384 Best Restaurants in Texas, USA

Tucked between Deep Eddy Cabaret and Deep Eddy Pool, this burger joint--tiki bar is the ultimate island-inspired hideaway for sun-drenched Austinites. Take an afternoon off to enjoy yourself at the popular walk-up hut, where Wagyu beef burgers are on the grill every day, along with cult signatures like the Dazed and Confused veggie burger. Snacks like pool chips with guacamole and jalapeño pimento paired with sparkling rose, boozy frozen cocktails, and soft-serve ice cream help beat the heat.

You might rub your eyes when you first walk into this landmark country café, which boasts over 21,000 collector plates lining the walls and ceiling. When it first opened in 1929, Prohibition was still in full swing and countless bootleggers would sell moonshine in the parking lot, but now people come for the perfect fried chicken, chicken-fried steak, and onion rings. The shrimp sampler features shrimp prepared three ways. And by all means, save room for a warm brownie sundae for dessert.

This campus-adjacent hangout, walking distance from DKR Stadium, has been the preeminent destination to meet with friends and fellow sports lovers, knock back brews, and eat burgers on game days since 1971. The patio can be packed to the gills on weekends or just dotted with casual groups of friends on slow weeknights, but the kitchen is always serving its pub-grub menu of sandwiches, burgers, and wings—and the flat-screen–covered walls are always flickering.

Since 1989 this Houston standby has dished up reliable meals of salads, pastas, seafood, and chops for smartly dressed businesspeople and the monied Tanglewood and Memorial crowds. The patrons come in for escargots Bourguignonnes with Provençal herb sauce, as well as barbecue chicken quesadillas with roasted-corn-and-black-bean salsa. The handily adjacent Oak Club serves up live music Tuesday through Saturday nights.

Houston's first family of restaurateurs, the Mandolas, have put their stamp on this casual eatery (they also own Nino's) that offers classic Italian dishes in a warm, vibrant atmosphere. The affordable offerings include a fantastic spinach salad with pancetta, chopped eggs, and goat cheese, plus the house specialty: wood-roasted lemon-garlic chicken, served with garlic mashed potatoes and Italian-style green beans. There's also a great selection of pasta dishes, and a decent wine list. Sit outside when the weather's nice, or order ahead to-go—they'll bring it right out to your car.

Serving the landlocked city's freshest seafood (fresh off the plane, if not the boat), this combination seafood market and casual eatery traces its history back to 1938 and has been at its Airport Boulevard address—on one of Austin’s major commercial arteries—since 1970. Prices are low, preparation is straightforward, and blackboard specials include regional and Cajun favorites like gumbo and bacon-wrapped scallops. The oyster bar serves up po'boys, steamed mussels, seafood tacos, and platters with catfish, cod, salmon, shrimp, or rainbow trout. A full lunch menu is offered, along with beer and wines by the glass.

Though the Four Seasons Hotel is sort of fussy and dated, its in-house restaurant is a sleek, lively set of smartly designed dining rooms with inspiring food. Quattro—its name representing the four "faces" of the restaurant—breakfast, lunch, dinner, and the antipasto bar—focuses on popular American-Italian dining that's fresh, simple and seasonal. The wine list includes 25 wines by the glass, 250 bottle selections, and a private cellar selection of reserve and boutique wines. It's frequented by lots of political types, pampered travelers, birthday boys and girls, and theater-goers. From maitre d' to server, attention to your enjoyment is given unobtrusively and plentifully.

This bodega, breakfast taco counter, deli grab-and-go, and local beer bar is an essential east-side destination for locals and tourists alike. It’s a trusty spot (open early till midnight) that’s perfect for a quick-pick, whether it’s a loaded breakfast bagel sandwich or a six-pack of Austin-brewed beer. Indoor and outdoor patio seating available.

Just off the railroad tracks in Kerrville is a cheery café with red trim, cream timber siding, and a cute outdoor patio. Built in 1915, the house once served as a train depot but has been transformed into a fantastic little restaurant offering a variety of homemade soups, salads, and hearty entrées. Standouts include the curry chicken salad, shrimp tacos, and grilled bison burger.

Diners get a modern spin on the Old West at this Fort Worth favorite. The rustic dining room is decorated with saddles, animal trophies, and artistic cacti. Specialties here include stacked enchiladas, tenderloin tacos, and bone-in rib-eye steak. Portions are oversized; an order of the precariously stacked onion rings—thick, tall, and evenly fried—could easily feed four.

Chef Bryan Caswell, late of Bank at the Hotel Icon, re-emerges at Midtown's bustling Reef, a loud, showy seafood house packed to the gills with movers and shakers and their friends. Although the food is often a mixed bag, when it's good, it's great. Shrimp wrapped with bacon and stuffed with avocado; crispy-skin Gulf Coast snapper; and the jumbo crab cake served with taqueria-style pickled vegetables are good choices. Fish not regularly seen on conventional menus, from amberjack to wahoo, make a splash here as well. For a seafood joint, Reef has a mean "naked" rib eye, served with brown-butter gnocchi. Check out the glass-enclosed wine wall, filled to the ceiling with remarkably well-priced, unusual selections.

On the 20th floor of the Omni Corpus Christi hotel, you'll be on top of the dining world in this multilevel restaurant that specializes in prime beef (including chateaubriand for two, at $95), wild game (veal, venison, quail), and fresh seafood. Signature cocktails and a well-curated wine list complement the richly textured menu and spectacular views. If you dine here on Wednesday you may get to see the Corpus Christi yacht club regatta. An outdoor viewing area is available, although it can get quite windy 20 stories up.

If you're looking for modern cuisine from the French Riviera with a Texas twist, Restaurant CINQ is the place. Dripping with luxe touches, this restaurant occupies the first floor of a turn-of-the-20th-century mansion whose upper floors have been converted into a small luxury hotel by longtime owner Steve Zimmerman. Forget about budgets and calories, and succumb to classic preparations of lobster, lamb, prime cuts of beef, and vegetables. Expect the elaborate desserts to be—what else?—rich.

Natural light floods the brick-laden interior of this renovated 1920s industrial space on the Hill Country Mile, setting the scene for thoughtful and elevated casual cuisine. Start with an order of shrimp ceviche or tuna tartare nachos for the table before moving on to one of their many diverse offerings: towering sandwiches served with house-made chips, wood-fired pizza (try the goat cheese pizza with spinach, prosciutto, goat and mozzarella cheeses), or entrées like Akaushi New York strip and Crispy Skin Salmon. There are even a few unexpected options for sushi. Richter Tavern is also known for their cocktails, which are listed as "regular" or "diesel," so if you're stopping in for lunch, clear the rest of the day's calendar if you can. They have also added a bakery and coffeehouse (Richter Bakhaus) at the same address, famous for their Texas-sized cinnamon rolls.