fourth feasts

15 hot Houston restaurants serve up Fourth of July feasts to-go

The Fourth of July isn’t a restaurant holiday. Like Memorial Day, Independence Day is best celebrated by staying home and firing up the grill.

Usually, celebrating America’s independence might involve going to watch fireworks, but this year that means watching Houston’s annual Freedom Over Texas celebration on TV.

Thankfully, Houston’s restaurants are here to help with a number of options for those who want to dine at home. Our roundup includes both prepared, ready-to-eat items and some DIY meal kits.

El Topo
The restaurant’s carnitas pack features pork shoulder that’s brined in adobo before being fried twice, plus street corn, pinwheel duros, queso, four different sauces, and a 12-pack of housemade corn tortillas. To order, call 832-795-7251.

Fajitas A Go Go
The restaurant’s DIY Fourth of July Grill Pack contains all of the ingredients necessary to make fajitas at home, including 2-pounds of angus sirloin flap steak, 1-pound each of shrimp and boar sausage, all the relevant trimmings, and chips with queso and guacamole. It also includes a copy of the book Serial Griller that features the restaurant’s recipes and a liter of margarita mix. Available from July 1 - 8 for $100.

Feges BBQ
The barbecue joint will have two specials for the weekend: half smoked brisket (3-5 pounds, $50) and a dozen wings with choice of sauce ($15). Pickup at either their location in Greenway Plaza from July 1-3 or on July 4 at the Urban Harvest Farmers Market.

Goode Company Grocers
The 4th of July Grilling Kit ($125) includes 1/3-pound burger patties (plus cheese, buns, and toppings), queso, guacamole with bacon, queso, tortilla chips, and potato salad, or step up to steak with the Grilling the Goode Way ($150) kit that includes marinated skirt steak, Southwestern panzanella salad, potato salad, and more. Add a cocktail kit to enhance the festive spirit. Pickup at Armadillo Palace or get free delivery with orders of $150.

Jonathan’s the Rub
Both locations of the Memorial-area favorite will be serving two chicken dinners beginning at 5 pm on July 4: fried or barbecued (both served with mashed potatoes and cole slaw) for $17.76 each. Add watermelon salad for $4.

Loch Bar
UPDATE: Loch Bar has cancelled its 4th of July promotion.

Moxie’s
The Galleria-area sports bar is offering a burger kit that includes 10 certified angus beef burger patties, 10 brioche buns, and all of the trimmings (lettuce, tomato, red onion, cheddar cheese, sliced dill pickle and Moxie’s burger sauce). Order 24 hours in advance, $75.

Phat Eatery
The Malaysian restaurant in Katy will feature its rendang curry beef ribs starting July 1. Available for $35, they’re served with potato and steamed rice. To-go and delivery only.

Southside Flying Pizza
The Austin-based pizzeria celebrates the Fourth with a special “red, white, and blue” pizza that’s topped with tomatoes, mozzarella, feta, and savory sausage. Available for pick-up or delivery ($15).

Sweet Tea Supper Club
Chefs Dawn Burrell (Kulture) and Dominick Lee (formerly of Poitín) have created a barbecue-themed menu that features sweet tea-brined BBQ chicken, confit pork ribs, creole mac & cheese, plum hand cobbler, and more. Order online for pickup Saturday between 12 and 6 pm at Broham Grocer/Restaurant Indigo.

Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen
The South Texas-inspired restaurant’s 4th of July Picnic Pack includes mesquite-grilled whole chicken, mesquite-grilled baby back ribs, potato salad, Mexican rice, charro beans, guacamole, corn tortillas, sopapillas and chips and salsa. Available for two or four people for $27.50 or $55 plus tax and gratuity.

Underbelly Hospitality
Chris Shepherd’s restaurants have a variety of options for those looking to celebrate the fourth.

Georgia James chef de cuisine Greg Peters will host a cooking class featuring beer can chicken and Shepherd’s signature bacon sausage ($175, feeds four).
One Fifth Mediterranean has a grill kit that includes hummus, pita, vegetables, four flat iron kebabs, four merguez kebabs, and dessert ($160, feeds four).
UB Preserv will feature a special menu that incudes whole racks of char siu pork ribs, pork belly kimchi fried rice, and wok-fried collard green egg rolls.

Weights + Measures
The Midtown restaurant’s 4th of July party park comes with fried chicken, corn on the cob, cole slaw, and a freshly baked loaf of bread. To order, call 713-654-1970.

The carnitas pack at El Topo.

Courtesy of El Topo

The carnitas pack at El Topo.

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H-E-B names 3 innovative Houston food companies among 'Texas Best'

H-E-B Quest for Texas Best Hive Food Co.

Photo courtesy of H-E-B

Hive Food Co. is known for its infused honey.

After months of pouring over video submissions, H-E-B is entering the final leg of its annual grocery games. The San Antonio-based supermarket chain has narrowed down the finalists for its annual Quest for Texas Best competition, including three from Houston.

Ten innovative Texas entrepreneurs were chosen from a record-breaking 978 entries representing more than 500 companies spread across the Lone Star State.

Now in its 13th year, the contest asks Texas small businesses to put their best foot forward for the chance to win a combined $100,000 in cash prizes and the opportunity to be stocked on H-E-B shelves. Since the competition's beginning, the grocer has discovered more than 1,000 unique products, many of which have become literal household names.

“Quest for Texas Best is more than a competition; it is a launchpad for Texas entrepreneurs,” said James Harris, senior director of diversity & inclusion and supplier diversity for H‑E‑B, in a release. “H‑E‑B began as a small business, and we know firsthand how powerful the right opportunity can be.”

This year, the San Antonio and Houston regions were at the head of the pack with three finalist nods each. But the entrepreneurs hailed from all over the state — from border town Roma to Fort Worth suburb Haltom City. The top 10 hopefuls include:

Boerne — Coley’s Foods Inc., a frozen cookie dough company
Floresville — Dean & Peeler Meats, a beef producer known for its smoked Gouda sausage and Angus tallow
San Antonio — WFN Foods, maker of heat-and-serve taco fillings like beef barbacoa, pork carnitas, and carne guisada
Roma — In Your Smokin' Face, a spice company specializing in bold chile piquín and carne asada blends
Haltom City — Sol Dias, a gourmet paleta and Mexican ice cream company
Glenn Heights — Uncle Marc’s, a manufacturer of barbecue seasonings, rubs, and sauces
Houston — Doggie Express, a small-batch maker of decorated treats for canine celebrations
Houston — Big Bayou Cocktail Sauce, a saucy supplier branching out to Bloody Mary and margarita mixes
Houston — Hive Food Co., beekeepers known for gourmet infused honey
Bastrop — La Fregona, creators of a chile sauce for elotes and esquites

The final contenders will pitch their products on October 8 at H-E-B's headquarters in San Antonio, where judges will determine the top four winning products and award $50,000 to the Grand Prize winner and the "Texas Best" title — an honor that guarantees placement on H-E-B store shelves.

The first-place winner will receive $25,000, the second-place winner will receive $15,000, and the third-place winner will receive $10,000.

Since 2014, H-E-B has handed out nearly $2.75 million in prize money to Texas entrepreneurs. But Quest for Texas Best isn’t just about capital: the winners receive marketing, mentoring, and supplemental support to grow their brands. Fifty-five Texas small businesses that took part in the contest have achieved $1 million in sales and earned a commemorative H-E-B Million Dollar Club belt buckle.

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