. It’s tender, juicy, and cooked to perfection.
Gatsby’s rivals some of the top Michelin Star restaurants Houston has to offer. It’s worth checking out.
NoPo Café Market & Bar
One of our favorite things about the newly opened NoPo Café Market & Bar is how diverse its menu selection is. Whether you’re craving morning tacos topped with chicken sausage, chorizo, bacon, or potato, or a good old-fashioned bagel accompanied with smoked salmon schmeer – NoPo has it all.
The restaurant offers all-day breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and, hands-down, some of the best cocktails in Houston. We particularly liked the Never Too Early cocktail, that’s a tantalizing mix of simple syrup, espresso, and Borgarnes-distilled Reyka vodka. If you would rather have something with a bit more kick to it, The Foundation hits the spot. This citrusy drink is a tasty cocktail of orange and Angostura bitters, Turbinado syrup, and Maker’s Mark bourbon whisky.
The restaurant offers diners the option to stay for a full-service meal or get them on the go at the marketplace or café counter.
Le Jardinier
Le Jardinier, which is a French name that translates to “the gardener,” is an elegant, fine dining restaurant focused on using fresh, locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. The eatery is located at Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts and offers patrons a delightful dining experience alongside spectacular views of the Cullen Sculpture Garden.
Aside from the colorful, well-plated meals that leave Chef Alain Verzeroli’s kitchen, Le Jardinier has a one-of-a-kind beverage program designed to complement the delicious cuisine on offer. You’ll find a bevy of American and French wines, as well as several other exquisite selections sourced from different parts of the world.
We especially like how well-thought-out the bar program is. It is expertly crafted to blend in seamlessly with the seasonal menus. Choose from the indulgent lunch and dinner à-la-carte menus, the rich seasonal expression menu, and the decadent dessert and beverage menus.
The Carolina gold rice risotto served with crispy kale, Mimolette, and roasted squash is a must-try. We also recommend the black sea bass with lemongrass emulsion and sweet potato drizzled with kaffir lime. La Jardinier offers a fine dining experience like no other.
Happy Eating
There you have it – the best new restaurants in Houston. There’s something for everyone and every culinary taste.
In the meantime, check out our blog for the best over-the-top getaways in Texas. The top three might surprise you.