The Best Dishes Eater Houston Ate This April, 2025
Eater Houston’s editor experienced a blast from her past with a Chinese American dish made with distinct Bayou City flair, spare ribs, and halibut served with a delightful chowder
There are more than 12,000 restaurants in Houston. With at least 145 languages spoken across town and communities bringing compelling fare from regions like South Louisiana and the West Coast, and countries like Mexico, Syria, and the Philippines, there’s no shortage of outstanding food in Space City. Check back monthly to see the best things Eater Houston’s editor ate this month.
Spare ribs at Space City BBQ
7623 FM 3180 Road, Baytown
A lunch pitstop at this Baytown area barbecue joint proved fruitful: The spare ribs are some of the best I’ve had, offering a balanced combination of smoky, tender, and juicy — and paired well with the side of barbecue sauce, which, though not needed, delivered tang that cut through the fattiness. The brisket came in a close second for me, with its glistening center and barky edges, and the potato salad — a classic creamy and balanced rendition — won me over. I’ll be back to try the cornbread casserole.
Salt-baked celery and the halibut at Camaraderie
608 West 11th Street, Heights
Chef Shawn Gawle’s salt-baked celery root is a visual masterpiece, with tender roots under intricately assembled slivers of apple, but it has flavor to back up its aesthetic appeal. This cold dish features chili and yuzu for added punches of flavor, which complement the slight sweetness of the apple, making it an amply refreshing spring dish. A server raved about the halibut, and so I gave in. Although it’s not nearly as beautiful as the celery, it didn’t disappoint: Halibut and smoked potato get submerged in a creamy lobster and clam chowder. After digging into it, I was transported back to my childhood in New England, where warm bowls of clam chowder were a staple.
Scallion waffle and Crawfish Egg Foo Young at Agnes and Sherman
250 West 19th Street, Suite A, Heights
I’ve written a lot about Agnes and Sherman’s scallion waffle, recommending it in my weekend suggestions, and doing a deep dive into how it’s created in an Inside the Dishes column. It should come as no surprise, then, that this dish makes my best list of the month: The waffle has scallions seared into both sides, adding to its savory flavor, and gets served with a hefty scoop of sambal honey butter that has just a hint of sweetness. The Crawfish Egg Foo Young felt like a blast from my past — a combination of the egg foo yong my father always ordered from his favorite Chinese American restaurant in Rhode Island and the crawfish étouffée I’d beg my Creole mother to make me growing up. I also graduated from high school in Hong Kong, so some of the nods to the city made me feel at home. I’m eager to try that Lean Kwai Fong Old Fashioned next time.
Duck and Dates at Barbacana
907 Franklin Street, Downtown
To put it simply, I’m a sucker for duck, and Barbacana does it well. Slices of duck with salty, seasoned, fatty skin rest beneath zigzags of a sweet duck molasses and pistachio dukka, paired with chunks of dates, creating a delightful dish that I probably wouldn’t be willing to share on my next visit.
Poached white asparagus and Maine lobster at Le Jardinier
5500 Main Street, Suite 122, Museum District
Le Jardinier Houston chef Felipe Bottero and Alain Verzeroli, Le Jardinier’s creator and culinary director, teamed up on Monday, April 28, for their one-night-only five-course tasting menu, Flowers in Bloom. As the name suggests, the dinner was full of bright, spring-forward dishes, and every one was a hit — from the cured hiramasa with Royal Kaluga Caviar and blackberries to the final Parrot Mango Bliss dessert with a passion fruit cremeux. My favorites, though, had to be the refreshing poached white asparagus, which got a burst of flavor from the citrus and confit kumquats (it turns out white asparagus is one of Bottero’s favorite spring vegetables, too), and the Maine lobster, which was served with peas and a creamy, vegetal mint emulsion with foam. Many of these dishes also make appearances on the restaurant’s new spring menu, so get them while you can.
