Houston Recap
If you’ve been following along on my IG, you’ll know we just returned from a 6 day trip to H-Town and it did not disappoint on all things food!
We actually went because my husband is a huge Texans fan, so we were graciously hosted by some people within in the organization who showed us what the true meaning of Southern Hospitality really is. We were taken for a tour, got field passes then had amazing seats for the game against the Buffalo Bills on October 6th, 2024. Bonus was our AMAZING win with 2 seconds on the clock!
But as much as I could go into what an amazing experience that was, this is my food blog so I’m sure you’re here for the food highlights so let’s get to it! Here are some of the gems we encountered while down in Texas!
Feges BBQ
Feges is a renowned spot owned by a wonderful couple Patrick and Erin. Their culinary background and love for proper craft BBQ came together in 2018 when they opened this highly recognized BBQ joint, that has since been awarded some of the Top BBQ Restaurant accolades in the country. We went to the Spring Branch; the restaurant is spacious with indoor and outdoor seating and a fun spot for kids to burn off some energy in the presence of their um, interesting looking mascot, “Cupcake”.
We ordered an assortment of food, probably more than we needed but we absolutely had to try it all.
The ribs were on point, but the brisket was the star for me, simply because I have never in all my years had something melt in my mouth the way it did. It truly blew my mind and I spoke about it for the remainder of our trip. It actually made me sad when we left. We also ordered the Whole Hog Platter, which is a “Carolina-style whole hog with cracklin chopped in, mop sauce, and charred coleslaw on top of hog fat cornbread”. I can’t even explain the texture party here and you know I’m alllll about textures! Special mention on the money cat potatoes; wicked side to compliment the meat platter.
We also ordered, and I know this sounds odd, PB&J wings. They gave an Asian fusion vibe with the peanut flavour, then the grape jelly gave the sweet notes and the sriracha a little punch of heat. It’s one of those things that just work. They actually put the recipe on their site!
My burger connoisseur son ordered their burger and ate it faster than I could get a bite and my chicken nugget expert daughter loved their chicken and gave their fries rave reviews (and my kids KNOW burgers, nuggets and fries haha).
Anyway, if you’re ever down there, check them out. It’s a must. We left with T-Shirts, a couple bottles of BBQ sauces, stickers and very full, happy tummies.
Tacos Doña Lena
This award winning Mexican restaurant had the honour of being my first PROPER Mexican experience. Or should I say, gave ME the honour. Houston is actually the farthest I’ve been down in the states so I’ve never had to honour of having proper Mexican food Cali or Texas style. It’s been something I’ve dreamt of, and here at home, we simply lack in the Mexican food scene. There are some gems around the city but down in H-Town, the options are endless.
Leave it up to me to go to the front counter and order just shy of 20 tacos. I didn’t intend on ordering quite that many but there were so many different types of meat, plus the option of corn or flour tortillas, I simply couldn’t narrow it down.
That said, I think we may have left one uneaten. The food is everything my taco dreams are made of. We went back a couple days later for late night takeout because I couldn’t imagine only having it once.
We ordered Barbacoa, Carne Ranchera, Bistek de Puerco, Chile Negro con Carne, Pastor and Tinga de Pollo. What is the definition of each? I can’t remember but order it all. Just. Order. It. All.
Including the Mango and Pineapple-Cucumber Aguas Frescas. A Mexican Coke too.
And get all the salsas. Bonus if you eat in: bottles on the table.
Star Pizza
Recommended to us by a friend down in Houston, this pizza was an awesome late night takeout option when we didn’t want to resort to quick serve fast food (we weren’t sacrificing any meals in our short time there!). Originally from Connecticut, our friend told us this gave proper NYC vibes. It was delicious.
Good to Know - it’s an AYCE on Tuesdays and Fridays between the hours of 11 and 2, which includes regular pizza and DEEP DISH! Timing didn’t work for us but if (when) we go back down, we may just do that!
Truth BBQ
We wanted to go to Truth’s original location but time didn’t permit so we went for second best option: we stocked up on BBQ at the NRG Stadium. Truth has moved into the stadium for off the chart game day eats. I actually ran into Leonard, the owner there and chatted for a few minutes; super cool guy who knows his stuff and has brought BBQ to the stadium without sacrificing an ounce of quality. Brisket was awesome and the tater tot casserole was on point.
We were disappointed.: to not make it back to the original location but will next time for sure.
Pho Saigon
We decided to try out this famous spot for a light dinner one evening. Broth in the pho was flavourful and we had a rice dish on the side too. Lots of locals, good parking, and super quick service.
Now let’s chat coffee and sweets.
Red Circle Ice Cream - churros galore, waffles and amazing ice cream
https://www.redcirclefranchising.com
Milk + Sugar Ice Cream - Amazing homemade ice cream with creative mix-ins, and seasonal options… three words: Thai Milk Tea.
https://www.milkandsugarcreamery.com
Voodoo Doughnuts - a huge menu of giggle-worthy flavours of doughnuts. It was next to impossible to select just a few. Definitely worth a visit.
https://www.voodoodoughnut.com
Pudgy’s Fine Cookies - HUGE soft cookies, so many flavours and served WARM. Heaven. We got the white chocolate Oreo and it was a perfect shareable. I was also told their Bananas Foster is a fave amongst locals.
https://www.pudgysfinecookies.com
Slowpokes Cafe and Eatery - we went for a midday coffee run after lunch at Feges BBQ and it was the perfect pick me up. Tons of options; I was blown away by the Lavender Honey Latte. I had it iced and immediately wanted a second!
So that’s it… I mean, we crammed a LOT into the short time we had there. I also got to try In-N-Out for the first time and later found out they have a SECRET menu, which explained the crazy fry concoction I saw being made in the kitchen that definitely wasn’t on the storefront menu.
I guess that means one thing: we need to go back.
That said, we barely scratched the surface in Houston. We were cramming in as much as we could but there was so much we simply couldn’t squeeze into our days. The food scene is some of the best and let me reiterate, the people are some of the coolest around. Chat with some locals, chat with restaurant owners, pick their brains, hear their stories. I find such inspiration from meeting people like that..
The love for good eats can be felt everywhere in H-Town.
Mel
PS: The food truck scene was amazing too… make sure to keep an eye out as you’re driving around for amazing food trucks all over the place!
