An Insider’s Guide to the Heights (2024)

Houston’s ever-growing Filipino food scene calls for a trip to Be More Pacific. The restaurant offers classics like adobo chicken, pancit bihon noodles, and kare kare, as well as a dish called “S.C.C.L.B.F.R.” that stands for spicy coconut curry lime bacon fried rice. Be More Pacific also offers karaoke rooms, co*cktails, a “Sunday fun day” brunch, and traditional desserts like halo-halo.

Need to satisfy your sweet tooth? Step into El Bolillo Bakery, which has several locations across the city, to enjoy a variety of Mexican pastries known as pan dulce. Load up your massive tray with a variety of conchas, orejas, kolaches, vanilla tres leches, and sweet empanadas filled with so many choices that you just might leave with all of them.

James Beard semifinalist Stephanie Velasquez, her partner in Papalo Taqueria Nicolas Vera, and Marlén Mendoza of Amanecer coffee have teamed up to open one of Houston's most exciting new restaurants. Ema serves the pastries Velasquez has gotten national attention for—think horchata berlinesa, elote muffin, and amazing conchas—as well as savory dishes like a confit carrot taco (trust us on this one) and a fun coffee program.

Step inside the intimate 22-seat dining room of Hando and get treated to a delicious hand roll dinner, small plates such as edamame and miso soup, and skewers with your choice of beef, chicken, lamb, scallop, and branzino. Don’t forget to hop next door to the restaurant’s speakeasy bar, Kanpai Club. It may only be nine feet wide, but its excellent co*cktails guarantee a good time. Pro tip: the bar offers a reverse happy hour with $7 co*cktails Sunday through Wednesday 10pm to close.

Henry Lu and Top Chef finalist Evelyn Garcia’s Heights concept is one of the most exciting restaurants to have opened in Houston in the past few years. Jūn is deeply personal, mixing Garcia’s Mexican and Salvadoran heritage with Asian and Texan influences. The charred carrot appetizer uses cheese from her family’s farm in El Salvador, and you can’t not order the bread plate with pan de arroz and corn bread served with black sesame butter, or the oysters with fermented mango mignonette. Entrees rotate seasonally, elevating meat and seafood with touches like Viet-Cajun butter and peanut curry sauce. The co*cktail list is entirely crafted with wine, sake, and beer, and the drinks are so good you won’t even notice there’s no liquor.

If you’re not ordering the glazed pork ribs at Pinkerton’s, you’re not living. Housed in a charming old building that makes you feel like you’re at a rural barbecue joint, Pinkerton’s has consistently offered great ’cue to Houstonians since 2016. The brisket is great here, too, as are the jalapeño-cheese sausages. Don’t skimp on the sides, particularly Grant’s potato salad (that’s the pitmaster), the South Texas beans, and the duck and sausage jambalaya. Oh, and don’t forget that smoked bread pudding.

This mom-and-pop restaurant and grocery store has provided customers with traditional Thai and Lao dishes and pantry items for more than 30 years. We love the khao soi gai, a chicken noodle soup with a flavorful coconut and curry broth. When you’re done with your meal, shop the small grocery for specialty imported ingredients that are hard to find elsewhere.

This trendy spot is perfect for date night or being out on the town with friends. Squable brings European-American food to the Heights thanks to the owners of acclaimed restaurants and bars Theodore Rex, Anvil, and Better Luck Tomorrow. The chef, Mark Clayton, was a 2024 James Beard semifinalist. Sip on a refreshing co*cktail—our personal favorite is the salted watermelon margarita—while you wait on your meal. Expect creative plates like chicken liver pâté, baked oysters, a corned duck breast, and more.

Big Star Bar may be hard to find between the recently developed party bars surrounding the space, but if you can spot the twinkling lights and tiny blue structure, you’re in the right place. This low-key watering hole is full of stories, features eclectic dive bar décor, and has plenty of outdoor space.

This cute neighborhood hangout brings all the good vibes with its outdoor patio, pool table, and great selection of co*cktails. If you need a little boost, order a coffee daiquiri sour or an espresso martini, or mix it up and try a batanga, a drink that consists of blanco tequila, lime juice, Mexican co*ke, and salt—just trust us on that one. Then grab a bite at the taco truck; our personal favorite is the beef barbacoa taco.

At first glance, Lei Low looks like some random place in a parking lot, but once you step inside, you’ll feel like you’ve entered a new world with its tiki vibes and tropical décor. Take the edge off of the workweek with the Pain Killer co*cktail and forget you’re in the city for a couple of hours.

Casa Ramirez is acultural pillar of the community offering a selection of folk art, Mexican dresses, books, decorations, trinkets, and more. Nationally known and recognized, the gallery and shop is owned and operated by Chrissie Dickerson Ramirez, who’s continuing the legacy of her husband, Macario Ramirez, who passed way in 2020. Casa Ramirez promotes and celebrates Latino culture, especially that of Mexico, Texas, and the Southwest. Stop by for classes on Día de los Muertos traditions and altar-building, Spanish lessons, history lessons on tequila, book readings, and storytelling. Artists also host workshops like gourd painting and mosaic tile techniques.

Everything about Genara's products and general vibe make us feel good. This small store is the perfect place to find a gift for someone or for yourself. Come here to shop for fancy candles and cosmetics, beautiful tableware, and all sorts of cute décor. Genara even has a stationary corner full of designer pencils, notebooks, and more for those wanting to bring some old-school charm to their desk space.

If you, like us, are obsessed with cheese, or you want to make the ultimate charcuterie board, take a trip to Houston Dairymaids on Airline Drive. The local shop has gained popularity for bringing the best of the best cheese to Houston, including more than 150 varieties from Texas and around the world. Nothing here is wrapped in plastic—it’s cut by hand, to order, and carefully wrapped in paper so it can breathe.

This museum will have you nostalgic for your childhood. The owners want to tell the story of Houston through toys with a collection of hundreds of action figures, games like an original Magic 8 Ball, vintage dolls, Easy-Bake Ovens from different decades, and much more. Stroll the exhibit and make sure to stop in the gift shop at the front.

On the eastern edge of the neighborhood in Woodland Heights, Kaboom is a great spot for book worms to check out. The storefront is full of lush plants and the bookstore is overrun with towering shelves of used books—more than 100,000 titles in stock. Kaboom started in New Orleans and its Houston location has been around for over four decades. Its various shelves will have you lost for hours looking for the perfect read—or 10.

Looking for a shop that not only offers a distinctive candle-making station, sweet Texas and western merch, tasty co*cktails, and highly Instagram-worthy vibes? Then head on over to Manready Mercantile. Go downstairs to attend a candle-making workshop while sipping on some whiskey. After, be sure to go upstairs for some shopping—but be careful, it’s likely you won’t be going home empty-handed.

If you love supporting local artists and have a penchant for unique items, the Whimsy Artisan Boutique is the spot for you. The shop might be small, but it’s mighty. Owned and operated by artist Jessica Carlos and her husband, Louis, it showcases and sells art from over 150 local artists, makers, movers, and shakers in a wide range of styles. You can find items ranging from wall art and home goods to self-care and jewelry.

This Heights coffee shop hangout provides all the vibes and light bites you’ll need to spend a day either chatting with friends, working remotely, or reading. Antidote, a sister concept to Black Hole in Montrose, is fully equipped with outlets and wi-fi. Order the addictive cajeta latte, made with goat milk caramel.

It’s hard to say that a store has it all, but this one quite literally does. At Asch Building, you can order a cup at the coffee shop, shop for ingredients at a European-style market, or pick out your next statement piece at the adjoining clothing store and home furniture section.

Even when we're not looking for anything in particular, we love to stroll among the rows and rows of plants at Buchanan's. Call it our happy place. The entirely outdoor nursery has sections for Texas native plants, drought-tolerant species, all kinds of cacti, and an extensive veg, fruit, and herb selection. Looking for a gift? There's a cute shop in the middle of Buchanan's that sells candles, home goods, and more for the plant lover.

EQ offers a selection of artisanal teas and coffee inside a charming old house. The quiet and friendly atmosphere is the perfect spot for midday studying, remote working, or just catching up with a friend over coffee. EQ even encourages book clubs, meet-ups, and larger events, and has an expansive patio (with fans for those hot summer days).

This 23-acre hidden gem of a park contains a handful of activities for the whole family to enjoy including tennis and basketball courts, softball and soccer fields, picnic areas, jogging paths, and a children’s playground. It even has its own civic club dedicated to raising funds for the park.

This spacious park right on the bayou has direct access to the White Oak Bayou Trail and provides beautiful views of the downtown Houston skyline. Enjoy the small playground, swings, bike path, BCycle rentals, and community center, which hosts regular events, including an after-school program, and has a pool next door that is open during the summer season. Free parking is available in the designated lot and on the street.