Dining out has been getting more expensive these days. So, we turn to our gaggle of foodies and seek their suggestions for the best low-cost eating options around town on this month's edition of The Full Menu.
In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog, and freelance food writer and editor David Leftwich.
Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:
Burger Bodega
Narwhal Jousting Club
Cantina Barba
Monkey's Tail
burger-chan
Someburger
Champ Burger
Dot Coffee Shop
Tacos Doña Lena
Frank's Pizza
Home Slice Pizza
Star Pizza
Coastline Pizzeria
Pizaro's Pizza
Olive Branch
AL Quick Stop
Aladdin
Oishii
Huynh
Alma
Thien Ân Sandwiches
Feges BBQ
Gatlin's BBQ
Shawarma King
The Brisket House
CasaEma
Central Market
Treebeards
In this month's installment of The Full Menu, food writers discuss some of their favorite places to get sandwiches these days in Houston and debunk the notion that we're not a great sandwich city.
In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, freelance food writer and editor David Leftwich, and guest contributor, restaurateur Raffi Nasr.
Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:
Craft Pita
Phoenicia Specialty Foods
Stuffed Belly and Agnes and Sherman
Winnie's
Bas's Cheesesteak Window
Philly Jawn Cheesesteaks (pop-up by Dawn Burrell)
Bayou Butchers
Burger Bodega
B'Tween Sandwich Co.
Stuffed Belly
Alpha Bakery & Deli
Roostar
Les Ba'get
Moon Rabbit
Tortas Perronas
El Rey
Josephine's Gulf Coast Tradition
Yuma HTX
Truth BBQ
Blood Bros. BBQ
Roegels Barbecue Co.
LuLoo's Day & Night
Local Foods
Central Market
Homeslice Pizza
CasaEma
Puebla's Mexican Kitchen
RELATED: Exploring H-Town one bite at a time to create the ultimate Houston sandwich
In this month's installment of The Full Menu, Houston food writers discuss their favorite area restaurants that they should have told you about sooner — the ones that maybe defy any category but deserve a little attention.
In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog, and freelance food writer and editor David Leftwich.
Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:
Gino's Italian Joint
Romano's Pizza
Little Kitchen HTX
Yiayia's Pappas Greek Kitchen
Thien An Sandwiches
Thiên Thanh
Little Rey
Pappas Burger
Tío Trompo
Boo's Burgers
J-Bar-M BBQ
Ploughman's Deli
Koffeteria
Roostar
Beck's Prime
Josephine's Gulf Coast Tradition
Kenny & Ziggy's
Sao Lao Thai Café
Butter Funk Kitchen
Houston Restaurant Weeks is underway during the month of August and runs through Sept. 1. The event raises funds for the Houston Food Bank. In this month’s installment of The Full Menu, food writers talk about what dishes local restaurants are offering this year and what they’re looking forward to sampling.
In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog, and freelance food writer and editor David Leftwich.
Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:
Killen's Steakhouse
The Blind Goat
BCN Taste & Tradition
Mad
Bludorn
Navy Blue
Perseid
Barbacana
Field and Tides
Traveler's Cart
Xalisko
Good God, Nadine's
Roost
Winnie's
Coltivare
Brett's BBQ Shop
Chardon
From hot pot, to dim sum, and from cafeteria style dining, to places with live music, Houston food writers discuss their favorite unique restaurant experiences around town in this month's installment of The Full Menu.
We hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog, and freelance food writer and editor David Leftwich.
Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:
Taste of Texas
Cleburne's Cafeteria
Bori
Korea House
Korea Garden
Seoul Garden
Gen Korean BBQ House
Hongdae 33 Korean BBQ
Haidilao
Shabu Zone
Kiran's
The Marigold Club
Emma Jane
Saigon Pagolac
Chama Gaucha Brazilian Steakhouse
The Dinner Detective
Ishtia
Fung's Kitchen
Ocean Palace
Toca Madera
Brennan's of Houston
McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Credence
Eight Houston-area restaurants made the latest Texas Monthly list of the state's top 50 barbecue spots with one cracking the top ten. Houston’s Truth Barbeque was ranked ninth in the state.
With that list in mind, local food writers hone in on Houston as they discuss some of their favorite barbecue places in the city in this month's installment of The Full Menu,
In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog, and freelance food writer and editor David Leftwich.
Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:
Killen's BBQ
Feges BBQ
Blood Bros. BBQ
Brett's BBQ Shop
Truth Barbeque
Pinkerton's Barbecue
CorkScrew BBQ
Rosemeyer Bar-B-Q
Bar-A-BBQ
Jennings and Company BBQ
Brisket & Rice
Redbird BBQ
The Pit Room
Burnt Bean Co. Barbecue (in Seguin, TX)
Gatlin's BBQ
Khoi Barbecue
Henderson & Kane
Ray's BBQ Shack
While Houston is perhaps best known for dishes that include (or center around) meat or seafood -- like barbecue, fajitas, or Viet-Cajun crawfish -- meat doesn't have to steal show, especially if you don't eat it.
In this month's installment of The Full Menu, food writers discuss some of their favorite restaurants to get vegetarian and vegan food around the city, and the options are many -- when that wasn't the case just a decade or two ago.
In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog, and freelance food writer and editor David Leftwich.
Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:
Pondicheri
Shri Balaji Bhavan
Mo' Brunch and Brews
Ema
green seed vegan
Lua Viet Kitchen
Traveler's Cart
Local Foods
Cochinita and Co.
Maximo
Lindiana's Southern Vegan Kitchen
Craft Pita
Hamsa
Just Falafel Vegan Cafe
Kriti Kitchen
bellagreen
Truth Barbeque
mantra
Camaraderie
Govinda's Vegetarian Cuisine
Kiran's
In this month's installment of The Full Menu, food writers discuss some of their favorite places to take kids to eat (and play) in Greater Houston. In the audio above, we hear from David Leftwich of Edible Houston and Houston Food Finder and Timothy Malcolm of Chron.com.
Their first bit of advice: plan ahead. Go early when your kids aren't tired. Bring activities to keep them busy while they wait for their food. If they're fussy or acting up, you might not want to go somewhere that's quiet. And patios are your best friend.
Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:
Little Matt's
The 401 Table and Tap
Feges BBQ
Antidote Coffee
Slowpokes
Dandelion Cafe
Blacksmith
St. Arnold Brewing Company
Walking Stick Brewing Company
Back Pew Brewing
Talyard Brewing Co.
Good Dog
burger-chan
The Gypsy Poet
Nonno's Family Pizza Tavern
Giacomo's cibo e vino
Paulie's
Squable
Tiny Champions
La Lucha
Superica
Hugo's
Vibrant
Betsy's at Evelyn's Park
Fung's Kitchen Hu's Cooking
Ramen Tatsu-ya
In this month's installment of The Full Menu, food writers discuss some of their favorite places in Greater Houston to grab a quick breakfast.
In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog, and David Leftwich of Edible Houston and Houston Food Finder.
Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:
Ema
EaDough Pastries & Provisions
The Kolache Shoppe
Dandelion Café
Villa Arcos
Brothers Taco House
Sunrise Taquitos
Laredo Taqueria
Torchy's Tacos
Cantina Barba
Shipley Do-Nuts
[MORE BELOW]
Christy's Donuts
Red Dessert Dive
Love Croissants
Koffeteria
Magnol French Baking
The Hot Bagel Shop
Bagel Shop Bakery
Bagel Express
Bagel Bob's
Jersey Bagels
Common Bond
Sinfull Bakery
Whataburger
Super Bowl LIX is Sunday between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. Ahead of the big game, food writers discuss some of their favorite places in Houston for bar food and to watch sports in this month's installment of The Full Menu,
In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog, and David Leftwich of Edible Houston and Houston Food Finder.
Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:
Patterson Park
Rockhouse Southern Kitchen
Drift Bar
EZ’s Liquor Bar
Pitch 25
Pour Behavior
Phoenix on Westheimer
The Maple Leaf Pub
West Alabama Ice House
Nick’s Place
Cobo’s
The Deck on Fountainview
Flying Saucer
Moxies
Social Beer Garden
The Shiloh Club
Kirby Ice House
Little Woodrow’s
Eight Row Flint
Biggio’s
Monday was Epiphany, which officially marks the beginning of Mardi Gras season. And that means we’re not terribly far from crawfish season and a particular chunk of the year when Cajun and Creole dishes shine on the culinary stage.
And so, in this month's installment of The Full Menu, we turn to our group of foodies to get recommendations for some of their favorite places to get crawfish and other Cajun and Creole cuisine in Greater Houston.
In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, David Leftwich of Edible Houston and Houston Food Finder, and and Abbas Dhanani of HoustonEatz.
Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:
Josephine's Gulf Coast Tradition
Viola & Agnes'
Gatlin's Fins and Feathers
Eunice
Lucille's
Late August
Winnie's
Boil House
Crawfish & Noodles
LA Fisherman
Crawfish Shack
Crawfish Cafe
Joseph Boudreaux pop-ups
Dominick Lee pop-ups
Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen
BB's Tex-Orleans
What are the best places in Houston to take someone for their birthday, an anniversary, or a graduation? In this month's installment of The Full Menu, food writers discuss some of their favorite restaurants to go to for special occasions.
Some of the restaurants they mention were among the 24 Houston establishments that received recognition this week from the prestigious Michelin Guide in its first-ever Texas list (as noted below).
In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, David Leftwich of Edible Houston, and Isabel Protomartir, social media and public relations specialist.
Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:
Haidilao
Bludorn (Michelin recommended)
Brasserie 19
Shabu En
ChòpnBlọk
Drake's Hollywood
Marigold Club
Axelrad
St. Arnold Brewing Company
Fung's Kitchen
Hai Cang Seafood Restaurant
Aga's
Tatemó (Michelin One Star)
Street to Kitchen (Bib Gourmand)
Hongdae 33
Bori
Josephine's Gulf Coast Tradition
Taste of Texas
Sometimes you want a traditional meal of appetizers, entrees, and desserts. But other times, you want to really experience more of a range of what a particular restaurant has to offer. In that case, you might want to try smaller dishes -- and therefore a lot more of them.
In this month's installment of The Full Menu, food writers discuss some of their favorite places for small plates and things to share.
In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog, and David Leftwich of Edible Houston.
Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:
Bludorn
Aga’s
Shri Balaji Bhavan
BASO
Toasted Coconut
Little’s Oyster Bar
Nobie’s
Nonno’s Family Pizza Tavern
Elro Pizza + Crudo
Traveler’s Table
Dim Sum Box
Fung’s Kitchen
Dough Zone Dumpling House
Ocean Palace
Theodore Rex
Okto
Hamsa
Hugo’s
Coltivare
(L-R) Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog, and David Leftwich of Houston Food Finder, discuss the local restaurant scene on The Full Menu.
Ten years ago, we had a group of local food writers on Houston Matters to debate what our city's signature food might be. After Eric Sandler, David Leftwich, and Katharine Shilcutt finished making their cases on the air for the likes of fajitas, barbecue, and Viet-Cajun fusion, they stayed in the lobby for quite some time talking about restaurants they'd been to lately and who in the Houston food scene was doing interesting things.
Overhearing their conversation, we realized we could probably just put a microphone in the middle of them and that would be a compelling recurring segment on the show.
And that's how The Full Menu was born, our monthly conversation with local food writers about where to eat and what to eat in our city's amazing food scene.
In this month's installment, we mark ten years of doing this segment by bringing Shilcutt back. At the time she was with Houstonia Magazine but has since left the food writing sphere to work for Rice University.
In the audio above, she joins our group of food writers, which includes two original members -- Sandler of CultureMap Houston and Leftwich of Edible Houston and Houston Food Finder, and more recent addition Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog. They reflect on the past ten years of restaurants and food in Greater Houston.
Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:
Coltivare
Killen’s BBQ
Common Bond
Burger Bodega
burger-chan
Good Dog Houston
Fat Cat Creamery
MF Sushi
Caracol
State of Grace
Uchi
Kata Robata
Nancy’s Hustle
Tiny Champions
Pondicheri
Giacomo’s cibo e vino
Gatlin’s BBQ
Corkscrew BBQ
Truth BBQ
Blood Bros. BBQ
Closed Restaurants:
Bernie’s Burger Bus
SaltAir
Kitchen 713
The Pass & Provisions
Reef
Pax Americana
Triple A
The long, long...long ordeal of blazing heat in Greater Houston has arrived. So, naturally, to help us all cope, in this month's installment of The Full Menu food writers discuss their favorite places to go for icy cold frozen treats around the city.
In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog, and David Leftwich of Edible Houston and Houston Food Finder.
Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:
Underground Creamery
Honeychild’s Sweet Creams
Amy’s Ice Creams
Fat Cat Creamery
milk + sugar
Flower & Cream
Dolce Neve
SweetCup
Lick Honest Ice Creams
Tampico Refresqueria
Rita’s Ice-Custard-Happiness
Ritter’s Frozen Custard
(more below)
Katami
SnoDreamz
Oasis Snowballs
Island Snowball
Fluff Bake Bar
All We Need Farm
Bubble Egg
In this month's installment of The Full Menu, food writers discuss their favorite underrated restaurants and hidden gems around the city.
In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog, David Leftwich of Edible Houston and Houston Food Finder.
Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:
Belly of the Beast
Tris
Late August
MF Lobster & Ceviche
Ema
93’ Til
Zamani Grill
Carol Kay’s Café
La Cruderia
Bahel
Dandelion Café
Himari
Cornrow
Cup and Char Pizza
Conservatory Galleria
Street Food Thai Market
Pacha Nikkei
Dim Sum Box
Shawarma, gyros, hummus – Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food is healthy and tasty. And lots of Houston-area restaurants serve it. In this month's installment of The Full Menu, food writers discuss their favorite places to get it and what dishes they enjoy.
In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, David Leftwich of Edible Houston and Houston Food Finder, and restaurateur Raffi Nasr.
Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:
Craft Pita
Phoenicia Specialty Foods
Arpi’s Phoenicia Deli
Hamsa
Kriti Kitchen
Cedars Bakery
We’re-Dough
Al Aseel Grill and Café
Suzie’s Pastry Shoppe
Taha Spreads
Café Lili
Aladdin
Istanbul Grill
Droubi’s Bakery
Rumi’s Kitchen
Kabab Erbil
Abdallah’s
Le Café Josephine
Niko Niko’s
Al Shami
AL Quick Stop
Ekko’s Greek American Deli
In this month's installment of The Full Menu, food writers discuss their favorite places to eat in Montrose and Midtown.
In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog, David Leftwich of Edible Houston and Houston Food Finder.
Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:
Candente
The Pit Room
Andiron
Elro Pizza + Crudo
Ostia
Clark’s Oyster Bar
Little’s Oyster Bar
Blacksmith
Citizens of Montrose
The Breakfast Klub
Spicy Girl
Mala Sichuan Bistro
Cooking Girl
Taste of Mulan
Siu Lap City
Cali Sandwich & Pho
Thien An Sandwiches
Pho Saigon
Graffiti Raw
Katami
Winnie’s
Josephine’s Gulf Coast Tradition
Bludorn
Paulie’s Restaurant
Romano’s Pizza
Hugo’s
The Gypsy Poet
Brennan’s of Houston
Nonno’s Family Pizza Tavern
Uchi
Valentine’s Day is a week from today – consider yourself warned. Houstonians contemplating a date night on or near the holiday need to look no further.
In this month's installment of The Full Menu, food writers discuss their favorite places for a romantic date night. In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog, and David Leftwich of Edible Houston and Houston Food Finder.
Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:
Clark’s Oyster Bar
BCN Taste & Tradition
Lombardi Cucina Italiana
Turner’s
Squable
Doris Metropolitan
Rainbow Lodge
Tatemo
Bludorn
Toro Toro
Houston Dairymaids
Giacomo’s cibo e vino
Andiron
13 Celsius
Tavola
Aya Sushi
From the lines of customers (including some celebrities) at Trill Burgers, to the first Houston chef to win a certain James Beard Award, 2023 was full of exciting developments in Houston’s food scene.
Reportedly pizza had a good year (who knew?) and sandwiches too, at least according to our group of Houston food writers, who discuss their favorite new restaurants of the past year and look forward to what’s coming in 2024 in this month's installment of The Full Menu.
In the audio above, we hear from Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog, and David Leftwich of Edible Houston and Houston Food Finder.
Establishments Mentioned in this Edition:
Trill Burgers
Little’s Oyster Bar
Jūn
Clark’s Oyster Bar
Balboa Surf Club
Katami
Mimo
Rumi’s Kitchen
Rado Café & Market
Comalito
Andiron
LuLoo’s Day & Night
Coming Soon:
Bar Bludorn
The Pit Room (Memorial City)
Maximo Canteen
The Marigold Club