The 2 Hottest  Restaurants at the Houston Farmers Market

At Wild Oats, they update classic Texas dishes for a contemporary audience. The space is centered on “Grillie Nelson,” a bespoke smoker built by Austin pitmaster Aaron Franklin. 

The menu has a wide variety of traditional southern cuisine as key attractions. Each dish is the size of Texas and is intended to be shared, so if the price tag is too much to handle, just remember that. 

We started the evening with a bowl of chili, as any good native Texan would. The chili had tender smoked meat shreds and finely ground beef that made up most of the bowl—full of simple and sophisticated spicy flavors. 

Their roasted oysters and fried cauliflower were delicious. The oysters had a grainy texture, yet a robust taste and though tasty, the cauliflower was a bit too sweet for our liking. 

As for the antelope dish on their menu, the antelope was scrumptious, cooked to perfection at a medium-rare rareness, and served with a side of crispy savory rice. 

Additionally, the quail tasted delicious, but the saltiness was overpowering. 

We felt the poblano ranch on the side was the perfect dipping sauce to counteract the saltiness of the quali, but the Texas toast did nothing to improve the meal. 

Furthermore, they had some of Texas’s classic desserts like Texas sheet cake, peach cobbler, tres leches, and banana pudding. We ended up going with their banana pudding.

Their banana pudding came in a simple jar with a row of ripe banana slices and a small plume of toasted meringue. The pudding’s airy texture allowed the wafers hiding underneath to keep their distinctive shapes. 

Wild Oaks also has an excellent variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. If you’re a wine aficionado, Wild Oats may be your next go-to spot. 

At Underbelly Burger, a massive statue of a smiling burger sits on the outside on a bench, welcoming customers inside. There was plenty of outdoor seating filled with families. 

Although we found Underbelly Burger cramped, as they had limited seating inside, they perfectly captured the aesthetics of a simple 50s diner. 

The front counter was surrounded by fast food memorabilia. The walls were tiled in a traditional green and white color scheme. 

A simple menu board with burgers, fries, and shakes was also available at the counter. The cashiers and the line cooks were not only kind and attentive, but their attire contributed to the retro theme going on at Underbelly Burger. 

There are no waiters here, so you place your order at the counter like any other fast food place. We started with their 44 Farms Angus Burger, some fries, and a strawberry shake. 

The burger’s two lean patties were juicy and delicious. However, the melted American cheese on the burger tasted like plastic. 

In contrast, the fries were crispy and well-seasoned. The strawberry shake we had was also rich and delicious. 

We then tried the vegetarian burger. Instead of beef, a simple black bean patty is used. The avocado, lettuce, and a crunchy, tangy, and sweet corn relish gave the veggie burger flavor.