384 Best Restaurants in Texas, USA

Come for the inventive, delicious food and stay for the extensive wine menu at the Cypress Grille on Main Street. From the small bistro tables in the front of the narrow wine bar, you can sip a glass of wine and nibble from a cheese plate while watching the passersby. Wood-fired proteins have their own dedicated section of the menu here, from Organic Smoked Rotisserie Chicken with garlic gremolata to Beef Tenderloin Medallions with buttered leeks, but don't overlook the salads, which are sizable and each with its own intrigue. The Texas Cobb, for example, has spicy grilled shrimp and slices of grapefruit, while the Cypress Caesar delights with both Stilton and Grana Padano cheeses. Sunday brunch is lauded, too.

Marble tables, dark wood accents, French doors, and an Italian marble floor create a sleek look in this underground restaurant, accessible by elevator. (If you're driving, you can use the complimentary valet service outside the elevator.) The granite outdoor patio, with lunch and dinner seatings, has a five-tier waterfall. By day you'll join the Downtown business crowd; at night the restaurant takes on a more romantic, candelit feel. The menu relies heavily on dry-aged steaks and seafood. The bone-in 16-ounce fillet is a popular choice. Steaks are à la carte; side dishes include creamed spinach, jumbo onion rings, and baked potatoes.

"Timeless" is the word for this sophisticated, authentic Tuscan restaurant located where downtown becomes midtown. It's been a business luncheon favorite for more than 20 years, and at night couples and families come to enjoy the cozy, old-world interior; extensive menu offerings; comprehensive wine list; and leisurely pace. The menu is huge; if you're having trouble deciding, try the deftly grilled veal chops or the ravioli del giorno (of the day). Chef Napoleon Palacios creates weekly specials, too, so there's always something new to try.

Regulars have been returning to this Far North Dallas (about 12 mi from Downtown) steak house for almost 20 years. The crowd is primarily button-down corporate during the week and couples and groups out for fun on the weekend. Popular appetizers include baked crab cakes and shrimp cocktail. The real draw is the prime beef, cut off the loin for each order; the filet mignon is another big seller.

Set in a historic limestone building at the end of Main Street, Der Lindenbaum started as a bakery for chef Ingrid Hohmann to showcase traditional German desserts like apple strudel and Black Forest cake, but customers quickly latched onto her savory lunch specials, and it organically grew into a full-fledged restaurant. The menu features dishes directly from the Rhineland (especially the Alsace-Lorraine region between Germany and France). Of course, they offer a variety of schnitzel, but the Kasseler Ripchen (smoked pork chop with sauerkraut) and Gulasch (spicy stewed beef) are among the favorite house specialties.

This quirky bistro and coffeehouse serves breakfast, brunch, and lunch in a 19th-century building, with a connected boutique selling clothing, housewares, and gift items. Choose from a classic breakfast plate or croissant sandwich, or step up your morning with French toast with vanilla custard or shrimp and grits. If you're on the go, pop in for a coffee and one of their fresh-baked, homemade pastries for the road. Lunch options include a variety of sandwiches and salads, plus grab-and-go lunch boxes you can take on your next Hill Country adventure.

Another rave-worthy hit from the team behind Ramen Tatsu-Ya, this modern take on traditional Japanese hot pot is Austin's long-awaited answer to a new-school shabu-shabu–style destination. The required meal here is in the name: thinly sliced meats and veggies designed for dipping shabu-style in various house-made broths and dips. A decadent omakase menu and sake pairings are also great for date nights.

For fresh gourmet pizzas and interesting starters, head directly to buzzing Dolce Vita on lower Westheimer's restaurant row. Extremely casual, with gracious dining areas scattered throughout a restored older house, the restaurant has unexpected appetizers like marinated mussels tossed with capers, parsley, and potatoes, and calamari with mint, orange, and olives. Smoky Neapolitan pies are baked in the 800-degree wood-fired oven and include the crowd-pleasing margarita, with tomato, basil, and buffalo mozzarella and the salsiccia e friarelli, with sausage, rapini, and pecorino. Sit outside in good weather and bad—the patio's covered.

Once you've had your fill of Tex-Mex and chicken-fried steak, turn to the locally beloved Dough Joe, a pizzeria and coffee shop in the heart of Bandera. Morning brings an entire menu of breakfast pizza to accompany your latte, while lunch and dinner offerings include an array of specialty pies, with the option to build your own creation (even with a cauliflower crust).

The healthy, organic menu at this laid-back restaurant blends Mediterranean-style cuisine with flavors from the American Southwest. Fabulous breakfast options include cloud cakes (ricotta pancakes with fresh strawberries and crème fraîche) and migas (Mexican-style scrambled eggs). If the weather's nice, ask to be seated on the spacious back patio, where you'll likely spot children playing on the restaurant's lawn and fort.

Lance Eaker hails from Texas, his wife Boo is Korean, and they have combined their impressive culinary talents to cook up some of the best barbecue in Texas at this award-winning, mesquite-smoking barbecue joint, which started as a food truck in Houston. The classics, from Texas dry rub pork ribs to moist prime brisket, are all excellent, but what makes it so unique are the succulent Gochujang ribs, fried kimchi rice, homemade kimchi, and other Korean-inflected dishes that reflect Boo's heritage. Leave room for Boo's BOOzy banana pudding; it's a knockout.

This swanky spot injects a lot of glamour into the otherwise laid-back South Lamar scene. Honoring Angelina Eberly, a storied local innkeeper who helped preserve Austin as the capital in 1842, the contemporary New American restaurant takes inspiration from its courageous namesake with an ambitious slew of snazzy dining areas, like a beautiful interior "atrium" room, an inviting rooftop terrace, and a historic Cedar Tavern bar that hosts an excellent daily happy hour.

Since 1975, this family-owned restaurant has been a 40-year favorite for innovative Mexican cuisine. It's tough to choose from the ample menu, with standout specials like chicken mole, portobello mushroom enchiladas, and sizzling shrimp fajitas. Start with the botana (sampler) platter to get a taste of all the flavors.

Nuevo Mexican and traditional Tex-Mex flavors collide at this family-owned restaurant, a much-loved King William–district mainstay since 1967. Owner Dona Marie's mole enchiladas shine here, with the extra-sweet but smoky sauce designed to be sopped up by homemade corn tortillas. Shrimp and fish play a major role, bringing new life to tacos, nachos, and chiles rellenos. And if you've never had a breakfast taco, this is the place to try one in any of almost a dozen ways. A full bar during dinner and an outdoor dining patio seal the deal on a quintessential San Antonio eating experience.

Wildly popular and wildly good, El Tiempo on Washington (there are other locations on Richmond and Montrose) is the go-to Mexican restaurant for socialites, families, singles (check out the swinging bar scene), and serious eaters. The place gets raves for its margaritas, fajitas, guacamole, green sauce, and the whopping, table-filling mixed grill, with beef and chicken fajitas, jumbo shrimp, quail, baby-back ribs, carnitas (spicy roasted pork), and jalapeño sausage. It's open for breakfast on weekends.

Local baker Rebecca Rather, well-known for her now-shuttered Rather Sweet Bakery, opened this sweet breakfast and lunch spot and bakery to much acclaim. Breakfast items span from a build-your-own biscuit bar to a croissant egg sandwich, while the lunch menu exudes farm-to-table Southern comfort, with offerings like fried oyster nachos and a pimiento cheese BLT. Details like speckled enamelware and beautiful garden flowers simply add to the charm.

Even though Landry's has taken over this harborside institution, locals keep coming here for the reliably fresh seafood and reasonable prices. Dine indoors or watch the boat traffic (and waiting cruise ships) from the patio. Start with a cold combo, like boiled shrimp and grilled rare tuna. For entrées, the fried fish, shrimp, and oysters are hard to beat.

True to its name, this family-owned bistro makes food that is simultaneously simple and satisfying, from sandwiches to salads to burgers. Friday night is reserved for their famous buttery steaks, served alongside baked potatoes with the works. Be sure to save room for the addictive bread pudding. 

This is Pearl's reimagining of a food court, an eminently casual spot featuring chef-driven stands. Choose from six vendors: Chilaquil, serving Mexican street food and namesake chilaquiles; Howdy Child, a smokehouse and delicatessen serving classic meats, sides and salads; Henbit, with made to order smashburgers and savory sides; Freight Fried Chicken, fried in a dry batter similar to what was fried in the 1800s; Park Bar, local Texas craft brews, cocktails, frozen drinks, and fine Texas wine; and Wonderslice pizzas, subs, and salads. The Food Hall was rebuilt from the ruins of a 2003 fire that claimed the structure originally built in 1894 as the bottling house for the original Pearl Brewery.

Keep your eyes peeled for this converted aluminum trailer on the west side of downtown that serves up Mediterranean-inspired specialties like the Marfalafel: a large flour tortilla brimming with falafel, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, and tahini and harissa sauces. Devotees also swear by the pimento cheese made from a combination of cheddar and Havarti cheeses blended with pepperoncini, horseradish, parsley, and dill. Save room for the double-chocolate-espresso cookies.

Dining at this central Austin classic is like having a warm meal at a friend's home; a refreshing change of pace from the trendy decor and steep price tags found at some of the city's hottest eateries. The relaxed counter service and down-home decor at this charming cottage-turned-café matches its appealing, handmade offerings of sandwiches, soups, and salads. An expanded breakfast menu is popular with locals, and the front patio is usually bustling and is a perfect spot for people watching.

This upscale, 47-seat North Loop gastropub was a major trailblazer in the city's locavore and “nose-to-tail” movements. And it’s remained a reliably inventive spot that keeps loyal patrons on their toes with seasonal (and daily rotating) creations, from fried pig ears and shishito peppers to fresh market fish artfully accented with squid ink and foamed butter. F&D's menu isn't tailored to finicky eaters, but this is the place to be for adventurous foodies. The restaurant now offers a decadent Sunday brunch with standouts like a cast-iron frittata with seasonal vegetables.

Chef-owner Frederick Costa marries French and Asian cuisine to create fantastic fusion dishes in this relaxing, romantic hidden gem. Seafood is a standout at both lunch and dinner, with options that include Scottish salmon with miso glaze or wild-caught fish of the day. Entrees from the land include a grass-fed veal strip loin, aged Black Angus beef tenderloin, and a baby back rack of New Zealand lamb. The ample dessert menu features ginger crème brûlée, rum(cake) euphoria, and chocolate pecan mousse cake. There is also an extensive wine list with reserve bottles and Frederick's preferred Bordeaux and proprietary blends. Dinner reservations are recommended.

Serving a variety of homemade German-style lagers and ales, the brewery, in a historic 1890s building with an air-conditioned biergarten, is a popular nightspot for both locals and visitors. The German food is all well prepared, but the pizza and Texas-sized chicken-fried steak are no slouches either.

Driving to the end of town to try this Haufbraü-Haus-meets-Disneyland restaurant is certainly a trip; in more ways than one. Schnitzel is available in more ways than you can count on one hand, and the beer selection is impressive.

It’s hard to think a drive-through could have such high-quality fare, but Fresa’s has built a name for its charcoal-grilled chicken al carbon, which is slow-roasted over post oak and served with homemade tortillas and sides like Mexican street corn and crispy brussels sprouts out of this trendy Clarksville take on fast food. Breakfast tacos, aguas frescas, and Stumptown coffee service the early morning crowd, but the family-style lunch and dinner menu is the real signature, with whole- or half-chicken orders (choose from achiote and citrus or Yucatán spice), accompanied by house-made salsas, corn tortillas, charro beans, and rice. Fresh salads, queso, and guacamole, plus a selection of beer, wine, and margarita kits are available for drive-through or walk-up orders.

The food here is Mexican and Salvadoran, with plentiful servings and intriguing desserts; you must try the chocolate flan. Order the Super Special for an excellent overview of Salvadoran treats; the plate features yuca, plantain, and pupusa. Gloria's also has more varieties of margarita than you might have thought possible. The restaurant's interior reflects its Latin American flavor, and it can get loud at peak times. You can sit outside for air and eccentric people-watching.

Located within the historic Hotel Ella—formerly known as the Goodall Wooten mansion—this stately restaurant is a wonderful added luxury for overnight guests and nonguests alike. The old-world charms of the bright, tastefully decorated dining room are ideal for an indulgent cocktail or special occasion meal. But reviews can be inconsistent regarding service, and many patrons desire an expansion of the limited menu. Breakfast and lunch are served on weekdays, with brunch and special high tea services available on weekends. Snag a table on the wraparound porch if the weather is nice, and valet to avoid the stress of finding parking in west campus.