Dine out, do good
Houston Restaurant Weeks 2023 kicks off with record-shattering number of participants
Newcomer Hamsa offers fresh Israeli fare.
In Houston, our culinary equivalent to Black Friday is arguably Houston Restaurant Weeks.
The wildly popular, annual event sees hundreds of Houston restaurants offering pre-fixe, multi-course lunches, dinners, and brunches and allows diners to get great deals at hot eateries around the Bayou City. And the icing on this cake: Every participating restaurant donates a portion of its special HRW menu sales to to one of the city's most-loved nonprofits, the Houston Food Bank.
Now celebrating its 20th outing, HRW is back on and runs from Tuesday, August 1 through September 4. Diners can expect dinners for between $39 and $55, and brunches and lunches for $25, depending on location.
A record-breaking 385 restaurants are participating this year.
For those who might be overwhelmed by all that choice, CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler offered his guide to some exciting newcomers to the HRW list. The Houston Restaurant Weeks website has the full list of participants, and allows diners to search for their favorites or those on their must-try list by both name and neighborhood.
HRW menu options typically include selections of appetizers, entrees, and desserts at a fixd price. Dinners are generally three courses, while lunches and brunches usually offer two. Additional menu items, alcohol, and other drinks are not included.
A word to any new Houstonians or those not familiar with HRW: make reservations, if they are offered. Dining out is the unofficial sport in Houston, and the next 35 days are bound to be busy with these sizzling deals.
“We are excited to see the number of restaurants continue to climb this year,” said Katie Stone of the Cleverly Stone Foundation, which she created to honor her mother, Cleverly Stone, the food writer, philanthropist and founder of Houston Restaurant Weeks. “In addition to many of the long-time favorites, we have more than 80 first timers. This shows how much the industry respects and embraces HRW. You can feel the power of our city’s philanthropic personality. Everyone can’t wait to dine out and do good!”
