where to eat on mother's day

Houston restaurants honor Mother's Day with dine-in or takeaway options

Whether people choose to stay home or dine out, Houston restaurants have Mother’s Day covered. Cook at home, order a feast that only requires reheating, or dine out on a decadent prix fixe — the options are numerous.

We’ve rounded over a dozen establishments that have a mix of appealing options. Choose whatever will make mom happiest.

Amalfi
Available for dine-in or to-go, chef Giancarlo Ferrara offers an extensive menu of appetizers, pastas, and entrees. Highlights include homemade gravlax salad, squid ink spaghetti with calamari and clams, risotto with shellfish, and salt-crusted whole branzino for two.

Backstreet Cafe
The River Oaks favorite is offering three-course meals for two that are designed to be heated at home. Entree options include salmon with chimichurri ($70), full rack of lamb ($100), and vegetarian paella ($60) — all served with choice of two sides. Wine and children’s meals available for an additional cost. Order by Wednesday, May 6 for pickup Saturday, May 9.

BCN/MAD
Customers have the option of either dining in at BCN from chef Luis Roger’s menu of classic Spanish fare or ordering to-go from MAD, which will serve a three-course menu for $75 per person. Dishes on the MAD menu include grilled octopus, Ibérico ham, chilled tomato soup, grilled lamb rack, and two paellas (pork or shellfish). Add a bouquet of flowers by David Brown for an additional fee (flowers must be ordered by Friday, May 8).

Brasserie 19
River Oaks' favorite see-and-be-seen spot has reopened for dine-in service with extra space between the tables on its patio. The restaurant's full menu will be available on Mother's Day, which means mom can slurp oysters while drinking a bottle of bubbles. Reservations required.

Common Bond
The bakery and cafe has a number of pre-order options available for at-home dining. Choose the simple brunch for two with croissants, prosciutto wrapped melon, and mimosa kit ($36) or a lox brunch with smoked salmon and avocado puree ($40). Sweeten things up with a “M-O-M” cake (pistachio dacquoise cake with pistachio diplomat cream), flower pot entremet, or DIY cookie kit. Preorder by Thursday, May 7 for pickup May 9 or 10.

Montrose Cheese and Wine
Treat mom to either a DIY breakfast kit that features an oven-baked Swedish pancake, berry compote, and Greenway Coffee ($40) or opt for the more decadent “Momma Snack Pack” that features 8-ounces of double cream brie, almond crisps, chocolate, honey, and a bottle of wine ($55). Pre-order for pickup Saturday, May 9 between 12 and 6 pm.

Guard & Grace
Downtown’s newest steakhouse returns with a four-course, $65 prix fixe menu. Start with chilled lobster, shrimp cocktail, or smoked salmon toast before choosing one of two salads. Entree options include an 8-ounce New York strip, 6-ounce filet mignon, or 6-ounce salmon filet. Finish with one of two desserts. Optional extras such as chocolate chip cookies, quiche, or a charcuterie board are also available.

Lucille’s
The Museum District favorite has both dine-in and to-go options. Those who choose to eat at the restaurant will have a three-course, $35 prix fixe that includes choices such as watermelon salad, fried green tomatoes, chicken and waffle, lobster Benedict, and chocolate crepe cake. Designed for four, family to-go packs include fried chicken ($55), chicken and waffles ($70), braised short rib ($70), or roasted salmon. Order by Saturday for pickup Sunday.

Kata Robata
The hand roll pack pictured above has sold out, but the Upper Kirby sushi restaurant will be open with its regular a la carte menu.

Kenny & Ziggy’s
In addition to its regular menu, the deli is offering four family packs: salad sampler, smoked fish (nova and whitefish salad), New York (nova, sable or sturgeon, whitefish salad) — all of which include bagels, chocolate babka, orange juice, sparkling wine, coffee, and more — as well as a deli option white pastrami, corned beef, turkey, trimmings, sodas, and dessert. Order by Thursday, May 7 for pickup Sunday.

Ouzo Bay/Loch Bar
The Baltimore-based seafood restaurants — one, a globally inspired fine dining restaurant with a lengthy wine list and the other, an East Coast-style tavern with lots of bourbon — are offering a $25 gift card to anyone who books a reservation this weekend, including brunch on Mother’s Day. First responders with proof of employment will receive 50 percent off their bill this weekend only.

Snooze: An AM Eatery
The brunch restaurant's take-and-bake meal kits allow mom to get all of those Snooze flavors without waiting in line. Designed for four to six people, choose from French toast ($50), hash brown, egg, and veggie casserole ($50), or "surf 'n turf" (shrimp and grits, steak medallions, $75). Entrees are also available a la carte for a lower cost. Call in advance to order for pickup at the restaurant.

State Fare Kitchen & Bar
The Memorial City restaurant has two packages available with all the ingredients necessary to prepare a feast at home. Choose either breakfast in bed — biscuits, eggs, potatoes, bacon, and sausage — or lunch — garden salad, chicken filets, salmon filets, asparagus, and seasoning — then add extras like a pancake kit with maple syrup, chocolate chip cookies, or cocktail kits (mimosa, Bloody Mary, or margarita). Pre-order by May 7 for pickup Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

Kata Robata is offering a hand roll kit.

Courtesy of Kata Robata

Kata Robata is offering a hand roll kit.

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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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