Where You Need To Eat

Where to eat right now: 10 cool, must-try restaurants for August

August is here! Need a lunch or dinner recommendation? Here’s where you should eat right now in Houston.

Camerata
Camerata, the new wine bar from Paul Petronella, has officially opened and is racking up fans by the truckload. Grab a spot at the community table for a glass of wine, or pull up a seat at the bar for a blind tasting. Hungry? No problem. Order up a salumi plate or a selection of cheeses from the Houston Dairymaids, or just run next door for some good eats at Paulie’s.

Fusion Taco
Houston loves a good taco, and the new Fusion Taco aims to satisfy. Located in downtown’s burgeoning Market Square, Fusion offers a small variety of tacos, each with fabulous meats and creative sauces and slaws. Don’t miss the tempura shrimp taco or the Chinese BBQ pork. There’s also a handful of other options — sandwiches, salads, and quesadillas. We recommend dropping by for Happy Hour from 3-7 p.m.

Third Coast
The owners of Stick It Truck have converted their mobile unit to the new Third Coast Truck, offering fantastically awesome, Houston-inspired steak sandwiches. All sandwiches start with thin-sliced ribeye and Slow Dough bread, and then add culturally inspired toppings. You might try the El Guapo (with chilaquiles, queso fresco, and cilantro) or the Parthenomnom (with Feta, Grecian pico, and tzatziki).

Sandy Witch
Houston needs an over-the-top sandwich shop, and now we have one in Sandy Witch, now open within Grand Prize Bar. Sandy Witch comes to us from the owners of the well-received Pi Pizza Truck, and the menu is similarly split between classics (like the meatball sub or chicken parm) and creatives (like the chana masala or braised short rib). Or if the sammiches are too daunting, try the smart range of bar snacks.

D&T Drive Inn
Beer lovers are flocking to the new D&T Drive Inn (on Enid and Cavalcade) in the Heights for its fabulous line-up of taps. And just last month they launched a full menu from Down House chef Benjy Mason — sandwiches, snacks, and meat/cheese plates.

Revival Market
Revival Market is the place to be this summer… In addition to a fab line-up of summer meats and dishes (we love the beet sandwich), Revival now offers full breakfast service every day. (Don’t worry—their rotating Saturday breakfasts are still firmly intact.) Grab an iced latte at the coffee counter, check the cooler for some Fat Cat ice cream, or grab a Fluff Bake Bar treat from the pastry counter.

Houston Food Park
Food truck lovers rejoice! The new Houston Food Park is now open on St. Emanuel, just east of downtown. The park brings together multiple vendors — like Pho-Jita, Churrasco to Go, Muiishi Makirritos, Yummy'z Kitchen, Coreanos, and dozens more — for easy access and fun food. The space can accommodate eight or nine food trucks at a time, ensuring a nice variety. Stop by lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Bellissimo
We love Bellissimo for its creative Italian food with a Mexican flair — think jalapeno fettuccine, pastas with chorizo, and a sprinkle of cilantro on your pizza. They’ve already outgrown their funky space on Studewood, though, and moved to a larger location on Airline to better accommodate the crowds. Don’t worry — the appealing menu and friendly service are still gloriously in place.

A donut shop old or new
Donuts seem to be Houston’s dessert du jour these days. River Oaks Donuts opened in June to much fanfare, Pena’s Donut Heaven in Pearland made headlines with its mock-cronut “dosant,” and two new Dunkin' Donuts opened last month (with another set to open next week). But can any of them live up to Shipley’s, our hometown golden standard? Perhaps this is the time for a blind taste test.

Somewhere for Houston Restaurant Weeks
This annual meal deal is a nice opportunity to try restaurants that might be too spendy for your usual budget. This year’s list features outstanding names like Eleven XI, Coppa, Kata Robata, and La Casa del Caballo, plus scores of others. Each offers a special menu with a portion of each meal’s cost going to the Houston Food Bank. This year’s prices vary among restaurants, so be sure to check the menus on the official website before you choose.

Need more recs? Try our where to eat right now lists from previous months:

January
February
March
April
May
June

Bellissimo recently moved to a new spot, but they're still offering the same creatively delicious pastas like this jalapeño fettuccine.

Photo by Ruthie Miller

Bellissimo recently moved to a new spot, but they're still offering the same creatively delicious pastas like this jalapeño fettuccine.

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water, water everywhere

The quest for a Topo Chico replacement — we rate 9 sparkling waters

Photo by Eric Sandler

We purchased sparkling water at five stores across the inner loop.

Topo Chico drinkers nationwide are in a bit of a tizzy. Coca-Cola, which acquired the cult-favorite sparkling mineral water in 2017, announced that the product will be unavailable for at least the next few months.

CNN reports the shortage is due to “facility upgrades at the water source and production facilities in Mexico.”

“We are now making further investments at the source to improve source stability and quality and enable increased production, requiring us to temporarily stop production,” Coca-Cola said in a letter to CNN.

For Topo Chico fans, the shortage brings an obvious question. What should a person drink until the supply is restored? Or, what’s a permanent replacement that will avoid this issue altogether?

After collecting suggestions from people via Instagram, I went to Spec’s and inner loop grocery stores to purchase nine varieties of sparkling water with one goal in mind — find something that’s similar enough to Topo Chico that it will earn a spot in my refrigerator.

In the interests of science, I only included sparkling water brands that are similar in size (approximately 12-ounce bottles) and price (between $1 and $1.50 per bottle). Whenever possible, I purchased glass bottles instead of cans or plastic. Although many are available in flavors, I only purchased unflavored waters. All waters were chilled overnight in a refrigerator prior to tasting.

Sparkling water taste test Each water was chilled overnight prior to tasting.Photo by Eric Sandler

Not surprisingly, my top three choices came down to two other Mexican sparkling waters and a convincing dupe from H-E-B.

Most Similar to Topo Chico

Agua de Piedra
Purchased from Spec’s (can also be found at La Michocana), this water from Nuevo Leon, Mexico can be found at several restaurants and coffee shops around town. It offers both strong carbonation and just enough saltiness to satisfy a Topo craving. As long as I can source it reliably, this will be my new house water.

Mineragua
Available at both Whole Foods Market and H-E-B, this water from Jarritos is almost as carbonated as Topo Chico. Its flavor profile is salty with a slight, citrus-style acidity. I prefer the flavor of Agua de Piedra, but others may like this more.

1877 Mineral Water by H-E-B
H-E-B’s house brand sparkling mineral water is sourced from Texas, in Mineral Wells. It has carbonation that persists from opening until finishing. Its slightly salty flavor will be welcomed by Topo Chico drinkers. Overall, it’s probably the best choice for more people, since it’s so readily available.

Less Like Topo, but Still Tasty

Rambler Sparkling Water
This mineral water from Austin is available everywhere, including many restaurants and bars. Since it's only available in cans, its more mild carbonation doesn’t match Topo Chico’s; however, it has a lightly salty taste that makes it very refreshing. This is a good option for those who find Topo to be too fizzy.

Tehuacan
Purchased at Central Market, this water is sourced from springs within Citlaltépetl, Mexico’s highest mountain. The mountain’s volcanic rock gives the water a noticeable saltiness with a slightly sour taste. Although it wasn’t quite to my taste, its strong carbonation and distinct flavor could appeal to other Topo devotees.

Private Selection Sparkling Mineral Water
Available at Kroger, this water is neither as carbonated nor as salty as Topo Chico. Still, it has enough fizz and minerality to do in a pinch, particularly for people who prefer shopping at Kroger over other grocery stores.

Your Mileage May Vary

Richard’s Sparkling Rainwater
Admittedly, a non-mineral water was unlikely to emerge as a favorite in this taste test. Since it’s made with filtered rainwater, Richard’s has a very clean taste and a mild level of carbonation.

Saratoga Carbonated Spring Water
Like Richard’s, this water is too lightly carbonated and too mildly flavored to satisfy a Topo craving. Still, it’s clean and refreshing, which could appeal to non-Topo drinkers.

I’ve Had Better

Liquid Death Mountain Water (Sparkling)
Bland and flat-tasting, this water was the only one I wouldn’t purchase again. Maybe the flavored versions are better.

rankings topo chico reviews

Where You Need To Eat

Where to eat right now: 10 cool, must-try restaurants for August

Bellissimo recently moved to a new spot, but they're still offering the same creatively delicious pastas like this jalapeño fettuccine.

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The quest for a Topo Chico replacement — we rate 9 sparkling waters

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