In a state that celebrates all things big, Houston is Texas' largest city. It's not concentrated in one downtown urban section, but rather a sprawling mix of neighborhoods. While this makes having a car a necessity, it also means there are lots of interesting pockets to explore. From ethnic enclaves to emerging indie sections, Houston does not disappoint when it comes to eating, drinking and shopping. Ranging from high-end dining to humble food trucks with each equally worth visiting. You can also take advantage of the city’s cultural side and its history of oil money. They collide at the Menil Collection which houses the private collection of Dominique de Menil, an heiress to the Schlumberger Limited oil-equipment fortune. The museum is free. 

Here is a 24-hour guide based on where local chefs and bartenders would eat, drink, and shop if they were visiting Houston for just one day.

MORNING

COFFEE AND EGGS | Blacksmith Coffee Bar

A cafe and coffee house from well-regarded baristas David Buehrer and John Letoto where you can get a full breakfast with your cortado or cold brew. The menu features dishes like Vietnamese Steak & Eggs, Dill Scramble over pumpernickel bread, and scratch square biscuits with egg and sausage.

"The best baristas in town. They're so happy and cordial and they pour a mean cortado."
FED Pro > Chef Chris Shepherd of Underbelly

"It's a bit hip in here. They brought in baristas from around the country who are super talented."
FED Pro > Chef Justin Yu of Oxheart

"Blacksmith Coffee for iced coffee and Vietnamese iced coffee is my favorite."
FED Pro > Chef Ford Fry of State of Grace

1018 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77006
T: 832.360.7470 | www.blacksmithhouston.com

MID-MORNING SHOPPING

GIFTS | Space Montrose

This design-focused indie boutique in Montrose sells everything from cards to art to locally-made souvenirs.

"This is a cool little spot in Montrose that exemplifies what Houston is right now. The store features and supports local artists and showcases a lot of Houston pride. We decorated our guest room with Houston art from this store. We want anyone staying with us to know they're waking up in Houston."
FED Pro > Chef Chris Shepherd of Underbelly

1706 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77098
T: 832.649.5743 | space-montrose.myshopify.com

Manready Mercantile

Located in Houston's Heights neighborhood, they sells an array of clothing, boots, denim, leather goods, accessories, apothecary, and vintage antiques all made in the USA.

"I really like shopping at Manready because they feature locally-made products."
FED Pro > Store Owner Carlos Peraza of Space Montrose

321 West 19th Street, Houston, TX 77008
T: 713.861.6618 | manready.com

LUNCH & BRUNCH

MODERN MEXICAN | Hugo's

This is upscale Mexican cuisine. The restaurant is housed in a 1925 structure that was designed and built by well-known Houston architect Joseph Finger.

"Come for brunch or lunch. It's the perfect day drinking 'rita situation. The food is great, too."
FED Pro > Beverage Director Morgan Weber, co-owner of  Revival Market, Coltivare, Eight Row Flint

"Hugo's is a rather large dining room in what used to be an old warehouse, so it's all windows and the food is really great. There aren't many restaurant like it in the US. They have two soups which are a seasonal rotation of soups. One I like is Caldo Verde De Pescado and they also have an oxtail soup that is really great, especially when it gets colder here."
FED Pro > Chef Justin Yu of Oxheart

"Hugo is a rock star in Houston. If you're looking for Mexican flavors, this is your place. The Coctel de Camaron (shrimp cocktail) is a good teaser to set the tone of what's to come. My all-time favorite is their Chilaquiles, which is Hugo's totopos (similar to a tortilla) in tomatillo salsa with chicken and topped with two sunnyside eggs. Ask anyone who knows me... I love eggs."
FED Pro > Chef Danny Trace of Brennan's of Houston

"It is classic Mexican high-end cuisine. It's some of the best food in town."
FED Pro > Beer Director Kevin Floyd of Hay Merchant

1600 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77006
T: 713.524.7744 | www.hugosrestaurant.net

MEXICAN | La Azteca

A popular mom and pop Mexican restaurant known for their menudo, carnitas tacos, and house-made green sauce.

"They have the best menudo on the face of the planet."
FED Pro > Barista David Buehrer, owner of Blacksmith, Morningstar, Greenway Coffee

2001 Broadway Street, Houston, TX 77012
T: 713.643.7050
 

AMERICAN | Revival Market

Fresh foods sourced from local farmers, ranchers, cheese makers and food artisans. Their menu features sandwiches, salads, charcuterie, and house-made staples like vinegar, pickles and jams.

"Come here for a kolache (Czech pastry) on Saturday. Get here early because there's always a line."
FED Pro > Chef Chris Shepherd of Underbelly

"They are at the forefront of local products with only Texas meat in their cases. They work with local farms and gardens to bring in fresh produce."
FED Pro > Chef Justin Yu of Oxheart

"They have an interesting meat program and are also very flexible. They take orders and if you give them a little bit of lead-time, they can pretty much do any cut imaginable. Adam Garcia is just an incredibly organized creative person that has an incredible charcuterie program."
FED Pro > Butcher Peter Jahnke

550 Heights Boulevard, Houston, TX 77007
T: 713.880.8463 | revivalmarket.com

VIETNAMESE | Saigon Pagolac

You'll find this authentic Vietnamese restaurant tucked in the corner of a strip mall in Chinatown.

"From the main dinner menu, I always order the Chao Tom Cuon (charcoal broiled shrimp paste and vegetables rolled in rice paper), Bo La Lot (ground beef wrapped in Hawaiian leaf and grilled over charcoal), Banh Xeo (pan-seared Vietnamese crepe made rice flour and filled with shrimp and pork, served with fresh vegetables), and wash it all down with a salted lemonade."
FED Pro > Chef Chris Shepherd of Underbelly

Dynasty Plaza, 9600 Bellaire Boulevard, # 119, Houston, TX 77036
T: 713.988.6106 | saigonpagolac.com

BRUNCH & DINNER

AMERICAN | Southern Goods

Southern hospitality combined with chef Lyle Bento's traditional-meets-modern Southern cuisine. They also have a long list of craft beers on tap and often have live music.

"This is a new restaurant that came on the scene last year. It's inventive, fun, with playful food. It's delicious and true to its Southern roots. The barbecue on Saturday afternoons is great."
FED Pro > Chef Chris Shepherd of Underbelly

632 West 19th Street, Houston, TX 77008
T: 346.980.8152 | southerngoodshouston.com

TACOS & BEER

Tacos Tierra Caliente + West Alabama Ice House

Visit the food truck located in the parking lot  of the Hollywood Food Store strip mall. Order a few tacos and then take them across the street to the West Alabama Ice House to sit at one of their picnic tables and order a cold beer.

"Tacos Tierra Caliente are arguably the best tacos in town. They have a food truck outside the West Alabama Ice House, which is conveniently located on my home from work."
FED Pro > Chef Chris Shepherd of Underbelly

"West Alabama Ice House is an old school Texas icehouse and there are always great people here, cold beer, and games outside. There's no air conditioning and if a bar can make it without A/C in this city for over 80 years there’s something special about it."
FED Pro > Barman Bobby Heugel of Anvil, Underbelly, Hay Merchant, The Pastry War

"Tacos Tierra Caliente is an awesome taco truck next to West Alabama Ice House, which is a great spot for a cold beer."
FED Pro > Chef  Bobby Matos of State of Grace

AFTERNOON SWEETS

DONUTS | Morningstar

Barista David Buehrer, of Blacksmith Coffee and Greenway Coffee, has opened a cafe where the coffee shares the spotlight with the donuts. They also have a matcha-based menu for non-coffee drinkers.

"The best coffee and the best donuts from the coffee guru himself, David Buehrer."
FED Pro > Chef Ryan Pera, co-owner of  Revival Market, Coltivare, Eight Row Flint

4721 North Main Street, Houston, TX 77009
T: 832.806.1115

VIETNAMESE | Duc Phuong Thach Che

This is a Vietnamese bakery with a full array of unusual desserts, banh mi sandwiches, and iced drinks. It's cash only.

"The best pastry program in the city. The bread for their banh mi is fantastic and I love getting the Che Hue or the Che Ba Mau which are sweet, icy soups served in plastic cups.
FED Pro > Barista David Buehrer, owner of Blacksmith, Morningstar, Greenway Coffee

11360 Bellaire Boulevard, Houston, TX 77072
T: 281.498.1838

HAPPY HOUR

Public Services Wine & Whisky

Owned by chef Justin Yu (Oxheart) and sommelier Justin Vann, this bar is located in the historic Houston Cotton Exchange Building in downtown Houston. As the name implies, they have a deep selection of wines and whiskies. At Happy Hour you can get beer for $2 to $4, $5 wine and cocktails, and $5 snacks.

"Go for their happy hour and you can get half off on wine."
FED Pro > Barista David Buehrer, owner of Blacksmith, Morningstar, Greenway Coffee

Happy Hour: Mon - Fri: 4pm - 6pm
202 Travis Street, Suite 100, Houston, TX 77002
T: 713.516.8897 | publicservicesbar.com

BEER

Brash Brewing

Their tap room offers a selection of their own beers, as well as other beers from around the country. You'll also find a jukebox and an assortment of 1980s arcade games.

"It's a cool, out of the way spot. If you're not from Houston, it's not likely you'll stumble upon it. They serve hoppy beers, have arcade games, and play metal music. The beers are good -- we put them on tap as much as we can at Hay Merchant. I'm a big fan of Ben, the owner."
FED Pro > Beer Director Kevin Floyd of Hay Merchant

508 W Crosstimbers Road, Houston, TX 77018
brashbeers.com

The Hay Merchant

Co-owner and Beer Director Kevin Floyd describes Hay Merchant as "a craft beer bar, we don't sell any liquor. We have seventy-five drafts and five cask engines. We own forty of our own firkins and I mail those off to different breweries, have them filled with interesting, one-off interpretations of their standard beers. It's one hundred percent craft micro and import focused."

"We come here after service on Sundays and I order hamburgers and drink beer. They pick the very best and have a really great program to maintain their taps. Because of the amount of beer they serve, they're always able to get really interesting and new styles of beers. They have a really knowledgable staff and they know how to pick out by your taste, even though you don’t know a lot about the product. You feel comfortable allowing them to take control as long as you're able to describe your tastes pretty well."
FED Pro > Justin Yu of Oxheart

1100 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77006
T: 713.528.9805 | www.haymerchant.com

COCKTAILS

Anvil Bar and Refuge

This is one of the premier cocktail bars in the country, located in a renovated Bridgestone Tire store that was originally built in the late 1950s.

"This is the OG cocktail bar in Houston. The bartenders are incredibly knowledgeable, and the spirits section and cocktails are delicious. The bourbon selection is killer."
FED Pro > Chef Chris Shepherd of Underbelly

"For post-dinner nightcap. Anvil has the best spirits selection in town. I gravitate to Armagnac and Calvados on such nights."
FED Pro > Beverage Director Morgan Weber, co-owner of  Revival Market, Coltivare, Eight Row Flint

"This is my alma matter. They offer 108 cocktails and 100 of them are classic. The bar is located in Montrose, which is a great place to walk around. The bar offers anyone who’s trying to get into cocktails, or be more involved in the cocktail scene, a great platform to learn more about classic cocktails."
FED Pro > Bartender Alba Huerta of Julep

"Order a Ramos Gin Fizz."
FED Pro > Chef Richard Knight of Hunky Dory

1424 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77006
T: 713.523.1622 | www.anvilhouston.com

WINE

13 Celsius

European wine bar and cafe serving vermouths, sherry, interesting and unique wines, along with plates of cheese and charcuterie.

"This is my favorite wine bar. Their wine list is incredibly thought out and the space has an easy-going vibe where you can easily socialize or disappear into the comfortable booths inside the reclaimed Midtown space."
FED Pro > Chef Ryan Pera, owner of Revival Market, Coltivare, Eight Row Flint

3000 Caroline Street, Houston, TX 77004
T: 713.529.8466 | www.13celsius.com

DINNER

NEW AMERICAN | Underbelly

Chef Chris Shepherd calls his restaurant "the story of Houston food. We want to tell the story of this city, how we feel about it, showing all the different diversities of this place, showing what we're calling now New American Creole and how this city really emphasizes that. With an ever-changing menu, we highlight different things everyday."

"I love the overall representation of Houston food that Underbelly covers, honoring cultural tradition through thoughtful reinterpretations of very familiar dishes."
FED Pro > Beverage Director Morgan Weber, co-owner of  Revival Market, Coltivare, Eight Row Flint

"I come here pretty often and it's like a party in here all the time. It's loud and bustling and there are a lot of family-style meals. The menu has two sides, one is family-style with dishes meant to be shared by 4-6 people and then the other side is small plates that are meant to be passed around and eaten as a group. It's a great way to catch up with friends. The menu changes often, but get the Lamb Stripstrami if they have it. They take a lamb strip and cook it with pastrami spices and serve it with sauerkraut."
FED Pro > Chef Justin Yu of Oxheart

1100 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77006
T: 713.528.9800 | www.underbellyhouston.com

NEW AMERICAN | Oxheart

Located in the Warehouse District, 31-seat Oxheart is getting many accolades for its well-priced tasting menu. While chef Justin Yu does include meats on his menu, his vegetables are what critics flip over.

"Oxheart has world-class food with a casual vibe. Justin Yu deserves every accolade he's received."
FED Pro > Chef Ryan Pera, owner of Revival Market, Coltivare, Eight Row Flint

"I think this is the best restaurant in Houston. There's not a greater attention to detail or product on the plate anywhere else in the state of Texas. It's an amazing experience and it can be hard to get a reservation, so if you're planning on traveling to Houston make sure you try and call ahead and see if you can get a reservation prior to your visit."
FED Pro > Barman Bobby Heugel of Anvil, Underbelly, Hay Merchant, The Pastry War

"This restaurant is very small and out of the way. Chef Justin Yu has a way with vegetables and he only offers tasting menus, which change daily. They emphasize local products. Seats 30, so reservations are necessary."
FED Pro > Chef Hugo Ortega of Hugo's

1302 Nance Street, Houston, TX 77002
T: 832.830.8592 | oxhearthouston.com

ITALIAN | Coltivare

Italian-American cuisine from co-owners chef Ryan Pera and beverage director Morgan Weber It is an ever-changing menu with salumi, pizza, pasta, and wood-roasted entrees and dessert.

"Hands down, one of the best restaurants. Ryan Pera is one of the smartest chefs I know. Food is always driven in local styles and a lot of the ingredients come from the garden out back. The cacio e pepe is on point."
FED Pro > Chef Chris Shepherd of Underbelly

"They have classically driven drinks developed by Morgan Weber who uses ingredients that are very rustic in flavor and quality. His cocktail program is one of the more interesting ones in the city. The food is fresh Italian and my favorite dish is the Cacio e Pepe. They always get it just right with the perfect balance of pasta, pepper and cheese. Their wine program is very good too."
FED Pro > Bartender Alba Huerta of Julep

3320 White Oak Drive, Houston, TX 77007
T: 713.637.4095 | coltivarehouston.com

LATE NIGHT

Poison Girl

If whiskey is your poison, this is your place. They have a full bar ranging from Texas brews on tap to top shelf whiskey and scotch.

"This is the bar that founded the modern Montrose. It started as, and has always been, a casual dive bar, but the owners' personal obsession with whiskey and their laid-back and welcoming attitude, helped establish the current bar scene in Montrose. The concepts of bars like Anvil and Hay Merchant were hashed out over beers and whiskey at Poison Girl's bar. Go in knowing what you like -- the whiskey list is huge."
FED Pro > Beer Director Kevin Floyd of Hay Merchant

"It's all about the bourbon here and you’ll probably find me here more than anywhere else, I just adore it. They acquired all of these really interesting bourbons prior to the bourbon bloom and they did a fantastic job. They still have some gems that you can’t find anywhere else. There are pinball machines inside and outside there's a patio with a big Kool Aid man, which gets dressed up with different holidays. The vibe is cool, comforting and very Houston."
FED Pro > Bartender Alba Huerta of Julep

Open until 2am
1641 Westheimer Road, Suite B, Houston, TX 77006
T: 713.527.9929

Camerata at Paulie's

The wine bar next door to Paulie's restaurant. In addition to wine, they serve beer, 'cyder' and salumi & cheeses.

"I come here for a night cap. David Keck and Felipe Riccio are wine geniuses."
FED Pro > Chef Chris Shepherd of Underbelly

"David Keck knows a lot about wine and just passed the Master Sommelier Exam in 2016."
FED Pro > Barista David Buehrer, owner of Blacksmith, Morningstar, Greenway Coffee

Open until 2am
1830 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77098
T: 713.522.8466 | www.pauliesrestaurant.com/camerata