Texas True

In-store Houston offerings fill your plate with H-E-B's tasty Texas roots

It doesn't get more Texas than H-E-B, the revered San Antonio-based grocery store with a cult-like following. But the brand isn't satisfied with just being the site of your weekly shop — it has also developed several restaurant concepts that are quickly becoming just as beloved.

True Texas Boil House opened at the end of January in H-E-B's Chinatown-area store, at 10100 Beechnut St. The restaurant serves boiled seafood (crawfish, shrimp, and crab legs), fried seafood (shrimp and catfish), sides (potatoes, Cajun fries, coleslaw, hushpuppies, and corn), and six different dipping sauces.

A pound of crawfish costs $6.97, or $5.97 when you order five pounds or more, while the fried baskets — which come with two sides and one dipping sauce — start at $7.97.

But seafood isn't the only restaurant route H-E-B has gone down. True Texas BBQ opened at the Pleasanton location in 2014, and now there are 10 in-store stands and counting across the Lone Star State, including Kingwood (4517 Kingwood Dr.), Magnolia (7988 FM 1488), and Huntsville (1702 11th St.).

Smoked with Texas oak wood for up to 14 hours, the by-the-pound or plated barbecue spans brisket (three ways), smoked turkey, pulled pork, smoked chicken, sausage links, and St. Louis spare ribs. Potatoes heaped with toppings, five different sandwiches, and a salad round out the main courses, with brisket beans, creamed corn, potato salad, mac and cheese, green beans, cornbread, and coleslaw making up the sides.

The joint is so authentic, Texas Monthly surprised smoked-meat snobs around the state by naming it the best barbecue chain in the state.

Speaking of authentic, shoppers at The Woodlands H-E-B also get to enjoy fresh, made-to-order artisan pies from South Flo Pizza. Keeping in line with the grocer's affordable prices, the 8-inch personal pizzas are only $7 while the 16-inch ones are $10. Make sure to visit during the daily happy hour from 4-7 pm, when $10 gets you a 16-inch pizza plus two local craft beers (or, if you prefer, two glasses of wine).

As you drive around Texas, keep an eye out for concepts like True Texas Tacos or simply stock your home fridge with the best of local craft brews. Cheers, y'all.

Seafood by the pound? Don't mind if we do.

H-E-B True Texas Boil House seafood medley

Courtesy of H-E-B

Seafood by the pound? Don't mind if we do.

tacos barbecue pizza promoted shopping craft-beer

dine out and do good

4 Rice Village restaurants team up for new charity dining event

Photo by Julie Soefer

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A group of Rice Village restaurants are teaming up to raising money for the Southern Smoke Foundation. Dubbed Dine Out Rice Village, the event is taking place through January 31.

Modeled after the popular Houston Restaurant Weeks, the four restaurants are serving prix fixe menus at lunch and dinner that include a corresponding donation to Southern Smoke, the Houston-based non-profit that provides emergency assistance and mental health services to hospitality workers.

The participating restaurants are:

D’Amico’s Italian Market Cafe, which will serve a three-course dinner menu for $45 ($7 donation)
Hamsa, an Israeli restaurant that will serve both a three-course lunch menu for $25 and a four-course dinner menu for $55 ($3 and $7 donation)
Milton’s, an Italian restaurant that will serve a three-course dinner menu for $55 ($7 donation)
Navy Blue, a seafood restaurant will serve both two-course lunch menu for $35 and a three-course dinner menu for $55 ($5 and $8 donation)

Navy Blue chef-owner Aaron Bludorn tells CultureMap that he proposed the event both to benefit the nonprofit and to encourage new diners to check out the restaurant during January, which can be a slow month for restaurants.

“We try to support SSF as much as possible because it benefits our industry in the most impactful way,” Bludorn explains. “Through providing a safety net to our team members we are stronger as a whole and can focus on providing exceptional experiences for the guests of our restaurants.”

As displayed on the Southern Smoke website, each restaurant’s menu includes some of its most popular dishes. At D’Amico’s, the options include the soup of the day, Chicken Asiago, Snapper D’Amico, and a cannoli. Hamsa’s menu includes salatin (small vegetable dishes), falafel, skewers, and dessert. The Milton’s menu includes both the cresto di gallo pasta (revived by culinary director Seth Siegel-Gardner from his time at The Pass & Provisions) and its signature chicken parm. Navy Blue’s menu includes gumbo, Caesar salad, crawfish risotto, branzino, and the carrot cake that pastry chef Marie Riddle served at the 2024 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.

Milton's restaurant cresto di gallo pasta The fan favorite cresto di gallo is on the menu at Milton's.Photo by Julie Soefer

“We like to offer dishes that we are known for such as the Branzino and give those who might not normally dine with us the opportunity to enjoy them,” Bludorn says.

Southern Smoke executive director Lindsey Brown adds that she welcomes other Rice Village restaurants who want to participate. If this year proves successful, it could expand to other parts of Houston in the future. After all, the need is great.

“In 2024, we granted $3 million through our emergency relief fund ($2.6M) and to our university partners for our Behind You mental health program ($300,000). Every dollar raised — via Dine Out Rice Village and any other event or donation — matters to the F+B industry so we can continue to support them. We’re so grateful to our Rice Village friends for helping us taking care of our own by launching this new initiative,” Brown says.

news-you-can-eat fundraisers rice village