"Houston- bad place to visit, great place to live."
Even though Houston is the fourth largest U.S. city with plenty to offer there's a reason people are quick to say this. Tourists/ New Houstonians (like myself last year) don't know the sweet spots to truly enjoying Houston. My goal has been to explore the million places to eat and visit throughout Houston, find what I believe to be the best, and share the joy of this amazing city with everyone.
Food:
The New York Time calls Houston "one of the country's most exciting places to eat."
And here are a few of the reasons why I have a become a true believer of this:
Torchy's Tacos
Multiple locations
"Damn Good Tacos" Arguably the best tacos in town. They have a fried avocado taco, need I say more? Pair these gifts from God with fresh guacamole (yes more avocados) and a Mexican cola and you're good to go. For dessert- lil nookies: deep fried chocolate chip cookies dusted with powdered sugar and topped with cherries.
Multiple locations
"Greenest Restaurant in Houston" Healthy AND delicious. This wonderful little restaurant has multiple vegetarian, dairy free, and gluten free options. My favorite dish in maybe all of Houston is their honey-fried goat cheese and arugula salad. This is the ultimate restaurant salad. Ask anyone. And after you are finished eating a healthy dinner, you can non-guiltily enjoy their white chocolate bread pudding. The other desserts look tempting but just go with this one. I promise you won't be disappointed.
Latin dining at its finest. As soon as you sit down you are greeted with perfectly crisp plantain chips and three tasty dipping sauces. This place is amazing from the plantain starters to the tres leches dessert and everything in between. All of their food is insanely good and you will definitely not leave hungry. I personally devour their chicken empanadas (anything that has avocado in it calls my name), mahi-mahi fish tacos, and their pollo encamisado (aka plantain crusted chicken). I am not usually a huge tres leches fan but this one has to be the best I have ever tried. It's a moist, sweet, and creamy goodness.
Americas
Multiple locationsLatin dining at its finest. As soon as you sit down you are greeted with perfectly crisp plantain chips and three tasty dipping sauces. This place is amazing from the plantain starters to the tres leches dessert and everything in between. All of their food is insanely good and you will definitely not leave hungry. I personally devour their chicken empanadas (anything that has avocado in it calls my name), mahi-mahi fish tacos, and their pollo encamisado (aka plantain crusted chicken). I am not usually a huge tres leches fan but this one has to be the best I have ever tried. It's a moist, sweet, and creamy goodness.
Aladdin Mediterranean Cuisine
912 Westheimer Rd
Pita Bread. Everything here is good but the pita bread is out of this world. Two fresh, out of the brick oven, pita bread comes with every meal and is the best part. Along with the pita, they have multiple types of hummus, meat kabobs, and any type of mediterranean side you could want. My personal favorite sides here are the spinach salad and curry rice. With fresh meats and vegetable side dishes, it's a great healthy choice when going out to eat.
Coffee Shops:
Catalinas Coffee Shop
2201 Washington Avenue
This coffee shop has the best coffee I have found in Houston so far. Just the simple cafe au lait is made perfectly. They also have seasonal loose leaf tea that comes with your personal tea pot to sit and enjoy multiple cups of tea. Their pastries are made fresh daily and the best and closest we will get to parisian almond croissants. This shop is cozy with displayed artwork, small tables and chairs, and with no wi-fi you are forced to enjoy your coffee time with no distractions.
This is the literal definition of a hidden gem. Seriously, it is hard to find even when you have the address. The cafe is surrounded by trees to complete the beautiful atmosphere (which I am pretty sure covers the sign as well which makes it even harder to identify), but it is worth the hunt. I am putting this under coffee shops as I usually go to enjoy their coffee and pastries which are delicious. However, they have good food as well and I am completely obsessed with their fresh daily quiche combinations. The outside patio with trees gives it a secluded feeling even though it is right on a main street.
Cafe Brasil
2604 Dunlavy StreetThis is the literal definition of a hidden gem. Seriously, it is hard to find even when you have the address. The cafe is surrounded by trees to complete the beautiful atmosphere (which I am pretty sure covers the sign as well which makes it even harder to identify), but it is worth the hunt. I am putting this under coffee shops as I usually go to enjoy their coffee and pastries which are delicious. However, they have good food as well and I am completely obsessed with their fresh daily quiche combinations. The outside patio with trees gives it a secluded feeling even though it is right on a main street.
Do:
Enjoy the Parks
Moving to Houston I had no idea that there are so many beautiful parks. In fact according to business insider "Houston's got more parks than any other top-10 metropolitan area in the U.S." So why not take advantage of all this greenery. I personally live on the Buffalo Bayou and spend most of my time at this one. However, Hermann Park and Memorial Park are also beautiful and fun to hang out at, go for a run, or just take a blanket and sit by the water (when it's not 100 degrees out.)
Free the first tuesday of every month! Love all the free stuff in Houston.
Miller Outdoor Theater
Since we just talked about Hermann Park, I need to throw this one on the to-do list. Miller Outdoor Theater is located in Hermann Park and offers FREE live entertainment including all different types of music, ballet, dance, theater, and classic films. If you are looking for a perfect and relaxing evening this is the event to do. You can either sit in the covered seating area or enjoy a picnic on the hillside seating. This place is a Houston local favorite and is packed every night. There is a cafe in Hermann Park to grab dinner before the play or the Theater also has a snack and drink (including $4 beers) shop. Once again, it's FREE in a beautiful park with food; what more could you ask?Houston Zoo
This is also located in Hermann Park so why not just make a day out of it. This is not the largest zoo I have ever been to but it is a really good one and worth a visit. Or in my case many visits. The zoo is laid out well and never feels too crowded. The zoo also has fun events during holidays including Zoo Boo for halloween and Zoo Lights for christmas (which I attended both last year of course and will be going to again this year.) You can also pay $5 to feed the giraffes. Just saying.Free the first tuesday of every month! Love all the free stuff in Houston.
Museums
There are 19 total museums in a 1.5 mile radius that make up the Houston Museum District. Anything you could be interested in is available including the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Natural Science, Children's Museum, Holocaust Museum, Menil Collection, Health Museum and more. Seriously, if you like any type of museum you will find a good one in Houston. I recently went to the Cockrell Butterfly Center offered at the Museum of Natural Science and definitely recommend going. It feels like you are in a peaceful paradise. The Museum of Fine Arts also has a beautiful collection.
A good tip: check which museums offer "free days" as most of them have free entrance days!
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