Foodie News

Let them eat (great) cake: The best chocolate cakes in Houston for this sweetholiday & beyond

Mom's chocolate cake at Benjy's
The 24-layer chocolate cake at Strip House
Jennifer's Birthday Cake at Dessert Gallery
Dessert Gallery Bakery & Cafe/Facebook

Maybe National Chocolate Cake Day is just a ruse planted by Betty Crocker to convince all of us to eat more of the good stuff, the way DeBeers invented the diamond engagement ring or the candy companies invented Valentine's Day (well, sort of).

But doesn't chocolate cake sell itself? Do we need a holiday to get us into the most classically and richly delicious of all desserts? Maybe not. But we've got one anyway and it's Thursday, so grab a glass of milk and head to these spaces for the best versions in town.

1. Mom's Chocolate Cake at Benjy's

This isn't a "just like mom's" chocolate cake. This is the real deal, with each one still made by owner Benjy Levit's mother. (Benjy: Give her a break, already!) With a gooey layer that encases a rich, fudgy center and just enough pecans for a crunch, it's simply perfection.

2. 24k Chocolate Cake at Strip House

Paper-thin layers of moist chocolate cake and smooth dark chocolate filling imported from Spain, plus an elegant semi-sweet ganache all over make this the most decadent chocolate cake in town.

3. Uncle Darryl's Chocolate Cake at The Chocolate Bar

People may rave about the more straightforward Aunt Etta's chocolate cake, but we head to the Chocolate Bar when we crave something a little darker and more complex — a cake with a rich, dark chocolate layers surrounding a sweet filling sprinkled with toffee and chocolate chip crumbles, all wrapped up in a sophisticated chocolate ganache.

4. Warm Chocolate Cake at Mark's American Cuisine

You know how Love Actually is so stuffed full of saccharine rom-com cliches that it should be terrible, but it's so smart and cute you love it anyway? That's how the chocolate cake at Mark's is. Whether paired with praline or mint ice cream, it's simply divine without crossing that "too sweet" line.

5. Jennifer's Birthday Cake at Dessert Gallery

Jennifer is Dessert Gallery owner Sara Brook's daughter, and nothing takes us back to our own childhood like this ultimate version of the classic chocolate birthday cake with a few sprinkles on top for flair.

Bonus: Vegan Chocolate Cake at Whole Foods Market

We polled our CultureMap vegan extraordinaire, Joel Luks, who said for his money the best vegan chocolate cake in town is the unassuming version at Whole Foods. Who knew?

unspecified

Uptown seafood spot

Lively new seafood restaurant rides into prime Houston location

Buck & Rider seafood restaurant interior

Photo by Kevin Brost, courtesy of Hi Noon Hospitality

Buck & Rider's Scottsdale location offers a preview of the Houston interior

An Arizona-based seafood restaurant has set its sights on Houston. Buck & Rider is the latest addition to Central Park Post Oak, a 17-acre mixed-use development in the Galleria area.

Part of Hi Noon Hospitality, Buck & Rider is a seafood restaurant with three locations in Arizona — Phoenix, North Scottsdale, and Gilbert — with an additional outpost coming soon to Naples, FL. It is known for its lively weekend brunch, daily happy hour, and globally-sourced seafood.

Ranked No. 16 on Yelp’s list of the top 20 oyster houses in America and Canada, meals at Buck & Rider could begin with cold seafood selections such as raw oysters, caviar, snow crab claws, or sushi. Entree choices include options such as shrimp scampi risotto, crab cakes, and daily fresh fish selections. To broaden its appeal, the restaurant also serves Black Angus steaks, pan-roasted chicken, and a burger.

Expected to open in fall 2027, the restaurant will occupy an approximately 9,300-square-foot, jewel box space at the corner of Ambassador Way and Post Oak Boulevard. It joins previously-announced restaurants: The Henry, the “ultimate neighborhood restaurant” from Arizona-based Fox Restaurant Concepts, and Sparrow Italia, an Italian steakhouse from Toca Madera owner Noble 33.

Central Park Post Oak Buck & Rider rendering Buck & Rider will occupy a jewel box space across from The Annie Cafe.Rendering by BOLDRVIZ

“Houston, similar to Phoenix, has a diverse and growing food scene. We’re excited to expand Buck & Rider to another coastal city, following our first opening outside of Arizona in Naples, Florida later this year,” Adam Strecker, CEO and founding partner of Hi Noon Hospitality, said in a statement. “Our expansion to Houston is a strategic growth initiative to bring our proven concept to another market that shares our values of quality, hospitality and coastal culture.”

Announced last year, Central Park Post Oak will consist of three buildings with a combined 1.2 million square feet of office space separated by a three-acre lawn. Houston-based real estate development firm Midway, working with real estate investment firms 3Edgewood and Parkway, is developing the property. Construction is expected to be completed in the fall of 2026 with the restaurants openings to follow.

"Buck & Rider's decision to establish its first Texas location at Central Park Post Oak reinforces the power of pairing premier office tenancy with destination dining," Midway executive vice president Clayton Freels said. "Together with The Henry and Sparrow Italia, Buck & Rider will create a dynamic collection of culinary-forward restaurants that serve office users, visitors, and the broader Uptown community."

Despite the recent closure of The Oceanaire in the Galleria, the area offers a number of seafood options, including Caracol, a Mexican seafood restaurant from James Beard Award winner Hugo Ortega; California-inspired seafood concept Balboa Surf Club; McCormick & Schmick's in Uptown Park; Willie G's Seafood at the Post Oak Hotel; and the recently-renovated steak and seafood restaurant Truluck's.

news-you-can-eat openings