Food & Wine’s Ten Best U.S. Cities for Food and Drink (Includes Houston!)

Food & Wine is one of my favorite magazines, arriving at a regular and highly anticipated monthly cadence in my mailbox. The articles and photos are so inspiring that I immediately itch to get into the kitchen and try what they’ve highlighted in each issue. I love the tactile nature of thumbing through the pages—the glossy, alluring images, the stories, the sense of discovery, the ideas that spring up. The magazine just published its annual lists of best places for food and drink, and I particularly enjoyed the United States list. (Hint: it gave props to the Houston food scene,)

Not One, But TWO Texas Cities!

It’s no surprise that the list included New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. But I was delighted to find two Texas cities in the article, and even more delighted that Houston ranked #6.

The Houston Food Scene: 4th Largest City and Most Ethnically Diverse

We’re the 4th largest city in the country, and we like to joke that we’re #1 at being overlooked for our awesomeness. The article nailed what makes Houston such a great dining city: we have the most ethnically diverse population of any large city in the country.

Ethnically diverse population = ethnically diverse dining choices.

And it’s not just a fun statistic—it plays out deliciously in real life. If you have a craving for a particular cuisine, you can find it in the Houston food scene.

• Ethiopian – no problem! We’ve got that. Start with Blue Nile.
• Bosnian – gotcha covered! Cafe Adel is your go-to.
• South African – right here! Come on over to The Chef’s Table.
• Jamaican – cool runnings! Over a dozen choices await you, from Reggae Hut Grill to Epican Authentic Jamaican.
• Vietnamese – so many choices! We have one of the largest Vietnamese populations in the United States, and around 200 restaurants serving this delectable cuisine. Try Kim Son to start.
• Chinese – on every corner! World-class and inexpensive. We even have two Chinatown areas. We love Fufu Cafe and Dumpling King, both tiny, long-time favorites that have earned spots on the Houston Chronicle Top 100 Restaurants list.
• New American, Italian, Indian, Cajun, German, Fusion, Japanese, French, Spanish, Tex-Mex, Mex-Mex – you name it, we’ve got it! In fact, tons of our restaurants present fusion menus blending cuisines in unique ways, like Blue Tuba, which spans Germany, Serbia, Austria, Greece, Italy, the Czech Republic, and other European countries.

These aren’t just cuisines on a list—we’ve eaten our way through quite a few of them, and there’s always something new to discover.

For a long time, it felt like this incredible diversity was our little secret. Kudos to Food & Wine for recognizing Houston as a standout.

And when I say Houston, I really mean the greater Houston area, because there’s so much happening culinarily just beyond the city limits. For instance, check out these beautiful dishes from Fielding’s Local, an eatery near us. (And yes, it all tasted as good as it looks.)

Austin, Too

It was delightful to see that Austin made the list, too, ranking #7. Yay, Texas!

The ATX restaurant scene is vibrant and ever-evolving, and this bustling, artsy city absolutely belongs on the list. From tiny taquerias to standing-room only BBQ joints to restaurants run by award-winning chefs, it’s genuinely hard to find a bad bite here.

Unless you make the mistake of going to a mediocre national chain, in which case you get what you deserve. (I know, I’ve done it, and it wasn’t pretty.)

A Couple of Other Fave Dining Cities Made the List

New Orleans

New Orleans came in at #4. It would have been a travesty if the Crescent City hadn’t been on that list. Food and drink are its stock in trade, and it excels not just because of the quality and creativity, but because of the lively experience that surrounds every meal.

A night out in New Orleans is always special, whether you’re dining at Susan Spicer’s Bayona (a personal favorite) or the venerable Mandina’s, an Italian/Creole/Southern restaurant that’s been in the same family for four generations. Or at any number of high-end, jazzy places, or the myriad of down-home gumbo, muffuletta or po-boy places. NOLA has it all.

I’m itching to get back to New Orleans for more culinary adventures.

Miami

It was also gratifying to see Miami on the list, coming in at #10. I spent five years visiting our musical millennial while he earned his Master’s and Doctoral degrees in music at the University of Miami, and we had some truly wonderful meals there—memorable, celebratory, blog-worthy meals.

Cafe La Trova, which is featured in the Food & Wine list, became a favorite for family celebrations after both graduations. I’ve been meaning to do a Restaurant Rave post about that fantastic Cuban restaurant in Little Havana—and I’m officially moving it up on my blog to-do list.

Here’s an episode of Tinfoil Swans that features Houston’s own June Rodil, a Master Sommelier, restauranteur, and very interesting person. She is the only person to have received the Restaurants of the Year (2017) and Sommelier of the Year (2014) accolades in Food & Wine history.

The Bottom Line

Lists like this are fun—but they’re also a reminder of just how much there is to explore, even in our own backyard.

Houston is a foodie paradise, and I’m glad the world is starting to take notice. If you’re local, you already know about the Houston food scene. And if you’re not—come on over and give it a taste.

And if you’ve got a favorite Houston (or anywhere!) restaurant I should try next… you know I want to hear about it.

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