Foodie News

Where to eat right now: 10 must-try restaurants for September

Frank Freeman churns out fabulously unique sodas at Cafe Luz.
Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
Beat the heat with small-batch ice cream from the Eatsie Boys.
Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
Frank Freeman's gorgeous coffee art at Cafe Luz: As beautiful as it is tasty.
Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
Spaghetti carbonara at the new Coppa
Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
Sweet tooth? Stop by Nothing Bundt Cakes for a pick-me-up.
Photo by Ruthie Miller
The fantastic mushroom enchiladas at midtown's Xuco Xicana
Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
The Margherita Pizza at Coppa is passable.
Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller

It maye have cooled down — slightly — but Houston restaurants are still sizzling with summer specials. Need a lunch or dinner recommendation? Here are 10 hot places to try in September.

Some are new restaurants entirely, while others are more seasoned, but all are well worth a visit.

Coppa
The biggest news in the past month has been Coppa’s opening in the old Catalan spot on Washington Ave. The new Italian place under chef Brandi Key is already earning high marks.

While there are still some kinks to work out, the spaghetti alla carbonara is a deliciously worthy meal.

Eatsie Boys Ice Cream Truck
Just when you became dependent on their goodness gracious gourmet truck, the Eatsie Boys have added a new concept: Ice cream. Stave off the heat with unique flavors like sweet corn shazam, “funky boss” fig and ricotta, “hello nasty” hazelnut and Arnold Palmer.

Follow the Boys on Twitter for a daily location.

Café Luz
Houston’s coffee revolution continues to grow with the new Café Luz on the eastern end of downtown. The small shop (run by Frank Freeman and Lucrece Borrego) offers outstanding coffees, old-fashioned sodas in the flavor combinations of your choice (strawberry-ginger, what what!), and an array of sweet and savory pastries.

Don’t miss the hatch green chili soft pretzels when available.

Felix 55
Chef Michael Kramer brings the new American style he honed at Voice to his new spot in Rice Village. While the menu may seem a bit disjointed, it’s already making waves in the food community, garnering praise for things like the lobster mac and cheese, authentic ceviches, and roast duck. We can’t wait to go back for the fried chicken & waffles.

El Gran Malo
New to the Heights is El Gran Malo. It’s firstly a casual bar offering infused tequilas, specialty margaritas and craft beers — but the place also has a snappy menu. Tacos are the menu’s staple, and these are kicked up with fancy-ish toppings like pomegranate salsa or pumpkin seeds. The queso with ground beef is gloriously reminiscent of the old Molina’s version.

Radical Eats
Vegetarian and Mexican foods don’t generally go hand in hand, but the new Radical Eats is doing a fabulous job of proving otherwise. Stop by their new location (on Fulton near I-45) for a smattering of tacos filled with things like avocado or fried okra.

And don’t miss the tamales; our favorites are the black bean or caramelized onion with mushrooms.

Hit 'n Run
While we don’t endorse the name, the Hit 'n Run food truck serves some mean cuisine. The fish tacos and egg rolls are worthy choices, but the owners are most proud of the “killer” burger — a serious undertaking. The patty is topped with bacon, caramelized onions, chipotle mayo, and jalapenos. Follow them on Twitter for a location.

Nothing Bundt Cakes
While there’s nothing to dislike about cupcakes, we’re glad to see a new concept in town. Nothing Bundt Cakes recently opened (on Post Oak/Westheimer) offering a rainbow of beautifully cute cakes in various sizes.

The mini-est is ideal for one to two people, while the maxi-est serves quite a crowd. Flavors range from chocolate, lemon and red velvet to pecan-praline, cinnamon swirl and carrot.

The Blue Fish
Fresh off a downtown location, The Blue Fish strikes again, this time on Washington (near Benjy’s). It’s got the dark, clubby vibe we’ve come to expect from sushi places and offers a large space to accommodate quite a crowd. The sushi is fine, though nothing mind-blowing, but fills a nice need in the area.

Xuco Xicana
Xuco Xicana seems to be the it place this summer, fitting the bill for just about any group: Couples, young families, happy hours, college kids, or even a casual date — vegetarians and meat lovers alike. The the recent addition of sous chef Brandon Fisch (who’s known for his tasty ceviche), makes the already fabulous menu even better — so if you haven’t yet had a meal there, we can only ask why.

Need more recs? Try our lists from the previous six months:

March – April – May – June – July – August

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Oh, Donna

New Houston cocktail bar serves up a house party fueled by music and martinis

Courtesy of Donna's

People are flocking to Donna's.

It hasn’t taken long for Houston cocktail fans to discover Donna’s. Ever since it opened Thanksgiving weekend, the new cocktail bar in the Heights has been packed with people eager to check out the new project from Anvil owner Bobby Heugel and veteran Houston bartender Jacki Schromm.

Named for Schromm’s grandmother, both partners use the word “house party” to describe the kind of atmosphere they want to create at Donna’s. That party can be very energetic on busy weekend nights and a little quieter and more intimate during the week — allowing patrons to choose what kind of experience they want to have.

Heugel and Schromm worked with collaborators on the design, music, and art for Donna’s. So far, people seem to be enjoying themselves.

“It’s really f---ing awesome,” Schromm tells CultureMap. “It has been really remarkable to have people in this building. To see the room full is a rewarding experience. The feedback we’ve received has just been really positive.”

To transform the former Ready Room into Donna’s, the partners collaborated with Brittany Vaughn of Garnish Design. Known for her work at establishments such as Tiny Champions, Maximo, and Milton’s, Vaughn helped divide the retro-styled cocktail bar into two distinct interior spaces. The main bar area is defined by high-top, organically-shaped tables that allow large groups to congregate or smaller groups to share without being on top of each other. The more intimate living room section features a large couch and a spacious booth.

“There’s a lot of smart utility in the space,” Heugel explains. “We kept talking about how it’s a small space. We want to find a seat for everybody as much as possible.”

To honor the space’s history of hosting live music, the partners worked with Chicago-based firm Uncanned on a powerful vintage stereo that includes both a reel-to-reel tape deck and a turntable. Known locally for their work at restaurants such as Nancy’s Hustle and Nobie’s, the Uncanned team gave Donna’s the ability to kick out the jams with ultra-clear sound while not being so loud that people can’t talk to each other. It also opens up the possibility of people playing their favorite albums on select nights.

“Jacki and I both had the bold opinion when we started talking about Donna’s that cocktail bars were boring. We wanted to add more layers to the onion,” Heugel says. “Having music be here as an additional component to the bar makes the room feel really good. That’s important to us, and we’ll have some programming related to that.”

Keli Hogsett of Austin’s CoCollect helped Schromm and Heugel select the room’s distinctive art on its walls. Heugel describes the works as museum-quality, contemporary pieces from regional artists that are a cut above what’s usually seen in bars. Hogsett will also source the art for the new restaurant Heugel and chef Justin Yu are opening next year in the former Vibrant space.

Schromm, who partnered with Heugel after working at Anvil and Reserve 101, created the opening cocktail menu herself. One highlight is the Jacki’s Martini, a nod to the “Bobby’s Martini” served at Refuge and the “Terry’s Martini” served at Squable. It’s a 50-50 mix of gin with Cocchi Americano and Dolin Blanc vermouth. She describes it as more “sessionable” than a traditional martini.

“I think this cocktail menu has a lot of personality,” she says. “Some of my flair, whether it’s a spirit I chose or a flavor I like.”

Although parking on the property is limited, Heugel notes that street parking on White Oak is relatively plentiful. A nearby pay lot is available, or people can skip the issue altogether by using their favorite rideshare service.

Of course, the adjacent restaurant space won’t stay empty for long. As CultureMap has previously reported, Austin-based pizzeria Home Slice has claimed the building for its second Houston location that will open in fall 2026.

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Donna's, 2626 White Oak Drive. Open daily from 2 pm-2 am

Courtesy of Donna's

People are flocking to Donna's.

openings nightlife cocktails the-heights