Hometown Glory

Is Houston the culinary and culture capital of Texas? One study says yes

Houston is a top regional dining destination, according to a new survey from theGreater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau. Pictured here, the dining sceneat Tony's.
Photo by Julie Soefer/Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau
Frank Stella's "Damascus Gate" at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. The cityalso ranked at the top of the GHCVB list in the area of "culture/performingarts."
Photo by Priscilla Dickson

It turns out all those travel writers coming to Houston and raving about the food — as well as the slick adverts starring Jim Parsons and The Tontons — have made an impact on how people view the city.

In a survey commissioned by the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, Houston was ranked the top regional destination for "variety of dining options" and in "culture/performing arts" among cities that included Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio and New Orleans — Houston's main competitors for visitors.

Are Chris Shepherd, Justin Yu and Hugo Ortega the new John Besh, Susan Spicer and Emeril Lagasse? It seems possible at this point.

That's a big change from 2011, when a similar study placed Houston in a tie with Dallas on culinary variety and when all five cities were tied in the culture and performing arts category.

Houston pulling ahead is pretty significant considering that Dallas recently opened the massive AT&T Performing Arts Center, which includes four new arts venues for opera, theater and dance performances. In addition, Houston has long lived in the shadow of New Orleans' celebrated Creole culinary tradition. Are Chris Shepherd, Justin Yu and Hugo Ortega the new John Besh, Susan Spicer and Emeril Lagasse? It seems possible at this point.

The changing perception of H-Town seems to be having an effect on travel patterns as well. According to the Houston Chronicle, visits to Houston increased 20 percent between 2010 and 2011, although the lion's share of the increase (and of Houston's visitors in general) are coming to the city for business.

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On the road

Vonlane ramps up luxury bus service from Houston to key Texas city

Photo courtesy of Vonlane

Vonlane has added new routes in major cities around Texas.

Luxury bus operator Vonlane is adding new routes across Texas for 2026, including bringing back crack-of-dawn rides between Houston and San Antonio.

According to a release, effective February 16, Vonlane will run new early-morning and evening departures in four Texas cities on high-demand travel days. Six additional weekly departures have been added in each city as follows:

NEW Fort Worth to and from Austin:

7 am and 7 pm Monday, Thursday, and Friday

NEW Houston Galleria to and from San Antonio:

6 am and 6 pm Monday, Thursday, and Friday

As of February 16, the schedule to and from these Texas cities will be as follows:

San Antonio to Houston Galleria:

6 am, 10 am, 2 pm, 6 pm Monday, Thursday, and Friday
10 am and 2 pm Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday
1 pm Saturday

Houston Galleria to San Antonio:

6 am, 10 am, 2 pm, 6 pm Monday, Thursday, and Friday
10 am and 2 pm Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday
9 am Saturday

Vonlane also offers routes from Houston to Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin.

The company says the expanded schedules aim to help facilitate day trips, allowing regional business travelers to arrive in time for morning meetings and return home the same evening.

“Business travelers are telling us they want schedules that actually work,” said Alex Danza, founder and CEO of Vonlane, in a statement. “These new departures make it possible to take a morning meeting without a 4 am alarm, stay productive on the road, and still be home by dinner. That flexibility is exactly what Vonlane was built to deliver.”

Dallas-based Vonlane launched its high-end bus service in 2014 to cater to business travelers. Each bus, which holds fewer than two dozen passengers, features amenities like Wi-Fi, satellite TV and radio, snack and drink service, sleep masks, and leather seats. Their fares are flat-rate, one-way or round-trip, with no taxes, baggage fees, or change fees.

Vonlane now offers more than 500 departures weekly across nine cities, in Texas and beyond. Routes run in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio, Texas; between Atlanta, Georgia, and Nashville, Tennessee; and between Nashville and Memphis, and Nashville and Knoxville.

In Houston, buses to Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin depart from the Hyatt Regency Downtown at 1200 Louisiana St. Buses to San Antonio depart from the Hyatt Regency Galleria at 2626 Sage Rd.

Reservations can be booked online, and may be canceled and fully refunded up to 24 hours before departure.

Vonlane also just launched an app to make booking and managing trips easier for passengers; it is available for Apple and Android devices.

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