9 Best Restaurants In Midtown Houston Texas

Written By: Gail Clifford | Published By: Foodie Flash Packer | November 17, 2021

https://www.foodieflashpacker.com/restaurants-in-midtown-houston/

Like most big cities, Houston is comprised of many unique neighborhoods. Midtown Houston’s location west-southwest of Downtown allows easy access to the Central Business District with less traffic. Separated by an elevated section of Interstate 45, I spent two weeks in midtown getting to know a city I’d lived in for two years during my medical residency training 25 years ago. Gosh, has it changed! Between Downtown and the Museum District, it’s an ideal location from which to tour the area.

With an area of only 1.24 square miles, everything is walkable if you choose, and the restaurants range from old establishments to up-and-comers. It doesn’t surprise me that Houston was named the “newest capital of great food” by Food & Wine and the country’s most exciting food city by Tasting Table magazine. 

The glory of staying in a smaller neighborhood is the ability to walk out your door and choose between many food options. Just outside my door, I have the choice of crepes, pizza, Chinese,  Mexican, street tacos, Japanese, and just a little further to Thai and great soul food. 

The 9 Best Restaurants In Midtown Houston Texas

The Breakfast Klub

3711 Travis // +17135288561

Chicken and Waffles, first established as late-night meals at Harlem’s Wells Supper Club, remains a popular southern dish. And nowhere in Houston does it garner as much attention as here in midtown at The Breakfast Klub. Open for breakfast and lunch, don’t make the mistake of thinking you’ll miss the line at this nondescript building that needs no sign visible from the street to assure a crowd at this restaurant by going before 9 a.m. on Sunday. 

There are churches nearby, dispensing early service parishioners, sure, but the parking lots are packed, front and back; front for carry-out and pre-orders, and back for the lucky few who nab a spot to wait in line to sit in this space surrounded by great art, happy noise, and the delicious smell of fried chicken.

The chicken comes with a scent of the number of spices they use to perfect their three drumsticks and three wings that accompany a large Belgium waffle, lightly dusted with powdered sugar, with a strawberry on top. Accompanied by hot sauce, syrup, and butter, and even ketchup, when my dish was delivered, the very polite server asked me to be sure my order was exactly right prior to driving away.

Highly rated with awards from Zagat’s, Esquire, Texas Monthly, and Good Morning America, as well as Reviews.org, there are many other dishes to try. Wings & grits, pankakes or waffle, pork chops & eggs, klub’s benedict, French toast, green eggs & ham, biskits & gravy, or katfish & grits lead the menu. A breakfast special of choice of bakon, homemade pan sausage, ham, or turkey and two eggs served with potatoes or grits and choice of toast or biskit is an early bird special available only Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.

I’m not a coffee drinker, but did hear more than one person comment, “Damn fine coffee.” And the sign outside the building gives you a hint of what to try after your chicken and waffles dish: “Building Wakanda … one grit at a time.”

And, if you ask about the knitty gritty, you may just get their take on fish, grits, and politics.

People here are cheerful and friendly and obviously love feeding people great food. They’ve mastered the execution of this soul food classic. 

Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Italian Kitchen

306 Gray at Bagby // +17135331140

When in need of a place with a cable to watch the World Series or a beer or a great meal, Russo’s fits the bill. For me, it was an easy choice after working a long day and wanting a slice. Their thin crust pizza is sold by the very large slice, just $5 for cheese and an additional charge for toppings.

If you’re interested in a meal, the soup, salad, appetizer, and Italian food selections will please most palates. And pizza always seems to work well with the children.

They offer eight salads with EVOO. They serve their soup by the cup or the bowl, tomato basil, vegan minestrone, and tortellini brodo, made fresh to order from their Italian recipes. 

For appetizers, they offer Cauliflower Fritti with a house-made marinara sauce, East Coast Calamari, Mozzarella Fritti, Jumbo Liberty Wings, Insalata Caprese, Russo’s homemade meatballs (beef and veal in a Chianti-braised beef sauce), truffle garlic knots (yum!), Italian garlic bread, and Pomodoro Bruschetta. Several people could make a meal out of just a few of these. For favorite daughter, I think she’d choose the cauliflower fritti, the East Coast Calamari, and the Pomodoro Bruschetta. 

In addition to offering pizza by the slice, you can purchase a 12-, 16- (circle or square), or 28-inch pizza. That 28 inch looks big enough to feed a big party. They claim it serves eight to ten people. It looks bigger than that to me. I counted 21 types of pizza. in addition to the “create your own” type where you choose your own toppings.

With twenty pasta dishes to choose from, they have three shrimp dishes favorite daughter would enjoy, and a couple of chicken dishes for me. I really like that their lasagna is beef-based. Their spaghetti with meatballs dish offers an Italian sausage substitution.

They take the freshness of their product very seriously. It comes through in the taste. 

In addition, they have sandwiches and calzones and then, there is the dessert case. The server loves the red velvet cake and the carrot cake and is working his way to the triple chocolate fudge cake. Also popular with customers are the cheesecakes, New York or Turtle. The Russo’s tiramisu and Italian Cream Cake (dusted with coconut) are great finishes to the meal.

Coco Crepes, Waffles & Coffee

218 Gray Street // +17135210700

This restaurant, with indoor and outdoor seating, became a fan favorite quickly. Our first two weekend breakfasts were here, and there are still so many more things to choose from.

The staff is funny. When my favorite daughter asked for a recommendation between two choices, the young man looked at her and, with a completely straight face, said “I don’t do vegetables.” That limited his ability to help with her choice but set the fun tone for the trip.

While crepes may be their claim to fame, most of the people around us, all locals by the sounds of it, enjoyed the espresso-infused drinks. I asked the same young man to help me choose between a sweet crepe, the apple pie, or a couple of scoops of gelato and he recommended the apple pie. That includes a scoop of vanilla gelato. Their sweet crepes are served with whipped cream and powdered sugar and do have gluten-free available. 

Favorite daughter chose a crepe from the savory menu that first day, the chicken and avocado. All the savory crepes are prepared with a basil pesto aioli so, we learned, have a similar flavor profile. 

The first day, the tables were full, so we took the crepes to go back to the apartment, just a couple blocks away. Lesson learned; when we got back, the crepes were a bit gummy. My daughter tells me that’s because the lid was placed on them right away, even for such a short walk.

I’m accustomed to more of a light crepe, not gummy, so when another travel writer joined us the next day, we went back and took claim to an outside table. All the better to enjoy people watching and dog watching as we awaited our order.

This time, I chose the cinnamon roll crepe. Favorite daughter chose the Mediterranean Crepe, which includes oven-roasted tomatoes, feta cheese, kalamata olives, and baby greens with a Harissa aioli. Our friend chose the chicken and spinach crepe with sauteed mushrooms and mozzarella cheese, with a mushroom pesto sauce. 

Their two dishes were similar enough we needed the cook to distinguish them for us. We dug in and I found the crepes about the same as when we walked with them. The cinnamon roll was in the proper shape of a typical cinnamon roll and flavorful, too. 

Mostly, we enjoyed the company as we enjoyed a light breeze, away from cold weather, and the bustle along the shady brick-laid path.

Other food options include waffles, paninis, soups, and salads. I’m still trying to get back for the gelato.

For drinks and treats, they offer smoothies, coffee specialties, coffee espresso, classic favorites including lemonade, hot chocolate, sweet Moroccan mint tea, loose leaf tea, or fresh brewed iced tea. The cococcinos are ice-blended coffee drinks prepared with a house gelato. Options include caramel, vanilla, and dark or white mocha. 

One Dim Sum

510 Gray Street // +13462939188

My daughter and our travel writing friend have a similar love for dim sum and I went along for the ride. And then found something I’d enjoy, too.

It’s so incredibly busy, yet the staff maintains a happy, friendly attitude. They’re not able to roll a cart of dim sum with the current restrictions, yet have an extensive menu on paper so people can circle what it is, precisely, that they want to order.