Foodie News

Houston Restaurant Weeks lineup revealed: 10 hot, new restaurants to hit

The Capitol at St. Germain/Facebook
Giacomo's
Photo by Karen Burd
The Capitol at St. Germain/Facebook
Photo by Karen Burd
Houston Restaurant Weeks/Facebook
The patio at Concepción
Concepción/Facebook

It's been a decade since Houston Restaurant Weeks launched, making Houston's top restaurants accessible to all and raising serious money — almost $800,000 in 2011 — for the Houston Food Bank.

So by now you should know the basics: Dinners are three courses (or sometimes four) for $35, lunch is $20 for two courses (sometimes three), reservations are required and, continuing on an expansion that came in 2010, the dining deals officially last through the entire month of August.

At this point, you've probably been to RDG, Hugo's, Pappas Steakhouse and Indika a few times each and could probably recite the prix fixe menus by heart (not that there's anything wrong with that). But with 150 restaurants participating this year, there are plenty of new places to try.

Whether it's a brand-new concept or an old favorite that is joining the fun for the first time, we've picked 10 newbies that should be on your HRW radar.

Artisans

Classic French food with modern twists in a gorgeous Midtown setting. What more could you want?

The Capitol at St. Germain

A supper club downtown with an appropriately grand dining room — this is an experience.

Concepcion

Have you seen the playful, modern take on Latin American food that Jonathan Jones is making at Concepcion? A three-course dinner is a great way to explore.

Coppa Ristorante Italiano

These four courses include some of the best meatballs in town, as well as other classics like chicken under a brick, lasagna and tiramisu.

El Meson

A Rice Village favorite gets some Restaurant Week love for the first time, bringing its unique Cuban-Mexican fusion.

Giacomo's Cibo e Vino

A River Oaks neighborhood favorite, this dinner menu has lots of options as well as a fourth course.

Hawthorn

A beautiful restaurant that generally will leave you a little light in the wallet, there's no better time to try chef Riccardo Palazzo-Giorgio's Italian-American menu.

L'Olivier

It seems like it's been forever since Olivier Ciesielski presided over Tony's kitchens, but with his new Westheimer restaurant he's back and ready for Houston Restaurant Weeks with a three-course lunch and dinner.

Sorrento

Sorrento has been quietly making solid Italian and Mediterranean fare on Lower Westheimer since before "Lower Westheimer" was even a thing. If you've driven by it and never stopped in, now's your chance.

Triniti

There have been plenty of adjectives thrown around about Triniti — modern, deconstructed, brilliant. If your curiosity has been checked by the tariff, now's your time to see what chef/owner Ryan Hildebrand has been up to.

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crawfish season is here

Essential Houston crawfish joint heads to Beaumont for new location

Photo by Paulina Olague

BB's Tex-Orleans is bringing its boiled seafood to Beaumont.

One of Houston’s favorite destinations for crawfish is heading east. BB’s Tex-Orleans will open 12th location in Beaumont.

Slated to open in April, BB’s will occupy the former home of The Park on Calder (2325 Calder Avenue). With 3,200 square feet inside and a massive, 5,000-square-foot patio, BB’s will seat 70 people inside and 175 people outdoors. The patio has enough space for a children’s play area and a 225-inch outdoor screen for showing the day’s games.

“At BB’s, we like to say that our culture is making Maw Maw, my grandmother, proud,” founder and CEO Brooks Bassler said in a statement. “So many of our recipes are inspired by Maw Maw’s cooking, but even more than the great food, it’s a way of living: family, hard work, fairness. Maw Maw was born in Winnie, and her sister still lives there, so BB’s roots actually start in the Golden Triangle. Finally opening a location in Beaumont feels like coming home.”

The menu will feature all of the dishes that have made BB’s a go-to for Cajun fare. That starts will boiled seafood, including crawfish, shrimp, and crab legs — all of which can be enhanced with Prasek’s smoked garlic sausage, alligator andouille sausage, corn, button mushrooms, red potatoes, and BB’s “Monsta Greens.”

Diners also turn to the restaurant for po’ boys, such as the Bedtime in the Bayou (fried shrimp) and the South Texas Fire Po’boy (marinated outside skirt steak topped with melted pepper jack cheese, avocado, sautéed peppers, and onions, topped with a spicy pepper cheese sauce).

Here’s founder Brooks Bassler with a Bedtime in the Bayou.

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Founded in 2007 in Montrose as a late night po’ boy destination, BB’s has grown across the Houston area. BB’s Cajun Cantina in San Antonio adds Tex-Mex flavors to the mix.

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