2 days ago
3 Houston Restaurants to Try This Weekend: June 6
Each week, we'll provide a trusty list of recommendations to answer the most pressing of questions: 'Where should I eat?' Here are three 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 fun bar food: Good God, Nadine's
33 Waugh Drive, Heights
There's something about the name of this new bar that makes me chuckle. Its owners say they named and modeled their new Heights watering hole after a sometimes over-the-top, eclectic auntie, one who I imagine never ceases to beguile those who know her well, but is also inviting and hospitable despite her quirks. The bar similarly offers a warm and welcoming vibe, with a spacious bar area and patio, and a bevy of drinks that include some tropical and fruity twists that bode well for the hot months. Most noticeably, the dishes aren't too precious to dig into with your hands, just as it should be when it comes to bar food — and, to put it plainly, this is a bar where you grub. Inspired by co-owner Billy Trainor's travels and time in Taipei and chef Kyle Wiebe's own upbringing, Good God, Nadine's offers mostly shareable plates that make ideal, filling complements to an afternoon or night out drinking with friends. The bar's dips are something to behold: The guacamole, possibly the most unique version I've encountered in Houston, is hidden under a layer of spices, sesame, and shiso crunch. There's also baked goat cheese, sourced from Dapper Goat Dairy, punctuated with lavender honey and roasted grapes and served with focaccia made in-house; a hot and cheesy crab dip that's heavy on the Old Bay; a refreshing red fish agua chile verde with green papaya and mango, and an incredible cast-iron cornbread that's topped with a slightly sweet, slightly sour cultured butter with smoked trout roe and chunks of pickled turnip for crunch. Happy hour is also a great deal: Come before 7 p.m. and score the hefty smash burger with Cajunnaise for $7 and an order of snacky, hand-cut beef tallow fries for $3. This place makes drinking fun again. For great food with a whole vibe: Chopnblok
507 Westheimer Road, Montrose
While many diners are likely familiar with Chopnblok's West African food stall in the bustling food hall in Post Houston, I'm confident in saying you haven't gotten the full experience until you've visited its standalone restaurant in Montrose. Where the Post Houston location offers a glimpse of West African cuisine in a modern, fast-casual setting, the Montrose outpost is the actual realization. Diners are treated to an extended menu featuring highlights like deviled Scotch eggs reimagined with spiced turkey and suya beef skewers with a side of yaji spice for dipping and pickled red onion for a bright contrast. The comforting Blok Pairings, bowls featuring a flavorful mashup of West African ingredients, each offering a slightly different experience. There's the hearty buka, a beef short rib red stew with rice, beans, and sweet plantains; the Liberian- inspired Greens + Tings, made with roadside steak and stewed plantains; the Black Star, which pairs ikoyi shrimp and yassa curry; and the diner-favorite Golden, a combination of smoky jollof jambalaya, curry, chicken, seasoned vegetables, and plantains. The cocktails, created by Alexis Mijares, the consulting mixologist and owner of Botonica, also lean into West African cuisine. The Dodo Old Fashioned features a spiced plantain syrup and a dehydrated plantain as a garnish, while the Redbush Sidecar showcases a chocolate rooibos-infused cognac with orange liqueur, lemon, and crème de cacao. The vibe here is also unmatched, with warm and moody lighting, colorful decor with African prints, and nods to women and African and African American culture, including a shelf of books curated by Kindred Stories, Third Ward's Black woman-owned bookstore. With Houston's diverse communities and massive Nigerian population, this is a restaurant the city so rightfully deserves. For a live-fire dining experience that breathes Texas: Credence
9757 Katy Freeway, #170, Memorial
Here's another restaurant you must visit at least once to get your Houston dining education, but don't be surprised if you leave already planning your next visit. Chef Levi Goode (yes, that Goode) stepped outside his family restaurant group last summer to open his first solo venture in Memorial: a restaurant that pays homage to Texas cuisine and whose dishes all contain at least one component that touches the fire. Credence's open kitchen operates like a stage, giving diners a full view of the custom-made 12-foot-wide hearth and wood-fire oven that burns Texas woods and coals to prepare some of its central dishes. There's a fire-roasted seafood tower and a version of pan de campo, Texas's official state bread, which is cooked in a cast-iron skillet over live coals. Diners can also catch glimpses of live-fire action as the restaurant's whole Sweetwater duck for two slow-roasts over the hearth before it's served tableside with heirloom dirty rice. The menu includes steaks grilled over mesquite and Post Oak woods, half-chickens, hearth-roasted tuna, pasta dishes like housemade black truffle linguine, and fancy cart service for salads and desserts. Don't leave without trying the deviled crabs on the half-shell, which drip with an irresistibly smoky tomato butter, and the coconut cream pie made with toasted coconut, shaved chocolate, and a burnt meringue. For a special treat at the night's end, dip into Credence's snazzy sister speakeasy, Sidebar, for a cocktail and live music.
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