Houston’s newest charity dining event debuts this week. Eat Drink HTX will be held from Tuesday, February 15 through Monday, February 28.
Similar to its sister event Houston Restaurant Weeks, Eat Drink HTX provides diners with the opportunity to dine at restaurants serving prix fixe menus that trigger a donation to charity, in this case the non-profit Cleverley Stone Foundation that organizes the event. Where Eat Drink HTX sets itself apart is in its price points, which are considerably lower than HRW: $15 lunch and brunch menus ($1 donation) and $20 or $25 for dinner ($2 or $3 donation). Proceeds will benefit both the Houston Food Bank and Star of Hope, a local non-profit that provides services to homeless men, women, and children.
As of Monday, February 14, the Eat Drink HTX website lists almost 70 participating locations, which includes eight Thai Cottages and six Fadi’s Mediterranean Grills. Diners will find some gems among the offerings, including HRW regulars, exciting newcomers, and a few old favorites.
After looking through the menus, these 14 options look particularly promising.
93 ‘Til
The Montrose record bar will serve a two-course, $25 menu that features dishes such as fingerling potatoes, charred broccolini, Denver cut steak with beef fat rice, and its signature fried chicken sandwich.
Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company
After a successful stint during HRW, the Arts District brewery signs on to Eat Drink HTX with both brunch and a two-course, $25 dinner menu. At brunch, look for dishes like deviled eggs, mini kolaches, blueberry ham and grilled cheese sandwich, and a chicken fried steak Benedict. At dinner, the choices include a barbacoa samosa, chicken karaage, a double bone-in pork chop, and steak frites.
Craft Burger
The Katy burger joint is serving separate lunch, brunch, and dinner ($20) that offer a range of burgers and other entree choices. Regardless of when one dines, the second course is always a milkshake.
Craft Pita
This fast-casual Lebanese restaurant in Briargrove serves identical two-course menus for both lunch and dinner. Start with a dip like hummus, babaganoush, or labneh before selecting one of four bowls: chicken, beef, felafel, or veggie.
Da Gama Canteen
This restaurant in the M-K-T mixed use development serves a two-course lunch menu that features dishes such as little gem salad, tomato soup, butter chicken, and a cauliflower tartine.
Phat Eatery
Available daily for lunch or dinner, the Katy restaurant’s two-course, $25 menu features signature dishes like roti canai and chili prawns as well as salt and pepper calamari, sizzling beef with black pepper, and more.
Railway Heights Market
Three of the food halls vendors have joined the event. Heads & Tails Seafood’s lunch, brunch, and dinner menus all include choice of gumbo, boudin balls, or etouffee fries to start followed by various Cajun-inspired seafood entrees. Mac & Twist’s two-course lunch and brunch menus focus on its inventive riffs on mac and cheese. Mykuna Latin Asian Cuisine offers a variety of creative takes on South American fare, including lomo saltado, pork belly fried rice, and a salmon kama bowl.
Roost
The Montrose staple will serve a three-course, $25 dinner menu. Appetizer choices include soup of the day, tomato salad, and the signature fried cauliflower. For an entree, diners may select crispy fried chicken, pasta in a spinach and pistachio pesto, or a burger topped with buffalo mozzarella and black truffle aioli. Finish with one of three desserts.
Shoot the Moon
This self-serve bar and restaurant in Spring Branch offers both a two-course, $15 lunch and two-course, $25 dinner menu. Start with one of four half-sized salads. At lunch, choose from one of six pita sandwiches. Dinner entrees are three pizzas: meat lovers, margherita, or vegan.
Trash Panda Drinking Club
Chef John Lindauer will showcase his new pasta dishes at this bar in the Near Northside. The two-course, $25 menu includes dishes such as smoked sweet potato ravioli, butternut squash ravioli, linguini with bottarga, and tagliatelle with a pork and beef ragu.
Weights + Measures
The Midtown restaurant will offer both a two-course, $15 lunch and two-course, $25 dinner. At lunch, the offerings include choice of soup, salad, or hummus to start with entree choices that include a salmon burger, fried chicken, and fettuccine. At dinner, the entree choices consist of sweet potato gnocchi, salmon filet, and a winter vegetable calzone.
Xin Chào
Winner of the Best New Restaurant title at last year’s CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, this restaurant offers a two-course, $25 dinner menu. Start with Vietnamese egg rolls, grilled beef skewers, or an arugula and cabbage salad. Entree choices include Texas BBQ fried rice, braised pork and crispy rice, or Five Fungi Congee.
Shoot The Moon will showcase its pizzas.
