Here in Houston, one thing stands true: We love supporting local businesses. Champ Burger in particular has defied all the odds of gentrification. Located in Second Ward, the joint opened in 1963 and has since fed multiple generations of Houstonians thanks to ongoing support from the community. Cream Burger over in Third Ward has a similar story. Opened in 1961, it’s known as the oldest restaurant in the neighborhood. Both restaurants are family-owned and credit much of their success to the quality of their product. No matter which one you visit, you’ll be guaranteed a good meal with prices that can’t be beat—especially in this economy.

While February to May is usually the most wonderful time of the year for mudbug fans, this past season was a disappointment. Two factors were to blame: climate change (shout-out to droughts and heat waves) and development. The scarcity didn’t leave our tummies or wallets happy, but it did teach us about the importance of a crawfish’s role in the ecosystem. Fingers crossed 2025 is better.

The best thing about Houston’s food scene is its diversity. While it’s one of the top cities for Indian cuisine today, this wasn’t always true. Houstonia contributor Biju Sukumaran says Indian restaurants were few and far between when he was growing up here in the 1980s. But after he moved back in 2018, the options were “overwhelming,” from North Indian staples like naan and rich curries to fusion items like butter chicken kolaches at Pondicheri.

Michelin’s reveal might’ve been the most anticipated food award this year, but the list of James Beard semifinalists takes a close second. Often referred to as the “Oscars of food,” these awards are chosen by hundreds of judges who are based across the country and taste year-round. This past year, 11 Houston restaurants made the list, including four in the regional Best Chef: Texas category and seven in national categories. And let’s just say we’re already excited for next year.

Joy Wilson, more commonly known as Joy the Baker, is a social media mogul who shares her love for baking with the world through recipes on her blog. Her passion for the culinary arts began at a young age and grew deeper when she ventured off to college, thanks to stints in restaurants and bakeries. Although she graduated with a degree in English literature, she realized she still wanted to pursue a pastry career. So, she began a blog. Wilson says she used what she was learning from her job at a bakery to perfect recipes, posting one a week. Now, she has a website and a team of five people helping her, and has since written cookbooks and a children’s book. With a recent move from New Orleans to Houston and then to Bellville, Wilson still has tons in store.

Ema began as a pop-up in 2019, selling Stephanie Velasquez’s pastries. After years of growing popularity, she and cofounders Nicolas Vera and Marlén Mendoza decided it was time to take the next step. In March, Ema finally opened its brick-and-mortar in the Heights. At Ema, diners will find pastries such as canela coffee panque, a guava queso empanada, the Insta-famous horchata berlinesa, and conchas in flavors like matcha, almond, and chocolate. Ema also has a coffee program with piloncillo chai and cafe de olla, horchata, and agave lattes, as well as lunch and brunch options such as the taco de zanahoria with roasted carrots, a mushroom tetela in green salsa, and a torta Milanesa.

Hoi Fung first began cooking in Hong Kong in the 1970s in his dad’s seafood restaurant, then moved to Houston his wife, Nancy, in 1982. Hoi continued to work in restaurants for eight years before feeling it was time to open his own. Fung’s Kitchen began with 3,000 square feet, but has since expanded to 20,000 square feet and now includes six private dining rooms. Although the restaurant is known for delicious dim sum, the real star of the show is its live seafood. Fung’s Kitchen is home to 12 live tanks, each of which are maintained at different pH levels depending on the creature and when it will meet its delicious fate. This restaurant has stood the test of time and rightfully deserves all the hype.

Tacos Doña Lena quickly gained traction among Houston food lovers after opening its Spring Branch spot in 2020—so much so that, only four years later, owner Angel Cabrera was ready to expand the restaurant with a second location in Lazybrook/Timbergrove. The restaurant, which opened its doors earlier this year, offers some of the same menu items, such as birria tacos, quesabirria, and authentic housemade salsas, but the biggest change was the addition of a bar. Now, diners of Tacos Doña Lena can sip on a margarita with their meals.

Some people aren’t always dealt great cards in life, but it’s what is done with them that makes all the difference. And sometimes, a second chance is just what a person needs. Pitmaster Leonard Botello IV and Abbie Byrom-Botello have always wanted to be a safe haven for their employees, and this transferred to the restaurant’s second location on Washington Avenue when it opened in 2019. Truth BBQ’s beloved employee Jerry Hamilton—who is known as Mr. Jerry around the restaurant—is the perfect example of someone who just needed a second chance. His story is not only inspiring but shows the lengths that Botello and Byrom-Botello go to in order to be there for their employees and the larger community.

Despite Houston’s diversity, the Filipino food scene remained underrepresented for many years. Now, it’s on the rise in the city thanks to efforts made by restaurateurs, chefs, and bakers. Tom Cunanan, menu consultant and chef-partner for Soy Pinoy, a Filipino spot in Post Houston, believes TikTok and other social media played a huge role in getting the word out and growing the popularity of this cuisine. The folks we spoke to want Filipino food to be as mainstream as other cuisines widely enjoyed in the Bayou City.