This Asian American diner, co-owned by Nick Wong and his business partner, Lisa Lee, lives up to its hype. Named for Wong’s parents, this long-awaited Heights restaurant blends the chef’s Chinese and American heritage with an exploration of fusion food. Most essential is the savory scallion waffle, a twist on the syrupy breakfast favorite that includes a giant, fluffy waffle with seared scallions and a topping of rich sambal honey butter. Other standout plates include a riff on a classic wedge salad that’s topped with Chinese sausage, ginger scallion ranch, and Taiwanese-style doughnuts as croutons; chicken-fried steak with Vietnamese gravy, a pandan French toast served during brunch, and a good-at-anytime egg foo young, an assembly of an egg-loaded crawfish gumbo gravy with rice; and the pandan French toast from its brunch menu. Cocktails get just as creative, with a Lean Kwai Fong, an old-fashioned that is an ode to both Hong Kong and Houston’s lean culture.

Alexis Mijares, the brainchild behind popular pop-ups Cursed Cauldron and Jingle Bell Bar at Aero Cocktail Co, brings this new tropic-gothic bar to River Oaks, putting Latin excellence at the forefront of drink-fueled conversations. With three menus—House, The Liquid Footprint, and El Camino de la Margarita —Botoníca showcases drinks that educate bargoers on the vital role Latin culture has played in the history of cocktails. Boozy selections include the Desert Dove, a blend of Bolivian brandy, vodka, St. Germain, guava, grapefruit, lemon, and ginger beer, and the Chamuyera, a balanced mix of Zacapa rum, coffee, banana, amaro, dulce de leche, and coconut. The food menu similarly blends comfort with pan-Latin inspiration with bites like caviar and chicharrónes, mini-Sonoran dogs, and empanadas. 

After years of pop-ups, chef Joseph Boudreaux has finally opened his brick-and-mortar restaurant in the neighborhood where he grew up. This colorful new East End stand keeps ordering simple with a walk-up window and straight-to-the-point menu, featuring burgers (beef and mushroom), crispy, hot fries, and bottled sodas. Diners who opt for the cheesy smashburger are guaranteed a grilled burger topped with fresh “shredduce,” tomato, and shaved onion, all piled onto a slightly sweet, buttered Cake and Bacon challah bun with its signature, smoky OG burger sauce. Extra hungry? Consider making it a double.

Step into Shawn Gawle’s “fine-casual” restaurant in the Heights for a night of shared, family-style dishes, great hospitality, and inviting cocktails. American plates, crafted with French techniques, round out the à la carte menu with snacks like Manchego cheese curls and tarte flambée with bacon lardons and fromage blanc, plus diner-favorites like its Instagram-worthy salt-baked celery root, heirloom tomato pie, and the carrot cavatelli. The prix fixe menu, available for two or more diners, features some of the same bites, along with a tender veal osso buco, a savory skate wing basquaise, and mouthwatering beeswax gelato with candied almonds and meringue, as well as fruity froyo.

Anyone in search of a spot to chitchat with friends and unwind after a long week, look no further than Good God, Nadine’s. The cocktails here are the stars, with chamomile old-fashioneds; vodka-fueled mango sticky rice cocktail made with pandan; booze-free Freshtails; and the Carajilla, a carajillo infused with the choice of mezcal or tequila. The food menu is worth the hype, too, featuring a cast-iron corn bread with cultured butter and radish, sesame guacamole, and a $7 smashburger deal available before 7pm. 

This hot spot is also featured on Houstonia’s list for dining with friends. 

In Houston, cha chaan teng restaurants, based on Hong Kong’s famed tea set establishments, are among a small breed, located mainly in Asiatown. But this new restaurant is helping expand the region’s offerings. Sister to Katy’s Hong Kong Food Street, Hong Kong Food Court offers fast and filling meals served alongside drinks like lemon iced tea, Hong Kong–style milk tea, and Coke with lemon slices. Expect fusion-style meals from the Hong Kong colonial period, along with wonton noodle soup and rice plates featuring curry beef brisket. For something sweet, opt for the iconic bubble waffles or French toast smothered in condensed milk.

After years of successful pop-ups at Houston farmers markets and a four-year stint at a Tomball bakery, chef Jane Wild is back and better than ever with her new brick-and-mortar in the Heights. At this bakehouse, Wild aims to share with Houstonians her love for fresh ingredients and sustainability, including a no-waste policy for food. The menu is ever-changing, but diners can expect to find toasts, sandwiches, a salad, or an egg tart, in addition to seafood and a more robust lineup of breads in the weeks to come. While still in phase one of operations, Wild hopes to expand the menu to offer beer, wine, and cocktails, along with extended hours, curbside pickup, and online ordering.

Credited with helping establish Houston’s Gulf Coast cuisine, chef Bryan Caswell returns to the local dining scene with this Memorial restaurant. The menu gets creative with a Double Dip smoked redfish dip served with a side of pimento cheese, an heirloom tomato and burrata salad plated with Russian dressing, basil oil, and massive onion rings, and a roasted grouper served with a homemade corn bread pudding. The menu goes far beyond seafood, featuring ultra-tender Wagyu barbacoa with slices of pear and jalapeño, as well as an impressive bread service that includes hot yeast rolls and Gruyere corn bread, accompanied by generous portions of sorghum butter and jalapeño jelly. Treat yourself with a sweet ending: peach cobbler topped with a brown butter crumble and served à la mode.

Netflix-famous chef Luis Robledo Richards teamed up with Culinary Khancepts (Liberty Kitchen, State Fare Kitchen & Bar, the Audrey, and Leo’s) to offer a taste of Mexico City–inspired cuisine—and it doesn’t disappoint. This newcomer to Autry Park is packed with flavorful dishes, including the refreshing bluefin tuna tostada, slow-cooked carne asada, and the Tacos Mar y Tierra, which feature tortillas filled with beef cheek confit, Gulf shrimp bathed in adobo, avocado, and a cheesy crust. Named for the Aztec goddess of agave and fertility, Mayahuel’s cocktails are a must. Expect drinks made with additive-free agaves, such as G4 Tequila, agave-based vodka, and Derrumbes mezcal, plus signature sips divided into two categories: Moon and Sun.

This Pappas Restaurants reboot pays homage to the beloved hospitality group’s Greek roots. The inviting space blends old-school vibes with modernity, making diners feel like they’re sitting in a Greek grandmother’s home. Inspired by family matriarch Yiayia Mary and Greece’s yiayiades (grandmothers), the kitchen dishes out savory keftedes (beef and lamb meatballs), crispy calamari, refreshing oysters, a classic seafood youvetsi, and a hearty heritage chicken Souvlaki with tomato, pickled fennel, and tzatziki. Dessert is nonnegotiable. Order a slice of baklava cheesecake, cocoa-soaked chocolate sokolatopita, or the brûléed panna cotta featuring a citrus honey spice cake.