One Meal in Downtown Houston
 

We will be in Houston (downtown area) for one day and have time to sneak in one, maybe two meals. Good BBQ or Mexican would be nice but we like ALL types for food. Any recommendations would be appreciated!

Thanks

Both my suggestions are a short drive from downtown Houston. Goode Company BBQ is one of Houston's popular BBQ options at 5109 Kirby.

Cafe Red Onion is more Central American, but excellent at 3910 Kirby.

About a 10 minute drive from downtown is a "Mexico" Mexican restaurant I enjoy. It is a very different experience than the Tex-Mex restaurants Houston is known for.


http://www.hugosrestaurant.net


If you are here on a Sunday, their brunch is fantastic!


If you were moved by Continental cuisine (and the price tag), my favorite restaurant in Houston is Mark's. www.marks1658.com/ Again, not downtown proper but about 10 minutes drive.

I'd also suggest that you check www.chowhound.com to see what recommendations have been posted re: bbq in Houston. I know you will find many offerings but you will find that typically no one agrees! ;) I am sure that you will find both of stumpworks73's recommendations will come highly rated by some posters.

Oops - just read the above and it sounds like I am slighting stumpwork's choices. Not at all... just trying to say that you will find many opinions! Sorry, stumpwork that it came out wrong!

I suggest Irma's Restaurant
22 North Chenevert Street
713-222-0767

Open for lunch only, run by Irma and her family. No written menu's. The restaurant has a great fun atmosphere. The food is outstanding ( try the lemonade) - very fresh and different every day. Its quite close to Minutemaid park but off the beaten track.

There are a few bar-b-que and Mexican restaurants downtown, though a short drive will get you more options.

Hugo's and Irma's are both great choices for Mexican food, though very different. The original Ninfa's on Navigation is also good.

There are a bunch of new restaurants on Washington Ave, which is a short drive from downtown. I can't remember the names of any of them, though I know there's at least one Mexican restaurant (plus at least one or two hole in the wall Mexican places).

Pizzitola's on Shepherd at I-10 has decent bar-b-que. Hickory Hollow on Heights just south of I-10 used to have good bar-b-que (and chicken fried steak, too), though I haven't been there in years.

For something a little more upscale, Reef in midtown (just south of downtown) has fabulous seafood. It is also known for its large and reasonably priced wine list. I also love Mark's, as suggested by moldyhotelsaregross.

Me too - Mark's is our favorite special occasion restaurant.

http://www.b4-u-eat.com/eat002.asp?Z...own&H=0&N=&S=N is a link to downtown restaurants. This is a good site for checking reviews.

Thank you so much for your suggestions!

Volcanogirl - Would you please send me an email to my screen name @ gmail? I have a question about your Vegas trip. Thanks :)



CStoneTX - What do you recommend at Irma's? I've heard of it for years but have never made it there.

Has anyone tried Brennan's since they re-opened on Mardi Gras?

Anything at Irma's I've had is good. They don't have a menu - just 1/2 a dozen entrees that they tell you about. Enchiladas are good. I like their guacamole. And their lemonade is yummy.

I've been to Brennan's a couple of times since they reopened. It's very nice - a lot like the old Brennan's, just spruced up. Still have the turtle soup. Yum. Allison Cook, a restaurant reviewer for the Houston Chronicle, just wrote a review on it at chron.com.