the year's hottest headlines

The 10 stories that most captivated Houstonians in 2019

Houston Astros Team Up 4 Kids and K9s 2019 Justin Verlander and Kate Upton

Kate Upton and Justin Verlander made headlines with their list of favorite Houston places.

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Editor's note: It's been another eventful year in Houston, with a trip to the World Series, major flooding, and a mayoral election. Meanwhile, news in the dining community heated up with what seemed like nonstop openings and closings, as sizzling new restaurants opened and local favorites suddenly bid farewell.

It's been an honor to deliver this daily news and CultureMap promises to be at the forefront of reporting on the culture, lifestyle, and buzz of this glorious city in 2020. As Houstonians look forward to a new year, here, then, are the most popular and talked-about stories of 2019.

1. Charming small Texas town provides perfect fall getaway just under 90 minutes from Houston. Want a fall weekend somewhere with a laid-back vibe but plenty of good food, drink, and fun? The classic small town of Brenham, a mere 75 miles from Houston, offers everything needed for a classic mini vacation. We highlighted where to stay, drink, and dine at this charming Texas town.

2. Kate Upton and Justin Verlander reveal their 5 favorite Houston haunts. Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander and his ultra-glam, supermodel wife, Kate Upton, dished to the New York Times on their five places to visit in the Bayou City. The power couple's favorites are a mix of Newstonian zeal and insider savvy, with finds in downtown, EaDo, Montrose, Museum District, and River Oaks. One never knows if they might bump into Upton and Verlander at faves such as Nancy's Hustle, UB Preserve, The Menil Collection, or Tiny Boxwoods.

3. Galleria-area restaurant's sudden shutter shocks Houston diners. Restaurant closures are always disruptive to the lives of both the people who worked there and its regular diners, but some are more disruptive than others. Such was the case with local favorite, Houston's, which closed its Westheimer location after 40 years. Thankfully for fans of the restaurant's signature steaks, salads, and French dip sandwich, the Kirby location, ranked number 100 on CultureMap's list of Houston's top 100 restaurants, remains open.

4. In-N-Out Burger announces opening date of first Houston restaurant. Houston's long wait for animal-style fries and Neapolitan shakes ended on Friday, November 22. In-N-Out Burger's first Houston-area restaurant opened at 12611 S. Kirkwood Rd. in The Grid, the mixed-use in Stafford where the restaurant is located. Covering 350,000 square feet, the retail and restaurant development occupies the former Texas Instruments campus.

5. 10 best Houston restaurants to take out-of-town guests, from award-winners to classics. CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler answers a oft-ask question: Where to take out-of-town guests to eat in Houston? Sandler's thoughtful list includes restaurants people have seen on TV, restaurants with James Beard Award-winning chefs, and bona fide Houston classics.

6. Treasured Houston restaurant ranks No. 1 on Food & Wine list of best cafeterias. Food & Wine magazine issued a "10 Best Cafeterias in America" list that highlights three Texas institutions, with Cleburne Cafeteria coming in at No. 1, and Highland Park Cafeteria in East Dallas and the Luby's chain landing honorable mentions. Cleburne Cafeteria, which Landsel notes has overcome incredible odds including a major move and two devastating fires, seems to have provided the inspiration for the listicle. (Landsel ate there for Thanksgiving in 2018.)

7. Influential Houston comfort food and cocktail restaurant suddenly shutters. Beaver's, the influential comfort food restaurant/smokehouse, suddenly closed in December. Besides being popular with fans, the original location of Beaver's served as an important training ground or home for a number of culinary and bar talents, namely Bobby Heugel, Ryan Rouse, Monica Pope, Jonathan Jones, and Arash Kharat.

8. These are Houston's 12 best new restaurants of 2019. In another highly anticipated annual list, CultureMap food editor Sandler released his best new restaurants of the year. As he points out, this year’s crop of new restaurants demonstrate that locally owned businesses still lead the way in creativity and overall quality. Names like Rosie Cannonball, Squable, MAD, and Truth BBQ landed on Sandler's illustrious grouping.

9. Ken Hoffman on why announcers should stop mentioning Jose Altuve's height. Houston Astros slugger Jose Altuve is a giant on and off the field. So why are broadcasters and commentators so fixated on his height? CultureMap columnist Ken Hofffman tackles that (rather annoying) phenomenon, while explaining that Major League Baseball has had myriad short players, and Altuve's impressive numbers far outweigh his height.

10. Mainstay British pub and jazz cafe will shutter after 33 years in Montrose. Long a place for first dates, reunions, and ex-pat get-togethers, mainstay British pub/restaurant The Black Labrador announced it was closing after 33 years in Montrose. The closing leaves Houstonians with one fewer option for dishes like fish and chips, bubble and squeak, and steak and kidney pie.

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love on a budget

Texas makes top 10 for most affordable date nights in the U.S.

Photo by Christina Griffin/WDR Imagery

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Finding love on a budget has never been easier in Texas, which was just ranked one of the top 10 states with the most affordable date costs in the country.

Texans spend about $81 on average for a typical date night, which is the 10th cheapest cost out of all 50 states, according to a new study from dating advice platform Muse.

The report compared statewide costs for a date based on the average price of a restaurant meal for two and the average price of a soft drink, domestic beer, and a bottle of wine. Muse additionally extrapolated total costs across "basic," "standard," and "premium" dinner date tiers. Pricing data was provided from consumer pricing database Numbeo on February 2, 2026.

Texas' typical dinner date cost is nearly $11 lower than the $91.75 national average.

This is how the analysis broke down the average price of a dinner date in Texas:

Mid-range restaurant meal for two: $66.67
Soft drink: $2.47
Domestic beer: $6
Bottle of wine: $13.41

Based on these figures, Muse determined that the cost of a "basic" date in Texas – defined as "a three-course meal for two and two soft drinks" – adds up to $71.61. Texans spend an average $78.17 for a "standard" date, meaning the same three-course meal but sub in two domestic beers instead of soft drinks. "Premium" dates for couples, who splurge on a bottle of wine with their meal, will rack up a $93.49 bill at the end of the night, the data says.

Houstonians have extra bragging rights considering the city is conveniently home to one of the most romantic restaurants in America.

States with the most and least expensive date costs
West Virginia topped the list with the most affordable date nights in the U.S., with the typical date costing $60.22, far lower than the national average. Hawaii, on the other hand, is the most expensive state for dinner date in the nation. The average cost for a date in the Aloha state will set couples back by $144.24.

"People often assume it’s the drinks that make date nights expensive, but it’s really the meal that changes everything," a Muse spokesperson said. "Depending on where you live, the same dinner for two could cost twice as much, and that adds up fast when you're planning something special for Valentine’s Day. No matter the price tag, what matters most is the time spent together, but knowing where your dollar stretches further never hurts."

Celebrating love doesn't have to revolve around going out for dinner. There are many ways to surprise your sweetheart that don't involve going out to eat, like visiting a local museum or going on a romantic retreat elsewhere around Texas.

The top 10 most affordable states for a dinner date with their average costs are:

No. 1 – West Virginia ($60.22)
No. 2 – North Dakota ($65.67)
No. 3 – Minnesota ($68.33)
No. 4 – Alabama ($69.74)
No. 5 – Mississippi ($74.37)
No. 6 – Illinois ($74.97)
No. 7 – Kansas ($75.14)
No. 8 – Georgia ($76)
No. 9 – Wyoming ($78.50)
No. 10 – Texas ($81.09)

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