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2 Houston-born restaurants named best in U.S. and more popular stories

Vic & Anthony's Steakhouse Houston steak

Two steakhouses that were born in Houston have earned national acclaim.

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Editor's note: It's time to catch up on the top Houston news of the week, from national acclaim for locally-born steakhouses to a big RodeoHouston reveal. Read on for our most popular stories, then plan your weekend right here.

1. 2 Houston-born steakhouses named among top fine dining restaurants in U.S. For all of the diversity in Houston’s dining scene, the city’s steakhouses remain one of its culinary strengths. So much so that two concepts that are Bayou City-born rank among the country’s best fine dining restaurants.

2. RodeoHouston reveals name, breaks ground on $300M agricultural complex. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has revealed the name of its $300 million livestock and agricultural complex. Dubbed The Farm, which stands for Furthering our Agriculture and Ranching Mission, it is scheduled to open in 2029.

3. New York Times-recognized Houston soul food cafe closes before big move. One of Houston’s most acclaimed soul food restaurants has temporarily closed as it prepares to move to a new location. Viola & Agnes’ Neo Soul Cafe’s time in Seabrook has come to an end.

4. 5 new Houston bars inspired by Rome, global travels, and grandma's house. From pickleball courts to grandma’s house, Houston’s newest bars are adding plenty of personality to the city.

the bixby spring branch bar The Bixby in Spring Branch is a neighborhood bar without television screens. Photo by Hasan Yousef

5. H-E-B names 3 innovative Houston food companies among 'Texas Best.' The beloved Texas supermarket chain has narrowed down the finalists for its annual Quest for Texas Best competition, including three from Houston.

who needs a raise?

This is the income it takes to be in the top 1 percent in Texas in 2026

Hundred dollar bills, income study, top 1 percent earners in Texas

Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

The income needed to be ranked among the top 1 percent of earners in Texas has surged over $800,000 in 2026.

In a state where local billionaires are wealthier than they've ever been, high-earning Texans need to make $73,000 more than they did a year ago if they want to be among the top 1 percent of earners, a new report has revealed.

SmartAsset's latest study analyzed income thresholds for the top 1, 5, and 10 percent of earners in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, using 2022 IRS data for individual tax return filers (the most recent year available), adjusted to 2026 dollars.

Texas has the 11th highest income threshold, with residents needing to make a minimum of $817,158 to be considered among the top 1 percent of earners statewide. In 2025, Texans needed to make about $744,000 to be among the top 1 percent.

For comparison, residents living in the nation's capital must make at least $1.16 million to qualify as top 1 percent earners. The District of Columbia led the nation with the highest income threshold to be a top earner.

To be considered among the top 5 percent of earners in Texas, a resident would need to make $312,671. The income threshold to be considered among the top 10 percent is $210,609.

SmartAsset additionally found that 128,130 Texas residents qualified as top 1 percent earners in 2022. Nationally, the report estimated that fewer than 2 million households earn enough to be considered among the top 1 percent of earners nationwide, but 23 million households rank among the top 10 percent.

"In some places, households can enter the top 1 percent at income levels that fall well below the threshold elsewhere, reflecting an uneven landscape of wages and wealth," the report said.

A separate SmartAsset study that tracked the upper and lower thresholds for middle class households found Houston residents need to make anywhere from $42,907 to $128,722 to maintain their middle class status.

The top 10 states with the highest thresholds to be considered in the top 1 percent of earners in the U.S. are:

No. 1 – District of Columbia ($1,156,664)
No. 2 – Connecticut ($1,147,898)
No. 3 – Massachusetts ($1,006,921)
No. 4 – California ($987,325)
No. 5– New Jersey ($969,976)
No. 6 – New York ($959,562)
No. 7 – Florida ($956,449)
No. 8 – Washington ($903,303)
No. 9 – Colorado ($828,772)
No. 10 – Wyoming ($819,014)

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