What’s on the Menu for Houston Restaurant Weeks?
Get ready to treat your taste buds and embark on a culinary adventure like no other – it’s Houston Restaurant Weeks! From hidden gems to renowned eateries, this annual gastronomic fiesta is a food lover’s dream come true.
Whether you’re a seasoned foodie or just looking to explore new flavors, Houston Houston Restaurant Weeks is your passport to indulge in exquisite dining experiences without breaking the bank.
The best part? You get to support a good cause since part of the proceeds go to the efforts of the Houston Food Bank to beat hunger in the city. So grab your forks and join us on a mouthwatering journey through the heart of H-Town’s vibrant food scene.
What is Houston Restaurant Weeks?
Houston Restaurant Weeks is a month-long fundraising event held in the General Houston area where restaurants have set menus on offer at fixed prices and a portion of the proceeds go to the Houston Food Bank.
It’s a Fundraiser for the Houston Food Bank
Houston Restaurant Weeks is the city’s biggest fundraising event dedicated to donating proceeds to the Houston Food Bank. The event usually takes place the whole month of August every year.
The event was created by Cleverley Stone in 2003. Stone was a radio talk show host for a food channel for more than 13 years and a food content writer for FOX News, so she was no stranger to promoting or featuring restaurants and cafes.
According to her daughter, who now runs the event after Stone passed away in 2020, her mother declared that it was her life’s mission to end hunger for families in the city of Houston.
How the Houston Houston Restaurant Weeks works is that restaurants can sign up and participate by offering special brunch, lunch, and dinner menus. Portions of the proceeds then become part of the donations.
The funds are given to the Houston Food Bank which then conducts food drives like community feedings and food donations for the low income families in and outside of Houston. Each dollar donated equates to 3 meals for those who need them.
The time of the year was chosen because August and September are the months that usually experience a lull business. So, the event helps drive traffic to these places as a win-win for the restaurants and the people who get the help they deserve.
In 2003, the event collected a total of $5,913. Today, the total donations from the Houston Houston Restaurant Weeks has amounted to over $18.8 million which is equal to almost 60 million meals served and over 350 restaurants participating.
| Houston Restaurant Weeks Association Address: 14781 Memorial Drive, STE 146 Houston Texas 77079, United States Phone Number: +1 713-419-0000 Website |
| Houston Food Bank Address: 535 Portwall St, Houston, TX 77029, United States Phone Number: +1 713-223-3700 Website |
It’s a Fun and Meaningful Dining Experience
If you’re interested in participating in the Houston Restaurant Weeks, you simply go to their website and check the list of restaurants who are joining the event as the list grows and changes each year.
You can look for a place by cuisine or by location. Once you find one you like you can check the set menus they have in place. Some restaurants will have a lunch, dinner, and to-go menu, with some having a combination of the 3.
Most restaurants accept walk-ins, but some require you to reserve by calling or booking ahead on their website.
Once you get to the restaurant, just let them know which menu you’ve decided on. You will typically be served 2 to 4 courses including dessert!
The prices and donations are fixed across all restaurants at:
- Brunch and Lunch Menus: $25 for a $3 donation
- Dinner Menus
- $39 for a $5 donation
- $55 for a $7 donation
It’s an Event to Try Some of the Top Houston Restaurants
Not only is Houston Restaurant Weeks an event that supports a great cause, but it’s also a great opportunity for you to try out some of the best restaurants in the city without breaking the bank since all menus are at fixed prices!
Here are some of the best ones in Houston’s most prominent areas.
Downtown – Artisans
Address: 3201 Louisiana St, Houston, TX 77006, United States
Phone Number: +1 713-529-9111
Houston Restaurant Weeks Offering
Pricing: $$$
If you like trying trendy restaurants, you’re going to love it at Artisans. This Houston based spot offers high-end French food wrapper up in a rustic but chic interior. You should definitely go for their soup of the day.
Some of their other popular offerings are the pork medallions with Bechamel and finish with the bread pudding with seasonal toppings. Their dinner menu items feature richer items like their pork rillettes and their red wine braised lamb shank with polenta.
EaDo – Mambo Seafood
Address: 6945 Gulf Fwy, Houston, TX 77087, United States
Phone Number: +1 281-712-8298
Houston Restaurant Weeks Offerings
Pricing: $
Mambo Seafood serves up some of the best seafood prepared in classic America, Latin, and Pacific fairs. They curated their menu with some of their best sellers like their fresh oysters and Mambo’s special fried rice from their lunch selection.
For dinner, the jalapenos stuffed with crab and shrimp start the meal off with a bang. Their empanadas with shrimp, black beans and chipotle is a great choice for the second course while you end your meal with a choice of octopus, lobsters, or snapper.
Energy Corridor – Ember & Greens
Address: 9403 Katy Fwy #B, Houston, TX 77024, United States
Phone Number: +1 713-465-3333
Houston Restaurant Weeks Offerings
Pricing: $$
If you want to support the cause behind Houston’s Houston Restaurant Weeks, but you’re still watching your diet, Ember & Greens is a great place to check off the list. This modern eatery caters to different needs from vegan to gluten-free options.
They start you off with a Persian Cucumber salad with feta and kalamata olives.The blackened salmon with lemon butter and avocado is well balanced. For a guilt-free dessert, their chocolate is flourless, but still tastes like the real deal!
Galleria – RA Sushi Bar Restaurant
Address: 3908 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77027, United States
Phone Number: +1 713-621-5800
Houston Restaurant Weeks Offerings
Pricing: $$
For some Japanese food with a modern twist, RA Sushi Bar and Restaurant is the perfect option. The menu for their Houston Restaurant Weeks start with a nigiri of your choice, followed by some edamame dishes and miso soup.
The star of the menu is a bento box which you can opt to be steak, chicken, or salmon teriyaki. For dinner, the menu has more flexible options like gyoza, a sushi roll of your choice and Japanese mainstays like teriyaki, katsu, or udon serves as the main. !
Inside the Loop – Pastore Italian Kitchen
Address: 1180 Dunlavy St Suite 100, Houston, TX 77019, United States
Phone Number: +1 346-867-1905
Houston Restaurant Weeks Offerings
Pricing: $$$
This eatery focuses on providing authentic Italian food made with guaranteed fresh ingredients. They specialize in seafood, pastas, and flatbreads. For their participation in Houston Restaurant Weeks, they offer 3 courses each.
For the salad, we suggest getting their crispy anchovy or their panzanella salad made with heirloom tomatoes. For the main course, snapper, risotto, and flatbread. Their dessert selection is made up of panna cottas, cupcakes, pavlova, and tarts.
Medical Center – III by Wolfgang Puck
Address: 6550 Bertner Ave 6th Floor, Houston, TX 77030, United States
Phone Number: +1 713-749-0400
Houston Restaurant Weeks Offerings
Pricing: $$$
World-renowned chef, Wolfgang Puck is a household name in the food industry. In his flagship restaurants, an entire dish can cost from upwards of $50, so dining in III during Houston Restaurant Weeks in Houston lets you try his food at a fraction of the cost.
The meal for $25 has appetizers like squash blossoms stuffed with crab and mains like tuna nicoise, so you get your money’s worth! As for dessert, they serve up a deconstructed s’more made with 3 kinds of chocolate and homemade marshmallows.
Memorial – Churrascos
Address: 947 Gessner Rd Suite B-290, Houston, TX 77024, United States
Phone Number: +1 713-231-1352
Houston Restaurant Weeks Offerings
Pricing: $$
Churrascos is one of the oldest restaurants in the Memorial Area and has been serving up Latin America favorites like empanadas and tres leches cake. These timeless dishes are what you can expect from their lunch, dinner, and to-go menus
Their appetizer features dishes like ensalada churrascos and their corn poblano soup. For the main course, you can opt for their pollo encamisado if you love chicken like we do or their churrasco Argentino if you prefer beef.
River Oaks – Backstreet Cafe
Address: 1103 S Shepherd Dr, Houston, TX 77019, United States
Phone Number: +1 713-521-2239
Houston Restaurant Weeks Offerings
Pricing: $$$
Backstreet Cafe which offers up homestyle cooking in a repurposed house is one!
This New American restaurant offers a unique dining experience because of the location that’s rivaled by food llike prime chuck eye steak and eggplant pappardelle.
Their Houston Restaurant Weeks offerings are 3 set meals each catering to different preferences with one focused on seafood, the other on meats, and even a vegan-friendly menu. Each set comes with an appetizer, entree, and dessert!
The Heights – Be More Pacific
Address: 506 Yale St Suite E, Houston, TX 77007, United States
Phone Number: +1 832-582-5264
Houston Restaurant Weeks Offerings
Pricing: $$
If you’re looking to get out of your food comfort zone, then head to Be More Pacific in. This traditional Filipino restaurant serves lumpia (eggroll) of your choice – veggie, crab, pork and shrimp, serrano pepper and cheese.
For mains, they offer classic dishes like sisig, kilawin, kare-kare, and our all-time favorite, daing na bangus or marinated milkfish with garlic rice. Their halo-halo with shaved ice doused in milk with over a dozen toppings is just one of the best!
The Woodlands – Amrina
Address: 3 Waterway Square Pl #100, The Woodlands, TX 77380, United States
Phone Number: +1 936-444-4150
Houston Restaurant Weeks Offerings
Pricing: $$$
For a fine dining experience that isn’t predictable and stuffy, Amrina marries both luxury and innovation. This eatery is one of the most eclectic and explorative ones we’ve tried in Houston.
For the first course, we suggest getting their octopus served with pickled onion and potato mousse. The compressed Matar Paneer made with layered peas and cottage cheese and the masala chai marble cake is the perfect main and dessert combo.
