The Directory

Houston Restaurants

Explore Houston's best restaurants, all connected through a proud tradition of culinary excellence.

62 restaurants
Gino Laurenzo, founder of Ninfa's on Navigation, studio portrait
Mexican
Gino Laurenzo '81 · Class of 1981

Rio Grande Tex-Mex Grill

Est. 2000
The only confirmed STHS alumni restaurant outside of Texas, Rio Grande Tex-Mex Grill in Washington Mills, New York has been serving authentic fresh homemade Tex-Mex...
Mexican
📍 Out of Market
Texadelphia Garden Oaks cheesesteak restaurant exterior with blue patio umbrellas and signage
American
Willie Madden '82 · Class of 1982

Texadelphia — Garden Oaks

Texadelphia’s Texan take on the Philly cheesesteak — marinated steak, queso, and jalapeños on a toasted hoagie — has been a Houston staple since the...
American
📍 Garden Oaks
Baklava dessert at Niko Niko's in Houston
Italian
Damian Mandola '71 · Class of 1971

Trattoria Lisina

Est. 2008
Damian Mandola’s acclaimed Italian restaurant on the Mandola Estate in the Texas Hill Country. Features handmade pasta, house-cured meats, and seasonal menus in a rustic...
Italian
📍 Driftwood, TX
3rd Bar bar and dining area at Hobby Airport
Permanently Closed
Bryan C. Caswell '91 · Class of 1991

3rd Bar Eating House

2013–2019
3rd Bar Eating House opened on April 1, 2013 as part of the first phase of George Bush Intercontinental Airport’s new Terminal B, making Bryan...
Crab cake appetizer at Laurenzo's restaurant in Houston
Permanently Closed
Damian Mandola '71 / Frankie B. Mandola '65 / Vincent Mandola '61 / Ciro Lampasas '51 · Class of 1971

Damian’s Cucina Italiana

1984–2024
Founded in the early 1980s by four STHS alumni — Frankie B. Mandola ’65, Damian Mandola ’71, Vincent Mandola ’61, and Ciro Lampasas ’51. For...
Italian
📍 Midtown
El Real Tex-Mex Cafe exterior Westheimer
Permanently Closed
Bryan C. Caswell '91 · Class of 1991

El Real Tex-Mex Cafe

2011–2019
El Real Tex-Mex Cafe was Bryan Caswell’s Montrose love letter to traditional Tex-Mex, opened in 2011 with partners Bill Floyd and food writer Robb Walsh....
Historical exterior of Grappino di Nino with string lights patio dining and Grappino di Nino sign in the Mandola family Tuscan courtyard on West Dallas Street in Houston
Permanently Closed
Vincent Mandola '61 · Class of 1961

Grappino di Nino

1996–2022
A casual wine bar and small-plates concept by STHS alum Vincent Mandola ’61, nestled in the Tuscan-style courtyard shared with Nino’s and Vincent’s on West...
Italian
📍 Montrose
Historical exterior of Jackson Street BBQ with iconic red building white JACKSON STREET BBQ lettering and stars near downtown Houston
Permanently Closed
Bryan C. Caswell '91 / Greg Gatlin '98 · Class of 1991

Jackson Street BBQ

2015–2022
A collaboration between two STHS graduates near Minute Maid Park: James Beard finalist Bryan Caswell ’91 and celebrated pitmaster Greg Gatlin ’98. Two of Houston’s...
BBQ
📍 Downtown
Little Bigs exterior signage on Montrose Boulevard
Permanently Closed
Bryan C. Caswell '91 · Class of 1991

Little Bigs

2009–2018
Little Bigs was the slider-and-snacks joint that Bryan Caswell opened in 2009 alongside his Reef partner Bill Floyd. Tucked into Montrose’s Chelsea Market complex, the...
Historical exterior of Nino's Italian restaurant with Nino's sign brick facade striped awning columns and Tuscan courtyard on West Dallas Street in Houston
Permanently Closed
Vincent Mandola '61 · Class of 1961

Nino’s

1977–2022
Opened in 1977 by STHS alum Vincent Mandola ’61 and wife Mary. A neighborhood restaurant specializing in family-style Italian dinners on West Dallas Street near...
Italian
📍 Montrose