3 Houston Restaurants to Try This Weekend: June 13
Each week, we’ll provide a trusty list of recommendations to answer the most pressing of questions: “Where should I eat?“ Here are three places to check out this weekend in Houston. And if you need ideas on where to drink, here’s our list of the hottest places to get cocktails in town.
For a spread of Lebanese cuisine: Craft Pita
5172 Buffalo Speedway, Suite C, West University; 1920 Fountain View Drive, Briargrove
Chef Rafael Nasr harnesses his Lebanese heritage and family traditions in this fast-casual, counter-service restaurant. There’s cheesy man’oushe (Lebanese flatbread); creamy, spicy hummus; and irresistible Tex-Med Lebanese tacos topped with french fries (try the chicken with pickles and parsley). That’s in addition to heaping pita sandwiches, salads, and rice and hummus bowls built with flavorful beef kafta, falafel, or slow-roasted chicken. A rich garlic aioli, hot sauce that adds a pleasant zing to any dish, and labneh ranch level up most plates. The food is already affordable — a family spread that feeds three to four people features a whole rotisserie chicken covered in Lebanese spices, a quart of hummus, pita bread or chips, a fattoush salad, and a choice of rice pilaf or Lebanese rice (a Lebanese version of dirty rice) for $55. Craft Pita has also recently launched brunch, serving a brunch sampler that includes soft scrambled eggs, dips, olives, and a half za’atar, half-cheese flatbread, and knafeh, a classic Lebanese dessert made with kataifi pastry, a cheese blend, and pistachios. (For more deals, visit during its weekday happy hour between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. when all its shareable starters are half-off and beer and wine are $4.) Don’t skimp out on dessert or drinks — Lebanese wines by the glass or bottle, Turkish coffee and iced lattes, and stretchy booza are all on offer. Takeout here is a breeze, but don’t be afraid to dine in and enjoy the spread in-house.
For ice cream that infuses Asian diasporic flavors: Milk + Sugar Creamery
1848 Westheimer Road, Montrose; 1324 North Shepherd Drive, Heights; 5172 Buffalo Speedway, West University
In Houston, where the weather is mostly hot and humid, ice cream is a treat year-round, especially when the scoop shops reflect some of the city’s favorite flavors. Milk + Sugar taps into that with a case full of rich flavors that often include Asian diasporic flavors. Think Thai tea, a yum cha flavor featuring chrysanthemum and pandan swirl, and a seasonal milk tea ice cream. Diners can dig into other flavors, too, like the seasonal Love is Love (strawberry ice cream cake with confetti cake in celebration of Pride), the happy wife (a perfect combination of sweet cream ice cream and homemade almond pound cake), and a remarkably satisfying PB Cookies and Cream. Best of all, if making a decision is difficult, Milk + Sugar gives generous samples and offers the opportunity to half-scoop flavors (one scoop with two flavors). They’re also super considerate of their lactose-intolerant fan base, and sell Lactaid pills at the register for 50 cents.
For coffee drinks with the most flavorful cold foams: Slowpokes
3401 Canal Street, East End
Houston coffee shops keep popping up around the city, and though that could mean more competition, the more the merrier. Local cafe chain Slowpokes opened its most recent outpost in the East End, inviting diners into a space that’s cozy and multi-faceted with plenty of outlets; different styles of seating (booths, bar, and tables); a full bar with beer and wine; a kick-ass playlist; and an all-day food menu that features bagel sandwiches, salads, flatbreads, a tantalizing baked brie dip, and pastries. Aside from blending their own beans in-house and potent cold brew, Slowpokes gets especially inventive with its cold foam, which changes depending on what the barista is feeling, or what the diner can dream up based on the homemade syrups available. Popular flavors have included ube and caramel apple butter, and, during a recent visit, creamy banana cold foam that tasted like Laffy Taffy. While topping it on coffee drinks is a popular choice (try your choice of cold foam atop the signature caramel and hazelnut-laden Slowpoke), a manager at Slowpokes tells Eater that people have been requesting the cold foam atop flavored sodas or Ramblers to make a refreshing Italian-style soda. Here, there are many possibilities. Don’t leave without peeking into the bathrooms, which are decorated with wallpaper featuring the most adorable on-theme sloths and turtles.
