Where to eat on Easter

Where to eat: More than 20 Houston restaurants serving Easter brunch

From multi-course dinners to extravagant brunches, take-home family feasts to meals perfect for two, Houston restaurants have something for every diner's need this Easter.

Easter brunch in-person

Arnaldo Richards' Picos
The Upper Kirby favorite offers a special brunch buffet on Sunday, April 9, with a carving station, omelets and waffles to order, paella grande, charcuterie selections, an antojito platter, and more. The cost is $54 for adults, $42 for seniors, $30 for children over eight years old, and free for those under eight. Brunch is available from 10 am to 4 pm. Use Resy to make reservations.

Backstreet Cafe
This classic River Oaks restaurant offers a three-course brunch on Easter Sunday, with menu options such as a chilled creamy artichoke soup, Gulf Coast seafood beignets, braised lamb shank with creamy mashed potatoes and mushroom pan jus, pan-roasted striped bass with spring vegetables, pan-seared scallops with asparagus risotto, Nutella chocolate banana bread pudding, and more. Bob Chadwick offers live jazz. The cost is $56 for adults and $15 for children. Brunch is available from 10 am to 3:30 pm, and reservations are highly recommended.

Brennan's of Houston
On Saturday, April 8, diners can get into the Easter spirit with visits from live bunnies from Boiling Bunny Farms. The restaurant's classic dishes are available, and this family-friendly experience is sure to delight diners young and old. This special brunch is available from 10 am to 2 pm. Reservations required. On Easter Sunday, brunch is available from 10 am to 4 pm. Reservations can be made online.

Georgia James
Executive chef Greg Peters has a special in the works at this luxe Montrose spot, which will open for a one-day-only brunch from 11 am to 3 pm. In addition to the brunch specials, favorites such as Viet-Cajun roasted oysters and fried Holmes chicken will also be available. Note: the restaurant will not be open for dinner on Easter Sunday.

Guard & Grace
Usually closed on Sundays, the luxurious downtown steakhouse will feature a special brunch menu. Starters include smoked salmon rillette, wagyu beef dumplings, crab and avocado toast, and heirloom blue corn hush puppies. In addition to steaks, entree choices include lobster benedict, a giant buttermilk biscuit with brisket, huevos rancheros, loco moco, and more. Reservations recommended.

Hugo's
In addition to the restaurant's popular buffet brunch offerings, diners can look for seasonal specialties, a carving station, and specialty Easter desserts. The buffet is available from 10 am to 3 pm on Easter Sunday and costs $55 for adults and $15 for children. Reservations are highly recommended.

Hull & Oak
Head downtown to this restaurant in The Laura hotel for an a la carte menu with specials just for Easter. Look for duck confit salad with quail eggs for $18, rack of lamb with spring vegetables and potato gratin for $42, stuffed pork loin with apple cranberry chutney for $38, creme brulee for $15, and more. A DJ adds to the vibe.

Indianola
Dine in on Easter Sunday and enjoy a modern Texas take on classic dishes. The four-course, pre-fixe bottomless brunch menu includes options such as crawfish deviled eggs, herb-crusted leg of lamb with mint jus, cedar plank smoked salmon, duck-fat roasted potatoes with lemon and herbs, and chocolate ice box pie. Best of all, it combines a buffet-style ability to try everything with the convenience of table service. The cost is $65 for adults and and $20 for children 12 and under. View the full menu and make reservations online.

The Savoy
Known for its massive patio and lively vibe, this bar and restaurant in the heart of Houston's Third Ward offers a family-style brunch on Easter Sunday with special offerings such as an Easter egg mimosa flight along with infused French toast and pancake flights, 11 am to 5 pm.

Sorriso
This Woodlands restaurant offers a special brunch buffet on Easter Sunday. Selections include housemade pastries, stracciatella bruschetta, omelets made to order, fresh campanelle pasta served in a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano, carved porchetta, and other sweet and savory options. The cost is $60 for adults and $21 for children. Brunch is available from 10 am to 3 pm.

Southside Sporting Club
The chic sports bar offers an Easter brunch of casual comfort favorites, along with photo opps with the Easter Bunny, an Easter egg hunt, and an Easter basket giveaway. Brunch is available from 11 am to 3 pm.

State of Grace
At this River Oaks favorite, diners will find a brunch menu with dishes such as butter biscuits and ham for $10, deviled eggs for $8, crawfish eggs Benedict $27, and other classic selections. On Easter Sunday, the Easter Bunny will put in an appearance and is available for photo ops.

Thirteen
NBA star James Harden's posh Midtown restaurant will feature brunch specials such as shrimp and grits, deep fried strawberry cheesecake French toast, and Churro Chicken & Waffle. A DJ adds to the atmosphere. Brunch is served from 11 am to 3 pm.

Toro Toro
This pan-Latin steakhouse in the Four Seasons continue's the hotel's tradition of over-the-top holiday brunches. For $155 per adult and $65 per child 12 and under, diners can feast on an omelet station, Texas cheese display, pasta station, seafood station with cold shellfish and sushi, carving station with beef tenderloin and smoked brisket, and so much more. Reservations required.

Traveler's Table
Diners can get an Easter Sunday three-course brunch for $50. Selections from the amuse-bouche, second, and third courses include Japanese kakii fry oysters, watermelon and avocado salad, breakfast bread pudding, Japanese ube pancakes, custard lava French toast, Louisiana fried chicken, and more. All the menu options are available for dine-in and take-out from 10 am to 2:30 pm on April 9.

Truluck's
Both the Galleria and Woodlands locations of this steak and seafood restaurant will open for Easter Sunday with special hours of 12 to 9 pm. In addition to menu favorites like miso-glazed sea bass and king crab, the bar will feature a special Spring Fling cocktail (vodka, Ramazotti Rosato, Cava, raspberries, fresh lime, almond syrup, mint).

The Union Kitchen
All five locations of the comfort food favorite will supplement their regular brunch menu with Easter specials such as crispy crab deviled eggs, Fruity Pebble pancakes, coffee crusted short rib, and herb-crusted lamb lollipops. Cocktail and wine specials will also be available.

Warehouse 72
The live jazz brunch includes items like steak and eggs, chicken and waffles, eggs Benedict, $3 mimosas, and other classic offerings. Kids can participate in an Easter egg hunt. Brunch is available from 11 am to 3 pm.

The Warwick
The Galleria-area restaurant augments its weekend brunch for Easter Sunday, with specials such as smoked ribeye and garlic mashed potatoes for $42 and cedar plank redfish for $39. Known as a great place to bring a crowd, those who love to share can also check out the board room brunch platter with butter pecan waffles, candied bacon, four eggs cooked to order, sausage, and more for $100. Brunch is available from 11 am to 4 pm.

Image of a hand scooping pasta out of a giant wheel of Parmesan cheese

Courtesy of Sorriso

Sorriso will serve fresh campanelle pasta served in a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano.

Easter brunch to-go

The Butcher Shop at B&B Butchers
The to-go side of the popular steakhouse has both ready-to-roast and pre-cooked entrees, starters, sides, and desserts available for Easter dining. Choices include Caesar salad, mini beef Wellington, mini crab cakes, whole rack of lamb, prime rib, mac and cheese and New York cheesecake (24-hour notice required). Orders may be picked up April 7-9. All items subject to availability. Call 832-767-4828 or use link above for more information.

Common Bond
For the holiday, the bakery and cafe is offering fluffernut macrons, with fluffernutter buttercream and a speckled blue shell; carrot cake entermet made with layers of cream cheese icing and candied walnuts; and an Easter case cake, a lemon-soaked vanilla cake with lemon buttercream and blueberry curd. The goodies are available for in-store purchases through April 9, although the cake is only available at bistro and bakery locations.

Craft Pita
The Mediterranean spot teams up with Truth BBQ for the holiday, offering a take-and-bake Easter meal special that includes 1.5 lbs of smoked lamb, rice pilaf, fattoush salad, cucumber yogurt, and maamoul cookies. Items must be pre-ordered and will be available for pickup on April 8. Call the West University location at (832) 767-1265 or the Briargrove location at (832) 804-9056 for information and ordering.

Feges BBQ
Give Easter a Texas twist with Feges' to-go items that are enough to feed a crowd. Get a whole turkey breast for $60 or a whole brisket for $150. Need sides? Moroccan-glazed carrots, loaded potato mash, hog fat cornbread and more are all available for $40. Pick up is available at the Greenway Plaza location on April 6 between 9 am and 3 pm. The Spring Branch location has pickup on April 6 through 8 from 11 am to 9 pm. Full the full menu and order online.

Goode Company
The Easter meal kit includes a choice of either Texas honey-glazed, pit-smoked ham or mesquite-smoked turkey breast, along with a variety of sides and a dessert. Additional items are available to purchase as well. The cost for the kit is $195 and each kit feeds between four and six people. Pre order online by April 1 with pickup on Friday, April 7 or Saturday, April 8.

R-C Ranch
The butcher shop at the Houston Farmers Market will feature a few Easter specials, including smoked ham ($4.95/lb), smoked brisket ($18.75/lb), bacon green beans ($16.95), and beef tallow mashed potatoes ($13.95). Order at the shop or by calling 979-864-3540.

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Pappas' new seafood star

Pappas cracks open all-new seafood restaurant serving oysters, caviar, and champagne in vintage Montrose-area space

Photo by Arturo Olmos

Caviar service features ramp butter and potato croquettes.

One of Houston’s most prominent restaurants groups is ready to crack open its new upscale seafood restaurant. Pappas Restaurant is ready to unveil Little’s Oyster Bar, its new concept in the former Little Pappas Seafood space on Shepherd Drive. Reservations will go live beginning May 15 for a May 17 opening.

The new name previews the comprehensive changes to the space’s design, along with an all-new food menu and beverage offerings. While the vintage exterior signage remains intact, Houstonians with memories of coming to the restaurant for fried seafood platters and discounted Gulf oysters will instead find that the company has created its first all-new fine dining concept since Pappas Bros. Steakhouse opened on Westheimer more than 25 years ago.

“Honestly, the profitability of the restaurant, we knew the neighborhood wanted something different,” Pappas director of marketing Christina Pappas tells CultureMap. “It was our opportunity to do something very chef driven in a great part of town, on a great block, and give it something fresh.”

That something fresh starts from the moment people walk through the door. The building’s Art Deco-inspired exterior signage now previews the interior design. A comprehensive set of renovations features an expanded bar, all new lighting, and changes to every plate, glass, and piece of silverware. It seats 80 people inside and 50 on a patio that features a retractable roof.

“It’s a retro Hollywood vibe with caviar and champagne. It’s fun. We don’t want to be stuffy,” Pappas says. Later, she adds, “A lot of love went in here. If we were going to do it, we were going to do it right. The design team did it all in-house, and they did a really fantastic job.”

As Christina Pappas notes, the company is aware that Little’s is opening at a time when seafood restaurants seem to be one of the city’s hottest food trends. Recent arrivals include both Navy Blue, Aaron Bludorn’s restaurant in Rice Village, and Gatsby’s Seafood. More are coming soon, including Dallas-based oyster bar Hudson House; Balboa Surf Club, a California-inspired concept from the owners of il Bracco; Dune Road, Ben Berg’s New England-style seafood restaurant; and Austin favorite Clark’s, an oyster bar that will only be about a mile away from Little’s along the same stretch of West Alabama St.

“Clark’s is great. They do a wonderful job, but how do we differentiate? We all seemed to have the idea that there was a hole in this neighborhood for an oyster bar,” she says. “We don’t want to be a replica of the same thing four blocks away. We can get wine and spirits that no one else can get, so why don’t we bring the food that comes with it? We looked for awhile to find someone who understood seafood. How seafood tastes and how to manipulate it.”

Ultimately, they found their man in executive chef Jason Ryczek. Granting that title to anyone is rare for a restaurant group where the family name comes first, but Ryczek brings an impressive resume to the role, including working as the executive chef at San Francisco seafood restaurant Farallon and as the co-owner and founding chef of Alley & Vine in Alameda. The chef tells CultureMap he initially wanted to consult on the restaurant’s opening but decided the opportunity justified moving to Houston and signing on with Pappas full time.

“What really sold me is the level of perfection in everything they do from top to bottom in all of their restaurants,” he says. “We try to get close at a lot of the restaurants I’ve been in in California to have that power behind us as chefs.”

When it came to developing the menu, Ryczek worked with Pappas’ corporate R&D team to adapt his style to meet Houstonians’ expectations. That meant bigger portions than he’s used to serving — “if someone has eight to 10 ounces of protein, it’s through the course of 10 different dishes on a tasting menu,” he says with a laugh about his typical approach — but also required the Pappas team to reconsider some of its practices.

“It became a collaboration where my outside input was to be there to question something that’s always been Pappas,” he says. “Where I say, ‘that sounds great, but don’t you think that belongs at Pappadeaux? Or maybe we should run that at the steakhouse.’ Then we talk about it until it gets to that next plane where it is different.”

Meals at Little’s will start with selections from the raw bar, which include both Gulf Coast and East Coast oysters along with crab Louie, shrimp cocktail, and lobster. Ryczek’s passion for caviar is reflected in the menu’s three varieties of sturgeon caviar — house, Kaluga, and Osetra — including six sturgeon the chef personally harvested at the California Caviar Company.

From there, diners will move on to cold appetizers and hot appetizers. Cold plates include big eye tuna crudo with watermelon and a Caesar salad riff with burrata and boquerones. Hot appetizers feature lobster gnocchi, baked oysters, and an Israeli-inspired grilled octopus dish with zhug and smashed potatoes. Entrees will be served steakhouse-style, i.e., as stand alone proteins — options include grouper, red fish, salmon, and “chicken fried snapper” — with a la carte sides such as charred carrots, grits, and french fries. Each piece of fish comes in a hearty 10-12 ounce portion that’s designed to be split (or not). Some of the fish comes from Pappas's boats, while others is sourced from sustainable fisheries around the world.

Ultimately, it’s a more compact menu than diners would typically find at a Pappas restaurant. The focus is on seasonality and serving the best ingredients that Pappas’ massive buying power allows it to source. Ultimately, diners have the choice to sample broadly by sharing multiple dishes or going down a more traditional appetizers and entrees route.

“What it comes down to is, it’s up to you. That’s what I’m trying to present the guests with,” Ryczek says. “Do you want one course, two courses, ten courses? We can do it. Do you want your own plate? Shared plates? Do you want to try as many things as possible? Did you come in here already knowing I want this kind of dish and this kind of dish?”

Robert Smith, Pappas Restaurants fine spirits and expanding concepts wine director has curated the Little's wine list with selections that pair well with its food. Both the more than 20 by-the-glass selections and an extensive bottle list focus on seafood-friendly whites, lighter reds, and sparkling wines — especially champagne. Bar manager Oliver Bondswell has contributed a tidy cocktail menu of 11 house cocktails, many of which utilize aperitivo spirits that also pair well with seafood.

Photo by Arturo Olmos

Caviar service features ramp butter and potato croquettes.

As for those other seafood restaurants, Ryczek provides a succinct analysis of where he sees Little’s fitting in. From the chef’s perspective, it’s not about competing head-to-head as much as it is about presenting a distinct offering that lures diners on its own merits.

“I don’t want to do anything like those other restaurants,” he says. “Let Navy take the high end, front of the house, Daniel Boulud route. Let Clark’s be the place you can get a burger and oysters. Let Uchi be shared plates that lean on Japanese. Let me do shared plates that lean on Gulf.

“I want [Little’s] to be nice with a comfort and smile to it that feels like a Pappas restaurant and also plays well with others. We’re our own thing.”

Little's will be open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday beginning at 5 pm.

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