From a Vietnamese-Cajun crawfish boil in Bellaire to a 12-seat omakase tucked above a parking garage, here are the Houston spots locals guard most closely.
Houston is the most diverse food city in America, and its best restaurants are rarely the ones tourists find.
We spent six weeks crisscrossing the city — from the Vietnamese crawfish dens of Bellaire to the Nigerian buka kitchens of Alief — to bring you the twelve restaurants Houstonians whisper about over wine.
First on the list: a 12-seat omakase counter operating quietly above a parking garage in Midtown. Chef Hiroshi flies tuna in three times a week from Toyosu, and the meal closes with a single, perfect strawberry from Tochigi.
Next, a strip-mall taqueria in Spring Branch where the suadero is braised in lard for six hours, then crisped to order on a comal that has not been cleaned (intentionally) since 2009.
We could go on — and we will, across all twelve spots in the slideshow below. But take a printed copy: half of these places don't have websites, three don't have signage, and one only takes cash.
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