Houston’s culinary scene is perhaps the most underrated in the country—but not for much longer. The list of chefs and eateries nominated for the prestigious James Beard Awards continues to grow every year, and the city’s culinary bonafides were recently highlighted by GQ. In Houston, food equals fellowship, and that’s especially true in these five neighborhoods where chefs share their culture and history over the city’s most delicious dishes.

Frenchy’s Chicken — Third Ward

Homes in Third Ward

The Third Ward is a residential neighborhood with a mix of modern brick homes and historic shotgun-style houses. The area, characterized by its rich culture, is one of Houston's best neighborhoods for getting involved. Third Ward’s food offerings are as diverse as its community, with everything from classic hamburger stands and soul food diners to new vegan cafes and artsy wine bars.

Third Ward’s quintessential eating establishment is Frenchy’s. Though now a thriving local chain, Frenchy’s original Scott Street location has humble beginnings. In 1965, New Orleans native Percy “Frenchy” Creuzot and his wife opened a po-boy stand near the University of Houston. Business boomed and the couple expanded their menu to include spicy fried chicken and Creole side dishes celebrating their Louisiana roots. Today, the chicken shack is beloved by current and former Third Ward residents including Beyoncé, who has been known to stop by when visiting Houston.

Hugo’s — Montrose

Montrose neighborhood in Houston

Montrose has a reputation for welcoming the unwelcome. Back in the 1960s and 1970s, Montrose served as a safe haven for Houston’s counterculture contingent: hippies, activists, bohemian artists, and the LGBTQ community. But the neighborhood has never been one where people hide out and hunker down. Montrose, which has undergone countless transformations, is a changemaker—the city’s social, political, and cultural epicenter.

So it makes sense that in 1984, Montrose opened its arms to a 17-year old boy from Mexico who went on to become a James Beard Award-winning chef. Chef Hugo Ortega began his life in Houston as a dishwasher at the Backstreet Cafe before rising through the ranks and becoming the owner and executive chef. In 2002, Ortega opened Hugo’s on Montrose’s main thoroughfare, Westheimer Road. The restaurant, housed in a converted 1925 bungalow (a neighborhood tradition), is highly lauded for its Mexican cuisine and can’t-miss brunch buffet.

The Original Ninfa’s on Navigation — East End   

Ninfa's photo courtesy of JaseMan

The East End has evolved from an industrial area littered with warehouses (many of which have been revamped) to a residential, family-friendly neighborhood known for Houston’s best tacos and Tex-Mex.

The story of Ninfa’s begins in 1973. In order to supplement her income, Ninfa Laurenzo opened a small taco stand outside her family’s struggling tortilla factory. She sold tacos al carbon using skirt steak, a cheaper and previously discarded cut of beef. Mama Ninfa popularized the dish, which came to be known as fajitas, and forever altered the Tex-Mex landscape. Today, Ninfa’s is the East End’s community jewel, a testament to the legacy Laurenzo left behind.

The Breakfast Klub - Midtown

Midtown neighborhood in Houston

Midtown, poised to become the city’s business and technology hub, is characterized by its thriving nightlife and vibrant community of young professionals. Though the neighborhood is rapidly growing and changing, Midtown is home to a Houston institution that opened in 2001 and has captivated the masses ever since: The Breakfast Klub.

The Breakfast Klub is a family-owned restaurant that’s been featured on Good Morning America and USA Today. Midtown’s population of Sunday brunchers, the after-church crowd, hungry students, busy professionals, and CEOs line up for a bite of the restaurant’s signature dishes—succulent wings and waffles and Texas-sized “katfish” and grits.

Crawfish and Noodles — Chinatown

Chinatown in Houston photo courtesy of Kent Wang

Chinatown, encompassing Bellaire Boulevard and the surrounding blocks, is dotted with fusion restaurants that bolster the city’s culinary scene. The neighborhood’s label is actually a misnomer as the community features a diverse array of family-owned restaurants, businesses, and residences. Notably, the area is the core of Viet-Cajun cuisine, a Houston invention featuring Louisiana-style crawfish tossed in a garlic butter marinade. Though a seemingly unlikely fusion, both Cajun and Vietnamese cuisine are French-influenced, and the resulting flavor combinations complement each other.

Chinatown’s (and the city at large) most prominent Viet-Cajun restaurant is Crawfish and Noodles. After being featured on Netflix’s “Ugly Delicious”, the restaurant’s popularity skyrocketed. Continuing a string of well-deserved notoriety, chef Trong Nguyen was nominated as a semifinalist for the 2018 James Beard Awards.