Where to Eat in Houston Right Now: 10 Cool Restaurants for February

Editor’s note: The Houston restaurant scene is constantly changing, with new hotspots, must-try places and major foodie events coming along on a daily basis. Even the most dedicated eater can have trouble keeping up. Don’t worry, PaperCity has you covered.

Here is February’s must-eat restaurant list:

Oxbow 7

Gulf fare is faring well in downtown’s Le Meridien Hotel even with original chef Bryan Caswell out of the picture. Oxbow 7’s “elevated Bayou cuisine” features dishes that can trace their roots from Houston to Apalachicola, Florida. Get a taste of the coast with small plates and shareables at 1121 Walker.

Go for the Buckshot Gumbo, with roux-based stock poured over duck and Andouille sausage. Or feel low-key fancy with East Texas Caviar Service, ghost pepper-smoked Shupeck caviar with finely copped egg and sauce gribiche over crispy potato chips.

Head upstairs after to take in the views of downtown Houston at Hoggbird’s rooftop lounge.

Theodore Rex

It’s not easy to follow behind an award-winning, game-changing Houston restaurant like Oxheart, but chef Justin Yu is pulling it off. Theodore Rex, billed as a modern bistro, offers entrees, desserts, and two kinds of small plates — one is great for sharing, and one you’ll want to save all for yourself. Snag ‘em both at 1302 Nance (it’s the same charming Oxheart space in the Warehouse District).

Tomato toast is first on the list — a browned slice of pain de mie brushed with tomato water, covered with tomato fondant and accompanied by a tomato salad. On the other hand, the Italian bread dumplings are squarely in the “small plates not great for sharing,” with braised mustards, beans and whey sauce.

Mastro’s Steakhouse

Tilman Fertitta opened up Matro’s Steakhouse in December as the first big move at his new Post Oak hotel complex. The billionaire owner of the Houston Rockets vows this place is more than a steakhouse — and it delivers on that promise. The menu is meaty with steakhouse mainstays, but has an emphasis on seafood, especially sushi.

Sixteen different USDA Prime steak cuts are offered along with Japanese A5 Wagyu. The sushi standouts: Spanish octopus carpaccio, crispy shrimp and scallop bird nest dumplings, and big eye ahi tuna sashimi with jalapeno.

Adding to the allure — the 20,000-bottle wine list.

Nancy’s Hustle

Hustle over to EaDo’s new resident funky restaurant. Nancy’s Hustle is a European-New American combo with daring dishes. It’s best to make reservations — this restaurant at 2704 Polk Street is already emerging as a hot ticket.

The pasta, made in-house, is especially turning heads. The sourdough tagliatelle with buratta, honey, pistachios, and crispy Brussels sprouts is popular. The roasted snapper’s no slouch either, with charcoaled beets, fennel aioli and grilled lemon.

You can get your fill of creative food with a nod to pop culture and Houston history in Nancy’s Hustle. The restaurant’s name comes from a combination of Nancy’s Diner in the Mad Max movie and Houston’s rep as a “Hustle Town.”

Inside scoop: The wood for Nancy’s bar tops and tabletops were sourced from the classic and now-shuttered Palace Lanes bowling alley.

Nobie’s

Want to go out and feel right at home? Cozy Montrose spot Nobie’s is tucked in a little house with a fun front porch at 2048 Colquitt. Formerly of Coltivare and several high-profile Chicago restaurants, chef Martin Strayer brings New American dishes to the intimate space named for his grandmother.

Enjoy Octopus Cassoulet with gigante beans, lardons, duck confit and carrots, or the spicy Bang Bang Shrimp & Grits with Gulf prawns.

If you want to bring on the booze, Nobie’s has an extensive menu of wines by the glass or the bottle, four types of cider, and impressive amount of liquors. If you’re a whisky fan, you can choose from 15-plus options. Posting a Nobie’s photo to your social media accounts will get you a free shot of well whisky, too.

Riel

Riel chef Ryan Lachaine finds inspiration in the Texas Gulf Coast, his own Ukrainian heritage and French Canadian food. He blends local and regional flavors with daring.

Riel standouts include the duck Breast with collard greens, tasso ham, cornbread and ham broth — and frog legs with herbed waffle, creole cream cheese, cane butter and pepper jelly.

If you’re a morning person, you can drop in for brunch between 10:30 am and 3 pm on Sundays. Take a trip to the coast with Murder Point oysters and crab Benedict.

One Fifth Romance Languages

Chris Shepherd’s ever-changing restaurant concept One Fifth hits a high note this year with One Fifth Romance Languages. The versatile space at 1658 Westheimer is housing five restaurants in five years. This Western Europe followup to One Fifth Steak has fans taking a culinary dive into Italy, France and Spain.

Shepherd makes a statement with his heaping seafood and charcuterie towers. The early restaurant faves? Duck heart bolognese and a pork collar entree, featuring chickpea stew, chorizo and black garlic.

If you’re too excited to hang tight for dessert, order your croquembouche when your main course arrives. The cream puff tree with orange anise cream takes about 20 minutes to prepare.

Goodnight Charlie’s

Hit up the high-class Honky Tonk Goodnight Charlie’s for two-stepping, tacos and Wild Turkey.

Goodnight Charlie’s at 2531 Kuester looks like a barn from the outside. Inside, you’ll find tacos, Honky Tonk Elote, nachos croquetas and more. Finish it off like you’re at the Rodeo with 5 Leches funnel cake.

Master sommelier David Keck’s collaboration with Double Trouble’s Robin Berwick created a cocktail menu where “nothing is shaken and nothing is stirred.” They’ve even got a barrel-aged Boulevardier on tap.

Doris Metropolitan

The owners of Doris Metropolitan want you to enjoy prime steak at their new place in the old Triniti restaurant space — but this restaurant is more chef driven than most steakhouses. The meat-centric restaurant at 2815 S. Shepherd showcases Japanese A5 Wagyu in a dry-aging meat cooler that looks like a jewelry box.

The owners’ Israeli heritage plays into the sides, like sous vide octopus with a smoked tomato salad and Zhug, a traditional spicy Middle Eastern sauce. The “classified cut” is a proprietary cut.

Stick around for some eye-opening desserts such as the Tahini Mousse and Malabi.

SusieCakes

Have you heard about SusieCakes yet? If not, you’re in for a treat. From its home in California to its outposts in Dallas and Fort Worth, and now its Rice Village spot, SusieCakes is the All-American bakery you’ve been waiting for.

Susie Sarich whips up cookies, cakes, cupcakes and more from scratch every day — and takes orders at 713-521-2253. Specialty layer cakes like Susie’s Famous Southern Red Velvet and the Vanilla Celebration Cake, shot through with sprinkles, are birthday winners.

You can also customize cakes, cookies and cupcakes for any celebration. You can use your creativity and come up with whatever you want, but one thing’s for certain: If you can’t spell it, they don’t bake with it.

No mixes, artificial preservatives, or trans fats to be found.