eat your greens

Houston lands on list of top U.S. cities for vegans and vegetarians

Flower Child restaurant Mother's Eart Bowl

Try going plant-based during "Meatless Mondays."

Photo courtesy of Flower Child

For being such a dominant foodie city, Houston still has some work to do to cater to its plant-based residents, according to a new WalletHub study. Houston ranked as the 23rd best city nationwide for vegans and vegetarians in 2025.

The report annually compares 100 U.S. cities based on grocery affordability, vegetarian restaurant diversity, accessibility, and quality, plus other vegetarian or vegan lifestyle considerations.

Houston came in second statewide to Austin, which also ranked as the 3rd best U.S. city for vegans and vegetarians. Portland, Oregon (No. 1) and Los Angeles, California (No. 2) rounded out the top three.

Houston previously ranked as the 18th best city for vegans and vegetarians in WalletHub's 2024 report, and it ranked No. 24 in 2023.

This is how Houston fared among the study's three main categories:

No. 21 – Affordability rank
No. 39 – Diversity, accessibility, and quality rank
No. 32 – Vegetarian lifestyle rank

WalletHub additionally discovered that Houston has the 5th highest number of vegetable nurseries in the nation.

Houston has steadily grown its crop of vegan and vegetarian restaurants over the years, and 2025 has brought a new location of vegetarian-friendly eateries Flower Child and California-inspired Succulent Fine Dining to the scene. Of course, the city's vibrant Indian restaurants like Kiran's and Himalaya are very vegetarian friendly. CultureMap editor and local food expert Eric Sandler has previously recommended Casaema, Traveler's Cart, and Maximo for their accommodating vegetarian and vegan menu items.

Embracing plant-based options isn't exclusive to vegans or vegetarians; it also appeals to eco-conscious locals who want to reduce food waste within their own homes and save money by cutting down on expensive meat.

"While vegetarians and vegans are still a relatively small share of the population, businesses are recognizing their impact on their market," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "With meat prices rising significantly faster than vegetable prices, too, we may see a lot more people taking a foray into a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle in the near future."

Elsewhere in Texas, six more cities earned spots among the top 50: San Antonio (No. 24), Irving (No. 25), Lubbock (No. 28), El Paso (No. 31), Dallas (No. 40), and Corpus Christi (No. 41).

The top 10 best U.S. cities for vegans and vegetarians in 2025 are:

No. 1 – Portland, Oregon
No. 2 – Los Angeles, California
No. 3 – Austin, Texas
No. 4 – San Francisco, California
No. 5 – Oakland, California
No. 6 – Phoenix, Arizona
No. 7 – Miami, Florida
No. 8 – Seattle, Washington
No. 9 – Orlando, Florida
No. 10 – Madison, Wisconsin

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that sucks

Parking problems shutter Houston restaurant after less than a year

Succulent Fine Dining/Facebook

Succulent Fine Dining has closed.

A promising Houston restaurant has closed after less than a year. Succulent Fine Dining served its last meal on Thursday, February 5.

Located at the Regent Square mixed-use development, Succulent Fine Dining opened in May 2025. It was a new concept from from Houston restaurateur Shawn Virene, the mastermind behind champagne-fueled River Oaks restaurant a’Bouzy.

In a lengthy statement, Virene cited "ongoing site-related access, parking, and valet limitations that have significantly impacted our guests’ ability to access the restaurant and, ultimately, the overall guest experience" as the reason for the closure. It states that the City of Houston restricted levels two and three of the development's parking garage to residents of its apartment building, even thought they were supposed to be available to employees and customers.

“Succulent was a labor of love, and this was not an easy decision,” Virene said. “It has been an honor to serve our guests, and I’m deeply grateful to everyone who supported us. I hope those who loved Succulent will join us at a’Bouzy so we can continue serving you. Offering minimal valet at a $25 minimum per car is egregious. Our valued guests have not been able to access our establishment at a reasonable cost or with ease, and that is simply not acceptable for the level of hospitality we strive to provide.”

For Succulent, Virene took inspiration from California’s Napa Valley, with a wide-ranging menu by chef David Buckley that utilized both West Coast ingredients and some sourced from Texas farms. Its design included an expansive, second-story patio that featured pergolas and antique greenhouses.

“Our culinary and service staff poured their hearts into this restaurant every single day,” Virene added. “Their professionalism, dedication, and genuine hospitality made Succulent special. We are profoundly grateful for each of them, and we are committed to supporting them during this transition.”

While Succulent has closed, other restaurants in Regent Square remain open. They include Flight Club, Mexican Sugar, and Georgia James.

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