Places to eat in Houston

1 more image

La Madeline is my new favorite place to eat. The locations are not gigantic but they always have room, although they do get busy during lunch. The tables and chairs are smaller and it just adds a very french feeling to it. It's very well done.

La Madeline serves food, then has a separate bakery and coffee counter. So if you want a great meal or just some yummy dessert this is your place. The food they offer is very light. You'll find a majority of soups, salads, quiches, and sandwiches. I've never found anything I hated. They have complimentary bread with butter and preserves while you're waiting or to eat with your soup or salad.

This is a chain so please check their website to find the one nearest you! However, I would HIGHLY recommend visiting the one in the Woodlands. It's in the Market Square plaza that is a new replica of an old town built up with great shops. They have an outdoor patio that is to die for when the sun goes down. It's definitely one of my favorite things to do in Houston. ESPECIALLY DURING CHRISTMAS!!!

Mon. - Sun. 6:30 AM - 10:00 PM

Favorite Dish: I love their caesar salad, strawberries and sauce, bread. My favorite meal would be the Turkey Ciabatta melt. It's sliced turkey with swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and honey mustard dressing all on ciabatta bread. YUM!!!!
Any of the desserts would blow your socks off. I can never resist the chocolate chip cookie :)

2 more images

This is an expensive restaurant located Downtown near the Convention Center. It serves American food, with an original twist, range of meat, fish, and vegetarian. The building is all super ecological, as well as the furniture, made of recycled or natural materials. The decoration and architecture is certainly unique and quite nice, very modern. They are also eco-friendly by having their own vegetable and herb garden (on the roof!), and recycling everything they use. During the day, nice view and terrace overlooking the nearby park, Discovery Green. Excellent service. Reservations recommended.

1 more image

This is the best Chinese restaurant of the Clear Lake Area, a suburb Southeast of Houston. The tacky exterior hides a quite fancy restaurant inside. Excellent dishes, nice spices, and good service. Try the Chinese menu dishes for more original fare.
Avoid, however, to get take out from them. They are extremely slow to deliver (2 hours when they say one).

The love for Chinese dining among the India and Pakistani population North America has brought about a new type of Cuisine, Chinese Indian Dining. A number of excellent restaurant have opened in recently serving this type of food. The food basically is Chinese ingredients like noodle, rice and vegetables cooked in flavoury Indian spices. To name a few dishes is Manchurian Chicken Noodles, these can be fried or boiled but are cooked in red chili paste with an abundance of ginger and garlic. A local Houston restaurant, Mayuri Indian Chinese it as an appetizer but then it is served without the noodle. I can bet it is one of the best tasting chicken appetizers I have ever had. Another excellent dish is the Pan Fried noodles, with Chicken, Beef, Shrimps or all three together. We had the one with Shrimps and again I have never tasted better shrimps. Other dishes served are Gobi Manchurian, American Chopsuey, Chilli Chicken. Mayuri Indian is located at:

5857 Wertheimer Road
Houston, TX 77057-5784
(713) 975-6565

Other restaurants serving the same kind of foods are as follows:

Indian Wok,
911-A FM 1960 West
Houston
TX - 77070
USA

Masala Wok
- www.masalawok.com
10001 Westheimer Road, Houston - (713) 784-8811

Favorite Dish: Manchurian Chicken

We went to dinner at Jax Grill of of recommendation from some local friends. Oh my gawd, what a hoot! Listening to CCR meshed with the Electric Slide, coming from a band with an accordion and washboards. And white bikers and black cowboys all dancing...

Jax Grill is a melting pot that makes Houston what it is. Everyone gets along and has a great time in Southern style.

The place is decorated simply, with wood tables and modest wall art. There's an outdoor seating area so you can eat with the fresh air (its also enclosed and heated in the winter).

But you don't come here because of the decorations, you come here for the lively music (Friday & Saturday), the friendly people and the food.

Favorite Dish: The food is great. See the link below for a menu with prices. The portions are large and the quality is good, after all Texans would not often come back for repeat business if the food was not good!

But in addition to the menu items, there will be a chalk board with a dozen specials of the day. I recommend looking through those first!

We sampled the country fried steak, marinated chicken breast served on a bed of spinach (yum!), hamburgers, chowders, etc. We went back for seconds! Everything was good!

***UPDATE***
This restaurant is re-opened on 4th street (still in Seabrook) after being wiped-out by hurricane Ike in 2008.
As delicious as ever!
***UPDATE***

This restaurant is a gem. Simply the best in the Clear Lake area.
First it is located in a nice-looking area, and not in a strip mall with ugly parking lots like most restaurants in Houston. This one is overlooking a pretty lake and is right next to Galveston Bay. It is small, family owned, in a old quaint little house. The food (Thai) is delicious. The service is a little slow but it is definitely worth the wait; you are likely to wait 1/2 hour or more if it is a group of more than 4 (and it means they did not heat up the stuff in the microwave at the last minute!! They are cooking everything from scratch). Sometimes also they do not have the ingredients for certain dishes or all the wines of their wine list. But even if they do not have what you initially wanted to order, it does not matter as everything is wonderfully tasting!

Favorite Dish: Everything is delicious! My favorite is the dish with duck (forgot the name, but there is only one).

I was in Houston visiting the Texas Medical Center for work. Had Cliff's every night I stayed there. The food was fresh and delicious. The people that work there are very hospitable. Marilyn Monroe wall paper gives a nice 50's feel.

Favorite Dish: Falafel sandwich, Patty Melt, Fries

This place is hidden in a stripmall and it is cozy. There is no valet and no charge for wine. You can bring your own bottle from down the street at Spec's. There is no corking fee. The Chef is friendly and the FOOD is great. Just make sure you leave room for dessert. Reservations are accepted. I like to make reservations it makes me feel special.

Favorite Dish: I only order the specials because I am adventureous, but I call ahead so I can get my wine to match at Spec's.