New and next-level

2 buzzy Houston spots rank among Yelp's 25 best new Southern restaurants

Xalisko Cocina Mexicana serves a tableside trompo that has Yelpers raving.

Xalisko Cocina Mexicana/Facebook

Without the professional checks and balances professional reviewers face, Yelp users are free to go wild. Although that sometimes makes for a chaotic rating system, it makes the platform's 25 best new restaurants in the South all the more impressive. Houston-area establishments placed on the list twice — something only a handful of cities achieved.

The two Houston-area restaurants featured start with Xalisko Cocina Mexicana (No. 12), a restaurant in The Woodlands where chef Beatriz Martines uses her experiences working for James Beard Award winner Hugo Ortega to pay homage to her homeland of Jalisco. Baso (No. 22), the Basque-inspired live fire restaurant in the Heights, hits all four trends identified by the report as a whole: open-flame cooking, Southern roots, global thinking, and seasonal menus.

Baso food spread Baso's menu is in line with many of the trends identified by Yelp.Baso/Facebook

The list was compiled based on both hard data and opinion. All the restaurants on the list are full-service, and have opened after January 21, 2023, and have a passing health score as of May 1, 2024. Some quantitative factors include total volume and ratings of reviews, while Community Managers provided a human touch by identifying which restaurants users especially gravitate towards. Noko, described as a wood-fired Asian grill in Nashville, took the top spot.

In addition to quotes from the chefs and reviewers, these listings highlight some of the restaurants' most talked-about dishes, so diners have somewhere to start when they make a visit.

Turnip cigars by Fabrik in Austin Fabrik was No. 10 on the list. Fabrik/Instagram

Austin and Dallas were also represented on the list with two and one mentions, respectively. Austin bested Houston, garnering two spots in the top 10 — the gluten-free Yucatecan retreat Nômadé (No. 4) and the vegan fine dining pioneer Fabrik (No. 10). Besides a shared interest in catering to specific diets, these restaurants share a presentational ethos that offers elevated dining without too much pretension. (We have the Austin dining scene at large to thank for this pattern.)

It's not a surprise, given those similarities, that the chefs behind both restaurants were really cooking for themselves when they developed the concepts. Chef Jay Huang of Nômadé tells Yelp his food allergies have caused frustration while scouring menus for something safe to eat when dining out; Chef Je Wallerstein of Fabrik says her hard-to-find take on vegan dining comes from 20 years of eating vegan.

In Dallas, sushi spot Yūjō (No. 9) received praise not just for its high-quality fish, but for its excellent service — a winning combination for an "entry level omakase."

Houston also fared well on Yelp's overall top 100 U.S. restaurants list with Burger-Chan, Tacos Doña Lena, Avesta Persian Grill, and Southern Yankee Crafthouse coming in at Nos. 27, 38, 61, and 99, respectively. Similarly, Katy favorite Pappa Gyros come in at No. 63.

Elsewhere in Texas, Gino’s Deli Stop N Buy in San Antonio smoked the competition at No. 9, followed by: Mr Max, in Irving at No. 72 and Mr. A-Ok’s Kitchen in San Antonio at No. 77.

A full list with insight from the chefs and reviewers is available at yelp.com.

say hey to Hypsi

Houston chef's hip new Italian restaurant now open in Heights hotel

Photo by Julie Soefer

Hypsi serves pasta and other Itaian-inspired dishes.

A new Italian restaurant is now open in the Heights. Located within the newly opened Hotel Daphne, Hypsi marks chef Terrence Gallivan’s return to professional cooking in Houston.

Known for his time as the co-execuive chef of The Pass and Provisions and owner of ElRo Pizza and Crudo, Gallivan brings strong culinary credentials to Hypsi. Although he isn’t known explicitly for Italian fare, he has significant experience making pizza, pasts, and other Italian-inspired dishes. After closing ElRo last year, the chef says that working for Bunkhouse Hotels, the Austin-based company that operates the Daphne, had a lot of appeal.

“My wife and I always made it a point to stop at their places whenever we’re in Austin. They know how to make cool stuff,” Gallivan says.

Hypsi’s menu includes updated takes on Italian fare begins with starters such as lamb meatballs, black truffle arancini, and Caesar salad. A selection of house-made pastas include squid ink radiatori with rock shrimp, butternut squash tortellini, and lumache with vodka sauce that gets a little heat from nduja. Entree choices include a roast chicken, pork Milanese, and roasted snapper with salsa verde.

The restaurant is also open for breakfast during the week and brunch on the weekends with items such as a panatone waffle, frittata, and breakfast sandwich. Lunch will follow in January.

“We took inspiration from tradition without being traditional,” Gallivan says. Later, he adds, “For me, it’s about balance. You try to please everybody. I want my mom to enjoy herself as much as a 25-year-old foodie. It’s important to hit as many marks as you can.”

One of the restaurant’s signatures will be the mozzarella cart that rolls through its dining room. Gallivan says he’s sourcing a mix of both American and imported Italian cheeses that will rotate every week or two. The cheese is served with a range of pickled fruit and vegetables, olive oil, aged balsamic vinegar, focaccia, and more. Of course, seeing a cart immediately grabs diners’ attention, making them want whatever is on offer.

“That’s the beauty of carts,” Gallivan says. “It’s a fun thing to do. I think sometimes we get a little too serious in restaurants. It’s supposed to be fun. People are here to enjoy themselves.”

All that eating and drinking takes place in a dining room that’s inspired by Prohibition-era speakeasies, according to press materials. Details include blueberry lava stone on the bar, vintage velvet chairs, and custom Carimate dining chairs by Vico Magistretti. An outdoor patio features brick pavers, mosaic tables, and sculptures.

Photo by Julie Soefer

Hypsi serves pasta and other Itaian-inspired dishes.

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