Houston Superbowl Neighbordhood Dining Guide

Your online search brought you here, so I take it you're looking for some places to eat while in Houston. You're either here visiting, on a work trip, or like a lot of people you are here to celebrate Superbowl 51. Houston is quite a diverse city, offering a melting pot of cuisines representing our population. Please note, this is a small percentage of what Houston is all about. Frankly, it is tough to know the city in just a few short days. Don't fret, my mission with this post is to get you to explore Houston, eating where the locals eat; after all the best way to learn a place is to dine with the locals. I've included my top favorite places by neighborhood, and also included some of my foodie friends' suggestions.

Bradley's Fine Dinner - Houston, TX

Bradley's Fine Dinner

Location:
191 Heights Blvd,
Houston, TX 77007

Hours:
M-Th, Su 11a-10p
Fr-Sa 11a-11p

Ambiance:
I had the pleasure of discovering one of Houston's youngest restaurants, a California inspired restaurant by the Bradley Ogden Hospitality. The restaurant is located in the Washington avenue area of Houston, Texas. The first thing you notice as you walk in, is this breathtaking tree root chandelier hanging from the ceiling on the right side of the restaurant. The second is a clean, casual environment- so California like(that's exactly how the employees described it, California inspired). The next thing you notice is the lighting. During the day, the windows surrounding this restaurant draw in perfect sunlight. But once it gets darker, the restaurant's incandescent lighs are turned on to give a more casual romantic feel. The staff is extremely courteous, I probably received the best service ever.They're knowledgeable and passionate about what they do and who they work for. I enjoyed conversing with the employees, as they share with me images they've taken of prepared dishes. For a better feel of the experience, check out my Tastemade appisode here

Byzantio Cafe and Bar - Houston, TX

Restaurant: 
Byzantio Cafe & Bar

Location:
403 W. Gray St.
Houston, TX 77019

Hours: 
M-Th, Su 10a-1a
F-S 10a- 2a

Ambiance:
A week ago, I was invited to a private event at Byzantio Cafe & Bar. Byzantio is a traditional Greek restaurant located in Midtown Houston. A friend of mine had taken me there for a happy hour chat a few days before. The restaurant is housed in the owners; previous residence, and is described as a restaurant serving authentic greek food with a twist. As you go around the restaurant, the walls are covered with images that bring life and character to this establishment. The staff is very courteous, I received great service on both occasions. Ilias and Dora Giannakopoulos did a great job at hosting, presenting dishes and explaining the story of their restaurant. (Get a visual feel of the restaurant with my video review here)

RDG+ Bar Annie- Houston,TX #HappyHour

Restaurant:
RDG + Bar Annie

Location:

1800 Post Oak Blvd,
Houston, TX 77056

Hours:

M-T:   11:30a-2p, 6p-10p
Fri:   11:30a- 2p, 6p-10:30p
Sat:  6p-10:30p
Sun:  11a-2:30a, 5p-9p

Ambiance:
Located on South Post Oak in the BLVD place building, RDG + Bar Annie is a modern classic restaurant. Guests have a chance at enjoying a unique dining experience in a modern and classic styled restaurant. I had the opportunity to go there during a happy hour event with my company. The venue offers elegance without making you feel out of place. Perfect venue to host a work event, party, bring clients or whatever floats your boat. As I entered this venue, I was greeted by a door man(should I say that, maybe a valet attendant) who opened the door for me and informed me that the restaurant and bar were upstairs and the downstairs housed the restrooms. As I made my way up the stairs, I couldn't help but notice their magnificent wine cellar. Things got a bit confusing though as I reached the upstairs; the reception desk was unattended- it took a couple of minutes for someone to come and help.

What I Ate:
Well being that it was a happy hour event, we ordered drinks and small bites. The drink menu looked good, prices just right. I decided to go with the Gora Fang cocktail(it has passion fruit), which is described as "a tropical Tiki drink with Aged Rum, Dark Rum, Falernum, Lime Juice, Orange Juice, Home-made Grenadine, Passion Fruit, Angostura." Ooh La La, c'etait delicieux! How delicious it was- The combination of all flavors was just perfect!

We also had an order of wings and Chile Con Queso with fresh Tortilla Chips(not pictured). The wings were served with small sanitary wipes to clean the mess you will make with your hands. The only thing I wished was that they had brought regular napkins because my fingers were still wet and filthy so I had to wipe them on my cute golden-yellow table napkin. I know...I know, that's what table napkins are for but, I was just thinking of the work that will go into removing the stains from the gorgeous cloth.

Grub Burger Bar- Houston TX

Restaurant: 

Grub Burger Bar

Location: 

799 Town & Country Blvd. Houston, TX (Upstairs from Urban Outfitters, next to Ra Sushi)

Hours:

Sun-Thurs: 11-10

Fri & Sat: 11-11

Ambiance:

This past Saturday I went to Grub Burger Bar with Brunch and Conversation. Grub Burger Bar is located in the City Centre on the west side of town. The restaurant has two other locations in Texas: one in College Station and another in Dallas. The City Center location was very clean and stylish without being all fancy-pants and whatnot. The majority of the people who worked there all seemed to be around 17 years old, but were still friendly and professional nonetheless. The only concern I had with this location was that the bathroom was a bit untidy and I had to scrounge for soap to wash my hands.

What I ate:

I initially set out to bond with my dear friend and people-watch (of course), but my intentions quickly changed once I took a look at the menu. Two words ladies and gentlemen: spiked. Milkshakes. So you mean that these lovely people have combined the sweet American innocence of a shake and the delightful dangerousness of alcohol into one beverage? Yes I tell you.

Yes.

I glanced at the six different spiked milkshakes until I set my heart and taste buds on the mint chocolate chip spiked milkshake with vodka, coffee liqueur, crème de mènthe, Andes Mints and chocolate. The desert received several longing stares from the other patrons as the waiter made his way to my table and I couldn’t help but to awe over it’sgorgeousness before I took my first sip.  The drink was smooth and sweet with a kick at the end…kind of like a Power Puff girl. I loved it!

All in all, the drink definitely lived up to my expectations and is probably the best sweet treat a hard-working teacher could ask for!

Mint Chocolate Chip Spiked Milkshake

Brunch & Co. had a Guacapotle Burger w/ a Texaz Spiked Milkshake

I'm a bit picky with burgers. The burger was simple, no big flavor- the guac added the missing flavor which I wished to have had more of. The fries, although they looked good, lacked flavor as well; if I were to compare them to other places I've eaten. The milkshakes are the BOMB DIGGITY- highly recommend!! XO  - Brunch & Co.

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Guest Blogger:

Erin Barlow is a teacher and self proclaimed cookie monster.
When's she's not busy teaching, you can find her searching high and low, for the next best pastry.