Houston is hoppin' these days! Need a lunch or dinner recommendation? Here are ten hot places to try in April. Some are new restaurants entirely, while others are seasoned venues with new offerings, but all are well worth a visit.

El Real
The much-anticipated Tex-Mex lovechild of Robb Walsh, Bryan Caswell and Bill Floyd is open for business. Stop by the converted theater on Westheimer for a gorgeous bowl of queso, a fantastic “stacked” enchilada, or a heavenly plate of tacos al carbon. Once you’re entirely stuffed, pop upstairs for a nostalgia-inspiring tour of Tex-Mex memorabilia.

Revival Market
Supporting local vendors just got a whole lot easier with the new Revival Market in the Heights. The new store aims to be your everything: They've got humanely raised meats, fresh produce, delicious prepared food, grab-and-go sandwiches,a kickin' dessert counter, a full coffee bar, and a slew of artisan products—all locally made or locally sourced.

Pondicheri
Good news, Indian food fans: Pondicheri has opened in the ritzy West Ave development on Kirby at Westheimer. Indika's sister restaurant offers Indian "street food" in a space that’s so bright and friendly, you can’t help but be in a good mood there — and it only gets better once you sample menu items like saag paneer samosas, goat biryani and a rotating daily dal.

Xuco Xicana
Midtown hasn’t had as much love since Washington Avenue picked up, but there’s a new reason to go back. Xuco Xicana (which is pronounced "Chuco Chicana") is lighting it up these days in the El Patio space (they just updated the name, bar and menu) under the watchful eye of Beaver's chef Jonathan Jones. They serve "interior Mexican food with an attitude," which means fantastic mushroom enchiladas, molletes, and tacos ahogadas.

H-Town StrEATs
Food trucks have gone gourmet! Well, kind of. Check out one of Houston’s newest mobile vendors for an upscale take on street food, like chicken fried steak sliders, falafel tacos, and risotto balls. We especially love the rotating crème brûlée, like last week’s chocolate-popcorn. Follow @HtownStrEATS on Twitter for their daily location.

The Boneyard/Good Dog Hotdogs
Houston’s newest bar is designed for beer hounds and real hounds alike: The Boneyard features an indoor bar, an outdoor patio, and a large fenced-in park for the doggies. Most days you’ll find Good Dog Hot Dogs camped out in the parking lot, too. Try the Ol’ Zapata or the Sloppy Slaw dog. Both are around $4.50 and come loaded with toppings on a fantastic Slow Dough bun.

Natachee’s Supper 'n' Punch
This new casual sit-down spot in Midtown serves a range of home cookin’ including burgers, meatloaf, and pulled pork. The people are friendly, and the atmosphere is laid-back, so you might just want to drop by after work for a glass of punch (like the Sucker Punch with rum, pineapple, and OJ), plus a side of the fantastic fried pickles. Do it!

Cinq at La Colombe d'Or
The talented Jeramie Robison has transformed the restaurant at La Colombe d'Or. Oh yes, the fabulous mahogany-laden rooms are still intact, but the menu is eminently digestible, now with a few Creole accents added to its typically French fare. Cinq is offering a $30 prix-fixe menu between now and November to celebrate its thirty years in business and recent renovation.

Catalan
With his creative menus and awesome happy hour, Chris Shepherd has molded Catalan into one of the city’s most consistently awesome restaurants. But Shepherd is moving on to open his own place. May 1 will be his last day at Catalan, and we're sure the entire month of April will be filled with culinary fireworks.

Wherever you can get crawfish
The start of mudbug season turns generally reasonable people into crawfish-craving zombies. (Oddly enough, the release of St. Arnold’s Divine Reserve has the same effect on usually affable brew lovers.) Ready to roll up your sleeves and get dirty? For excellent crawfish at reasonable prices, try the Boiling Crab, 360 Sports Lounge, Hank's, or Danton's.