Houston Area Dining Guide

The nation's fourth-largest city has no shortage of dining options. In fact, Houston offers diners a wide-variety of restaurants featuring virtually every possible type of cuisine in settings that range from cool casual to button-down formal.

The top 10 barbecue restaurants in Houston all produce great food, but the styles are as diverse as Houston itself. Offering tangy sauces or spicy ones, mesquite-smoked ribs or hickory-infused brisket, Houston barbecue restaurants will satisfy even the most demanding carnivores.

Offering authentic Mexican cuisine, Tila's has long been a favorite of Houston area residents and visitors.

Beaver's barbecue restaurant is one of the best barbecue restaurants in Houston, featuring a menu created by veteran Houston chef Monica Pope. Find out what to order and why this is one of Houston's most popular barbecue restaurants.

The meat is a little crusty, and so is Thelma, but as long as you follow her rules, you'll enjoy some of the best barbecue in Houston. East Texas-style brisket is the standout at this meat mecca.

The big barn on Kirby Drive is home to some of the best barbecue in Houston. This Houston-based chain serves up mesquite-smoked goodness seven days a week.

The smell emanating from the little old house lets you know that you're about to experience some of the best barbecue in Houston. The tender ribs and brisket make Burns BBQ a hidden gem worth finding.

Reliably tender brisket makes Virgie's Bar-B-Q one of the best barbecue restaurants in Houston. All the meat is smoked over pecan and oak, infusing it with rich, smoky flavor.

The outdoor pit, burning hickory wood, is the secret behind Central Texas Style BBQ's tasty ribs and brisket, making it one of the best barbecue restaurants in the Houston area. This neighborhood hangout in Pearland has been in business for 40 years.

Delicately slow-smoked meat earns Pierson & Company Bar-B-Que recognition as one of the best barbecue restaurants in Houston. The most popular menu items are dry-rubbed brisket and mesquite-smoked ribs.

Pizzitola's Bar-B-Cue is one of the best barbecue restaurants in Houston. It's not a fancy place, but Pizzitola's serves up first-rate, slow-smoked brisket, ribs and chicken.

Lyndon's Pit Bar-B-Q's sausage and ribs are considered among the best in Houston. Though the meat at Lyndon's Pit Bar-B-Q isn't actually cooked in a pit, it's still oozing with smoky goodness.

Gatlin's BBQ serves up delicious, slow-smoked meat in a quaint home in Houston's Heights neighborhood. Whether you're in search of tender pork ribs, brisket or sausage, Gatlin's BBQ will not disappoint.

Claiming to be Houston's first "sidewalk cafe," Michelangelo's has been serving fine Italian food since 1969.

Houston residents and visitors have three locations at which to sample Cafe Red Onion's Latino Fusion cuisine.

With two Texas locations - Houston and the Woodlands - the Grotto Ristorante has become a favorite for Texans seeking quality Italian cuisine.

Considered one of the finest French restaurants in the South, Houston's Le Mistral is open daily for brunch and dinner.

The Magnolia Bar & Grill brings a Louisiana flair to Houston's Richmond Avenue with a menu chocked-full of Cajun favorites.

Offering fine steaks, seafood and an extensive wine list, as well as unmatched hospitality, Morton's Steakhouse has become a favorite stop for visitors in San Antonio, Houston and Dallas.

Located on the banks of Buffalo Bayou, Houston's Rainbow Lodge offers a menu of grilled seafood and game in an upscale lodge setting.

Famous for their Stone Crab, Truluck's also offers Houston area diners a full menu of fresh seafood and steaks.

Long a San Antonio favorite for Tex-Mex cuisine, Gringo's Mexican Kitchen also has a location in Houston, both of which serve excellent Tex-Mex food.

Two Rows Brewery prides themselves on their extensive menu and popular handcrafted brews at both their Houston and Dallas locations.

A Houston tradition since 1979, Spanish Flowers Mexican Restaurant is open 24 hours a day and offers a complete menu of Mexican food favorites.

Serving traditional Mexican dishes in an upscale environment, Cantina Laredo has locations throughout both the Houston and Dallas areas.

Fleming's is famous for their succulent beef, as well as fresh seafood, salads, sides and desserts. This quality combined with an elegant, yet relaxing atmosphere has made Fleming's a favorite with diners in both Austin and Houston.

Located in Houston's historic Rice Hotel, the Sambuca Restaurant has a wonderful lunch and dinner menu as well as an extensive wine list. The Sambuca is also right next door to one of Houston's premier event locations, the Crystal Ballroom.

Catch a movie and a meal all at one place - the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is a unique setting which allows for both a movie and a meal. Each row of seats within the theatre has a table in front of it and patrons can order drinks, appetizers, salads, entrees and desserts, all while enjoying their favorite movie on the big screen.

Situated in a tastefully decorated, fully restored historic building, Gravitas is perhaps Houston's finest American Bistro-style restaurant.