For more than 60 years, Cream Burger has been Third Ward’s mainstay for burgers, fries, and milkshakes. Founded by Verna and Willie Greenwood in 1961, the business is run by their four daughters today, who are all in their 60s and 70s. Pro tip: If you’re looking to order some burgers here, make sure you bring some dollar bills since this no-frills establishment is cash only.

Ella Russell’s Crumbville is a cookie, cake, and dessert haven. Take, for example, the neon pink Cookie Minaj or the Mayniac Munch, a moist mash-up of red velvet, chocolate chip pecan cookie dough, and Oreos all rolled into one.

Although Beyoncé put Frenchy’s Chicken on the national map, it’s been loved by Houstonians for generations. Founded in 1969, this neighborhood staple cooks up some of the best fried chicken in town, plus a bevy of other Creole classics that keep loyal fans coming back.

For more than 10 years, Green Seed Vegan has been a bastion for vegan and raw food on the stretch of Almeda Road that straddles Third Ward and the Museum District. If you’re looking for a quick pick-me-up, stop by for a smoothie, juice, or elixir, or have a full meal with one of Green Seed’s paninis, which feature fillings like caramelized plantains, grilled portabella mushrooms, lemongrass garbanzo tempeh, eggplant, and zucchini. We also love the jackfruit barbecue sandwich.

With roots in Freedmen’s Town, the earliest iteration of Houston This Is It Soul Food, opened in 1959, once served homecooked classics to jazz greats like Louis Armstrong and Cab Calloway. Now chef-owner Craig Joseph is carrying on his family’s legacy with comfort foods like oxtails and chitterlings.

Recipes and techniques passed down from generations of the Jackson family are what set this Southern-style bakery apart. You’ll taste that heritage through favorites like Ms. Myrtle’s sweet potato pie or Ms. Delia’s tea cakes, a recipe from a great-great-grandmother.

This all-day café in the newly renovated Eldorado Ballroom is the brainchild of celebrated Houston chef Chris Williams, owner of Lucille’s and the new Late August. The Rado serves items like oxtail barbacoa tacos, a grilled cheese with gumbo, and a shrimp boil sandwich. Since the café has a full coffee bar, it’s also a great spot for a quick caffeine pick-me-up.

While you’re in the area, travel just south of Third Ward to admire the beautiful homes of MacGregor and Riverside Terrace—the best way to do this is with a walk or bike ride along Brays Bayou. Then, to fuel up, check out Ray’s. Established in 1984 by pitmaster and founder Rayford S. Busch as a barbecue food truck, Ray’s Real Pit BBQ Shack went on to open as a brick-and-mortar in 2011. This quintessential eatery is known for its hickory-smoked meats, fried fish, deep-fried corn on the cob, and peach cobbler.

For more than 25 years, Reggae Hut has been serving Caribbean cuisine from a colorful building on Almeda Road. Inside, the walls are painted with vibrant murals and display artwork that tells the story of the African diaspora. Favorites here include the Jamaican jerk chicken, oxtail stew, and curry goat. Before ordering your mains, make sure you start your meal with some fried plantains and some of the soft and buttery coco bread.

If it’s a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night in Third Ward, you need to be at Club 3710 to experience the gravitational pull of live jazz, hip-hop, and rhythm and blues for yourself.

When isn’t it a good time to hit up DBar? Known for its live music—oldies but goodies, fans say—the bar has themed nights throughout the week, including Tuesday steak night and karaoke Wednesdays. Most nights also feature live music, making it one of the hyped spots in the ward.

This Third Ward nightclub has it all. Looking to hang out at the bar? There’s three. On the hunt for a spot to host an event? Grooves of Houston has two private rooms. In the mood for some dancing? Then hang out in the nightclub portion of the venue. Oh, and there’s also a full kitchen that dishes out fare like boudin balls, fried catfish tenders, and burgers. If none of that interests you, then at least stop by for some hookah.

This intimate space at the northern edge of Third Ward brands itself as an “upscale nightlife” spot with a “sexy kind of atmosphere.” It’s perfect for a cozy date night filled with live music, dancing, and good drinks.

This Emancipation Avenue bar and grill is your Third Ward go-to for ambience, drinks, and eats, including a weekend brunch boasting dishes like chicken and red velvet pancakes, lobster and grits, and fried catfish. We recommend ordering from the Savoy’s expansive frozen cocktail menu or treating your friends to a mimosa tower.

Established in 2006, the Spot is a neighborhood hub for cocktails, lively music, and dancing the night away. Think cozy dive bar where the bartenders know the regulars by name.

Tucked away in a 1943 two-story brick home, the Gite Gallery is a commercial art gallery centered on sub-Saharan African art. Here, you’ll find everything from original paintings and sculptures to artifacts and textiles curated by Lloyd Gite.

Cozy bookstore vibes meet artful, inclusive curation at Kindred Stories, a Black woman–owned independent bookstore. Open since 2021, Kindred Stories focuses on books by Black authors and offers a diverse set of genres, from sci-fi and fantasy to LGBTQ+ and Black studies, spirituality, and self-help. The shop also hosts youth and adult book clubs, author talks, and other community events.

Our Little Red One Shop is Houston’s first Black-owned metaphysical store. The shop, founded in 2017, is big on herbalism and holistic healing. Although it’s tiny, it’s full of charm. It’s a great spot to stock up on essentials like candles, sage, crystals, and oils. Our favorite offering there? That would be the tarot and candle readings, which are done at a table in the back of the shop hidden behind a privacy screen, which lends an authentic, DIY vibe to the experience.

Looking for a free contemporary art museum that engages international artists? Look no further than the University of Houston’s Blaffer Art Museum, which features a wide variety of exhibits throughout the year.

The Cullen Performance Hall, on the University of Houston campus, is a cozy venue for everything from public lectures and symphony orchestra to comedy shows and concerts.

This atmospheric coffee shop is the perfect spot for meet-ups, remote work, studying, and enjoying vegan eats and drinks. Although you can do all of that inside, we recommend posting up on its patio, since it’s one of the most beautiful coffee shop patios in Houston.

For generations, this historic venue, first opened in 1939, was a key performance space for Black blues and jazz musicians, including greats like T-Bone Walker, Jimmy Reed, Big Joe Turner, and Ray Charles. After falling into disrepair, the ’Rado was recently revamped and reopened by Project Row Houses. It’s a great spot to listen to live music or to look at art, all while surrounded by community.

For award-winning productions in a space reminiscent of European opera houses, the University of Houston’s Moores Opera Center is a must. Engage in the grand world of opera or sit back and enjoy the variety of musical programming offered here.

The Nook Cafe and Bar is more than a spot for caffeine and productivity near the University of Houston, though there’s plenty of that too. Although it’s been a long staple for UH students, a new upstairs bar and rooftop patio, as well as the hub’s late hours, board games, community events, and drag shows have transformed it into a hangout spot for all.

Art and community collide at Project Row Houses, a collective dedicated to storytelling, community enrichment, and neighborhood development that celebrated 30 years in 2023.

A museum that’s an authority on art from the African diaspora, and at no cost? Meet the University Museum at Texas Southern University, a hidden gem of art from greats like John Thomas Biggers.

Imagine a green garden oasis near Texas Southern University in the heart of Third Ward; that’s basically Blodgett Urban Gardens, a community garden devoted to sustainable gardening, healthy eating, and community education. Stop by to volunteer and meet some neighbors.

Third Ward’s proximity to Brays Bayou Greenway connects the neighborhood to more than 30 miles of hike-and-bike trails and green spaces, including access from MacGregor Park to Hermann Park to the west and East End’s Mason Park.

To get a sense of the history, community, and story of Third Ward, spend time at Emancipation Park, the first public park in Houston. We highly recommend the virtual and audio tour to make the most of your outing.

Drop by the corner of Elgin and Ennis for some iconic Third Ward street art, including everything from art for art’s sake and fun photo-ops to the symbolic and stirring, like artist Zack Murray’s famous mural of George Floyd.

MacGregor Park sits along Brays Bayou and includes tennis and basketball courts, disc golf, and a hike-and-bike trail. The 65-acre park, which features a memorial statue of Martin Luther King, Jr., has been a staple recreational space for Third Ward–area residents for nearly 100 years. The park is about to be transformed through a $54 million project that will include updates to its tennis courts, swimming pool, community center, surrounding trails, and the construction of a natural amphitheater.