where to brunch now

10 best new brunches in Houston serve up decadent dishes and al fresco fun

Brunch is back, and Houstonians are here for it. Everyone has a favorite classic spot for a lazy weekend meal, but diners have plenty of new options to lure them towards something a little different.

The list below includes several of the hottest openings for both 2020 and 2021 along with a few more established spots that have rolled out new brunch offerings. Almost all of them offer outdoor seating, which is definitely a plus while Houston still enjoys a few more weeks of relatively mild temperatures.

From classic Benedicts to globally inspired bites, this list offers options for every taste — along with some boozy suggestions for creating an appropriately festive atmosphere.

Acadian Coast
Now under the leadership of chef Kenneth Hamilton, the East End restaurant serves a Louisiana-inspired brunch menu that includes shrimp and grits, beignets, and a Creole Benedict made with crab cakes and bacon fat Hollandaise. Pair it with any of the housemade cocktails or a selection from the well-priced wine list. The spacious patio offers plenty of room for socially distant dining.

Bludorn
Houston’s hottest restaurant unveiled its new brunch on Easter Sunday. The menu covers a wide range of selection that includes some staples from the dinner menu with several new additions that include Benedicts, omelettes, and a lobster soft scramble; split an order of pancakes, cinnamon buns, or cheddar-scallion biscuits. Cocktails, non-alcoholic sips, and the extensive wine list offer plenty of refreshing options.

Dozier’s BBQ
Pitmaster Jim Buchanan has added Sunday brunch to the 64-year old Fulshear institution. The menu includes pork ribs with a waffle and eggs; chopped brisket hash; and smoked monkey bread. Add a michelada, mimosa, or a glass of prosecco to sip on the restaurant’s recently constructed outdoor patio.

Hungry Like the Wolf
The smash hit ’80s diner has been drawing serious crowds at all hours, but it’s especially popular on weekends. Opt for breakfast items like pancakes, breakfast sandwiches, or eggs plates or choose from classic diner fare like the Roadhouse grilled cheese and the Optimus Prime burger. An extensive selection of photo-worthy cocktails rounds out the experience.

Killen’s
Ronnie Killen’s comfort food restaurant offers an well-executed selection of brunch staples. Start with biscuits and gravy, pulled pork deviled eggs, or Killen’s signature pork belly burnt ends. Entree options include thick stacks of pancakes, chicken and waffles, and pork belly eggs Benedict. Add an eye opener such as a Bloody Mary, Ranchwater, or Maple Old Fashioned.

Mastrantos
The Heights restaurant’s tapas-style brunch menu incorporates Venezuelan, Spanish, Mexican, Houstonian, and Italian flavors. Selections include Barbacoa Cachapa (Venezuelan corn pancakes topped with barbacoa), spaghetti carbonara with chorizo, and a global cheese board that’s made for sharing. Drinks include mimosa carafes with various fruit juices, an avocado margarita, and a passion fruit mojito.

Ostia
Chef Travis McShane’s Montrose restaurant puts an Italian spin on brunch with dishes like pizza topped with guanciale and eggs and a frittata with spring vegetables. Staples from the dinner are present, too, which means diners can opt for the signature roast chicken with salsa verde or hanger steak. Ostia’s shaded courtyard and light-filled greenhouse are ideal spaces for spring’s milder temperatures.

Relish Restaurant & Bar
Brunch has returned to this River Oaks spot. New tastes such as buttermilk pancakes and a smoked salmon plate join staples like chicken and waffles and avocado toast on chef Dustin Teague’s menu. Along with the food, Relish has rolled a new cocktail menu with selections named after One Hit Wonders like the Don't Worry Be Happy (vodka, cucumber, lemon, chamomile, Cachaca, and bitters) and the Come on Eileen (gin, strawberry-basil shrub, lime, velvet falernim, Peychaud Bitters, and seltzer).

Thirteen
NBA star James Harden’s Midtown restaurant is earning buzz for chef Tobias Dorzon’s decadent fare, and the chef’s brunch menu is similarly over the top. Look for options like deep fried strawberry cheesecake French toast, fried chicken with churro-spiced waffle, and a seafood boil and grits that comes with shrimp, crawfish, and a lobster tail. Reservations are not required, but getting there early is highly recommended.

Tonight & Tomorrow
Newly opened inside the renovated La Colombe d’Or hotel, Tonight & Tomorrow offers European-inspired fare made with locally sourced ingredients. For brunch, the offerings include avocado tartine, eggs Benedicts, and the crab ravigote that has been a LCD staple for years. The elegant dining room adds a sense of occasion to any meal.

Bludorn has added brunch to its offerings.

Photo by Caroline Fontenot

Bludorn has added brunch to its offerings.

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Ronnie wants a star

$1 million renovation aims to earn Pearland steakhouse a Michelin star

Killen's Steakhouse Pearland 2026 renovations

Courtesy of Killen's Steakhouse

The wine cellar shows off the restaurant's more than 3,000 bottles.

Ronnie Killen is putting $1 million of his money where his mouth is. Already the recipient of two Michelin Bib Gourmand designations for Killen’s Barbecue and the recently-closed Killen’s, the chef and restaurateur invested that money on upgrades to his flagship restaurant, Killen’s Steakhouse in Pearland, with the explicit goal of earning a coveted Michelin star.

Closed since June, the steakhouse will reopen tonight (Thursday, September 10) with a refreshed look, new kitchen equipment, more luxurious plates and silverware, and a renewed commitment to delivering world-class food and service. They’re the first renovations Killen has performed at the Pearland steakhouse since it moved to its current location in 2015.

“We’re not trying to be the best steakhouse in Pearland, and we’re not trying to be the best steakhouse in Houston,” Killen said in a statement. “I want to be the best steakhouse, period – in the world. If I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it right, and I'm not going to skimp on a single detail.”

For example, diners will now drink wine from Zalto stemware and decanters, dine on German Villeroy & Boch plates, and be served from French Mauviel copper service pieces. The kitchen is now home to a live fire Mibrasa hearth from Spain and an 1,800-degree infrared broiler from California’s Montague Company. New sound material will make the room quieter and more conducive to conversation.

Killen invested in his people, too. He flew with the restaurant’s chefs to California, where they dined at three Michelin-rated restaurants — three star The French Laundry, one of the most acclaimed fine dining restaurants in America; one star Niku Steakhouse in San Francisco; and celebrity chef Curtis Stone’s Gwen, which holds a Recommended designation. The service staff traveled to Houston’s Michelin-starred March and Asador Bastian in Chicago, a Basque-influenced live fire restaurant in Chicago that’s consistently ranked among the best steakhouses in the world.

In the kitchen, Killen has shrunk the menu. Fan favorites like the jumbo lump crab cake, creamed corn, and carrot cake remain, but less popular dishes have been retired.

The steak program has been improved with cuts from Rosewood Ranches in Ennis, TX, Prime beef from Double R Ranch in Washington, and wagyu from both Snake River Farms and R-C Ranch, which is located in nearby Brazoria Country. In addition, Killen’s Steakhouse will offer both Australian and Japanese wagyu. Select bone-in steaks will be dry-aged for up to 150 days, and the restaurant will offer a 200-day dry-aged bone-in short loin.

Co-owner Deanna Killen developed the restaurant's wine list, which offers almost 800 different selections with a total inventory of more than 3,000 bottles. She recently turned over day-to-day responsibilities to beverage director and interim general manager Rich Brown.

"He fell in love with the collection I've curated over the years of personal relationships with my favorite winemakers. Our clientele over the years has learned to trust in my palate to introduce them to a world of hidden gems in a bottle," Deanna Killen said via email.

Courtesy of Killen's Steakhouse

The wine cellar shows off the restaurant's more than 3,000 bottles.

Later this year, chef Killen will roll out a tasting menu that focuses on different regions of the world, beginning with France. He intends to change it every two months.

“We get a second chance to make a first impression, and that’s rare in this business,” Killen said. “I’m turning 60 in September, and I haven’t been this energized in a long time. We’re bringing things to Pearland that you can’t find anywhere else. I want to do something that all of Houston can be proud of, where other steakhouses come to see what we’re doing next.”

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