3 Houston Restaurants to Try This Weekend: May 23

Eater

23-05-2025

Each week, we'll provide a trusty list of recommendations to answer the most pressing of questions: 'Where should I eat?' Here are four places to check out this weekend in Houston. And if you need ideas on where to drink, here's our list of the hottest places to get cocktails in town . For THC-infused drinks and goodies: Wild
2121 North Shepherd Drive, Heights
1609 Westheimer Road, Montrose
Texas is nearing a decision on the latest battle over THC: A bill seeking to squash all sales of products containing hemp-based THC or cannabinoids passed in the House on Wednesday, May 21, and is now headed for Gov. Greg Abbott's desk for approval. Some say this could mean the end of legally buying any THC-containing products in the Lone Star State. While some wait with bated breath, others might make plans to enjoy THC goodies while they can. At local favorite Wild, a coffee shop, cocktail lounge, and dispensary with a tropical theme, customers choose their hemp indulgence without judgment and spike their coffee drinks and flavorful elixirs with THC or CBD. Favorites include the frozen iced coffee; the Pink Loco, a sweet yet tart combination of lemon, lime, hibiscus, coconut cream, and bubbles served in a pineapple-shaped glass; the Purple Haze latte, a floral blend of lavender and honey; and the Good Kid Mad Berry, a playful ode to Los Angeles rapper Kendrick Lamar that features blackberry, hibiscus, spirulina, and Topo Chico. The onsite dispensary also offers a wide selection of products, including gummies, chocolate bars, tinctures, and hemp smokes. Those interested in a more mellow scene can seek out Wild's sister establishment, Grinder's Coffee Bar, a dispensary and coffee shop that serves breakfast, pastries, and drinks with the option to infuse them with THC or CBD. For a tiki bar that requires a little travel: Coco's On the Canal
624 Marina Bay Drive, Kemah
Kemah, Texas, the bayside town in Galveston County, is home to a bustling boardwalk with amusement park rides, shopping, and a cluster of Landry's restaurants, but it's far more than a tourist trap. Once known for its fishing culture, this laid-back town is now host to some of Greater Houston's most exciting dining destinations, including Ishtia, a Native American tasting menu restaurant, and Viola and Agnes, a Creole restaurant that serves generous portions at affordable prices and feels like a hidden gem. One of the most unassuming spots is Coco's on the Canal. Tucked into a little strip mall, this tiki bar welcomes all into its neon-lit lair outfitted with eclectic decor and plenty of television screens. Bartenders whip up tiki-style drinks such as the Floor is Guava (vanilla and coconut rums, pineapple, lime, and guava) and a Lychee Nut Daiquiri (rum, Giffard Lichi Li, Maraschino liqueur, lime juice) — but if you have something in mind that you don't see on the menu, tap one of the talented bartenders to help make your dream drink come to life. The best part, however, might be the back patio, which overlooks a calming canal and invites bargoers to sail up on their boats or jet skis and stop in for a drink. Since parking is tight, ridesharing is encouraged — unless, of course, you're riding in on a boat. For exclusive ice cream with a culinary twist: Underground Creamery x Uchi
Uchi: 904 Westheimer Road, Montrose
Underground Creamery: 1010 North Shepherd Drive, Heights
Ice cream from Underground Creamery can be pretty hard to get. Josh Deleon started the business as a pop-up in his home, before moving to its Heights shop, where he does things a lot differently than the average scoop shop. The food equivalent of exclusive music or streetwear drops, Deleon releases mind-blowing flavors, often junk-food inspired and fruity cobbler renditions, on Instagram with a link that requires diners to sign up via online sales platform Hotplate and keep tabs on the countdown before the drop. If they're lucky (pints sell out quickly), they'll be assigned a pick-up time. This weekend, however, the process might be a tad easier. Underground Creamery is kicking off summer with a collaboration with Texas sushi favorite Uchi. Available by the pint for $14, the special edition and cleverly named ice cream flavor Hama Chilly is an ode to Uchi's signature crudo, the hama chili. The frozen treat features a blood orange yogurt base, swirled with spicy ponzu caramel and tiny mochi taiyaki, a Japanese fish-shaped street pastry. Pickups begin at Uchi's Houston location on Friday, May 23; continue at both Uchi and Underground Creamery on Saturday and Sunday, May 24 and 25, and wrap up exclusively at Underground on Monday, May 26. Diners can order pints for delivery via DoorDash. Proceeds from the ice cream will benefit No Kid Hungry, a nonprofit that helps combat childhood hunger.
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