Houston Restaurant Weeks is a welcome time of year for diners who love sampling the city’s stellar cuisine but are watching their wallets. From August 1 to September 1, participating restaurants are offering specially priced, prix fixe menus for brunch, lunch, or dinner ($25 for brunch and lunch, $39 or $55 for dinner) with a set amount per meal ($1, $3, or $5) donated to the Cleverley Stone Foundation, which makes a substantial donation to the Houston Food Bank.
While most restaurants serve three-course menus, some go above and beyond by offering four — or, in one case, five and a choice of tea. For those looking to maximize the bang for the bucks, consider one of these nine restaurants.
Looking for even more choices? Check out CultureMap's list of some of the restaurants participating in the event for the first time.
At Hamsa, diners can select three salatim to begin their prix fixe dinner.
Blue Tuba
Get to know this European comfort food restaurant in the Heights through its four-course, $55 menu. Choices include potato soup, French escargot, Belgian mussels, beef stroganoff, and what is arguably the best schnitzel in Houston. Of the impressive five dessert options, consider going for a traditional Czech kolache to compare with the modern versions served around town.
Dough Zone Dumpling House
Not only are all four locations of the Seattle-based dim sum restaurant serving a five-course menu — it's priced at $39. Choices include sweet-and-sour cucumber salad, xiao-long bao, steamed vegetable dumplings, dan-dan noodles, cold sesame noodles, pot stickers, and pan-fried chive dumplings. The meal also includes a choice of hot tea, fruit tea, or milk tea, making it one of HRW's most impressive values.
Hamsa
Take a trip to the Eastern Mediterranean at Hamsa, where the Rice Village restaurant has HRW menus for all three meals. Dinner features staples such as hummus (plain or lamb), falafel, cauliflower couscous, and skewers of ribeye, oyster mushrooms, or chicken thigh. For dessert, consider the petite beurre: a shortbread cookie with whipped cream and shaved dark chocolate.
King Steak
It only opened in late May, but this Galleria steakhouse has already made waves. For HRW, diners will find dishes like rock shrimp with spicy citrus, palomino beet salad with goat cheese and green apple, and mains such as a 6-ounce filet, short rib, chicken parmesan, or Ora King salmon. End on a sweet note with your choice of a mini half-baked cookie, butter cake, or chocolate mousse.
Kokoro Handroll Bar
Part of Duckstache Hospitality’s lineup of HRW participants, Kokoro Handroll Bar spotlights pristine fish and thoughtful technique. Start with either a crudo of bluefin tuna or king salmon, or a hijiki seaweed salad. For the second course, choose between nigiri, sashimi, and a negitoro hand roll with fatty tuna and chives. Hand rolls star in the third course: spicy tuna, spicy scallop, or crab. Dessert offers a choice between mochi ice cream and a chocolate truffle cake.
Kuu
This Memorial City sushi staple is serving a four-course, $55 menu. Begin with one of four sashimi options followed by one of four sushi rolls. Entree choices include chili prawns and seared scallops, as well as optional upgrades for miso sea ball and lamb chops with foie gras. Finish with one of three desserts.
MAD
This Spanish restaurant is the vibiest of vibe restaurants with its eclectic interior and elaborate plating. MAD is a celebration destination, where patrons often gather to mark birthdays, anniversaries, and graduations over tapas and cocktails. There’s no need to wait for a special day to visit the River Oaks establishment with the HRW $55 dinner menu featuring croquetas, tuna tartare, filet mignon, paella, and gelatos.
Silk Road
The inner loop's buzzy dim sum destination is serving a four-course menu at the lower $39 price. Everyone gets hot and sour soup to start, followed by a choice of a dumpling trio (omnivore or vegan), steamed stuffed tofu, or the signature crispy shrimp cheung fun. Entree choices include fried rice, stir-fried noodles, and pork ribs.
Succulent Fine Dining
The Napa Valley-inspired eatery took over Instagram when it opened in mid-May, with its lush greenery and charming gazebos perched on the upstairs patio. Highlights from the dinner menu include featured bites like chicken liver mousse in pani puri, an XO deviled egg with caviar, and roasted beets with caramelized yogurt. Mains range from carrot gnocchi with garden herb pistou to prime beef tenderloin meatloaf with prosciutto jus. Finish with Texas peaches and cream, chocolate terrine, or a mango-streusel “Gold Finger.”
