Finding Soul Food In Houston

The secret to finding good soul food in Houston is much akin to the secret of a good steaming hot bowl of dragon stew, revealed in the humorous story by Tom McGowen, Dragon Stew. Achieving that home cooked taste that permeates soul food is something that restaurants in the South have been striving to duplicate for years.

If you enjoy soul food living in Houston has it’s culinary benefits. There are lots of establishments that offer some of the top soul food dishes on their menu. A word of caution to diners, Caveat Emptor, (let the buyer beware). Just because it says soul food on the outside doesn't mean they really serve soul food inside.

First of all. I’ve found in my travels that it’s nearly impossible for meals prepared for profit to recreate the rich meaty taste that makes us so enamored with the homemade dirty rice grandma cooked or cousin Vivian's chicken and dumplings.

For me it’s a unique pleasure to have so many good cooks in my immediate family within a few hours drive of the Houston. It makes it possible for me to always find a family gathering to attend where heaping helpings of down home cooking fills multiple rooms and is sometimes stacked on a row of tables so long they have to be set up outside in the backyard.

Several times each year my family prepares food and journey’s to East Texas to gather, connect and fellowship with our relatives that remain in the piney woods. Many of theses meals are centered around church activities and community events. Our branch of the family has a standing request to bring spaghetti.

Everyone always cooks enough food to feed 30 to 40 people. That includes bringing, plates, garlic bread and usually a drink or salad. The memorable part of these family events is how each family unit has developed a reputation for cooking a specific food really well.

It’s part of our custom to go from vehicle to vehicle to catch up on family details and reminisce while building a meal from the food prepared by the elder aunts, uncles and cousins, served buffet style from the trunk of their cars or bed of their trucks.

In the fairy tale to make the perfect bowl of stew didn't necessarily require a well done plump dragon in the recipe. Instead it had to be cooked by a dragon.

There are certain homemade dishes that every restaurateurs would love to duplicate.
If you are want to get a taste that’s close to some of the soul food dishes that are served at home, after a funeral and for the holidays by African Americans look for these specialties on the menu of a restaurant.

Black-eye peas
Collard Greens
Macaroni and cheese
Dirty Rice
Potato Salad
Cornbread Dressing
Chicken And Dumplings
Smothered Chicken
Fried Ribs
Beans w/Ham Hocks

One last thing, If you look behind the counter at restaurant in Houston that says it offers soul food nd notice that their are no black cooks and none of the employees look African American, you probably aren’t eating soul food.

It’s may be some good food, but the secret ingredient to good soul food is that it can only be cooked by a soul brother or soul sister.

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6 Places For Scrumptious Soul Food In Houston

Sensational, spicy soul food is easy to find in Midtown Houston restaurants, when your exotic taste buds began to crave down-home African American dishes like grits, smothered oxtails and/or barbecue.

You don’t have to settle for a bland cafeteria version of these delightful Southern specialties. Houston is where you can find the real McCoy served in cordial, clean and comfortable restaurant's throughout the city.

Southern Dining In Houston

We have personally visited all of the restaurants on this list and can tell you that our desire for eating African American cuisine in warm, welcoming, and wonderful atmospheres was met beyond our expectations.

One of the traditions of Southern African American cooking is heaping helpings of hospitality and food, all of these places have got that part down pat. Their menu items are a reflection of a variety of the other cultures that have influenced generations of African American cooks.


Soul Food Specialties

Yams

We found the yams served at “This Is It” to be the sweetest things this side of heaven. They were cooked with just enough cinnamon and sugar to flavor the dish and still allow the earthy taste of the yams natural sugar to seep through.

Fried Chicken






Fried foods have taken a beating in the quest for healthier dining choices, but the wings that we were served at Sparkle Hamburgers with a waffles and wings breakfast were as close to grease-less as you can hope to find anywhere.






Fried Catfish

If you have been avoiding fish at restaurants because they only serve the well known ocean varieties of Cod and Trout and you prefer that down-home taste of Catfish, Thelma’s got you covered. Although she is widely recognized for the way she almost magically infuses smoke into a piece of beef, the lady can work wonders with fried Catfish too.


Oxtails

This cut of meat has taken a beating from health eating advocates, because it is so high in fat and protein. But it’s a part of the cow that is considered a delicacy in soul food. As their name implies “Just Ox Tails” is the best place in Houston to find them on the menu any day of the week. They have no qualms serving them for either lunch or dinner.

Houston Soul Food Restaurant List

(abbreviated menu on Sparkle Burger Building)




Breakfast Club
Bobby Cues
This Is It
Thelma's Barbecue
Midtown Smokehouse
Sparkle Hamburger
Zydeco Diner

At most soul food restaurants in Houston and those in other cities around the country you can expect to find delicious corn bread and thick, biscuit sopping gravy on just about any menu.

If you know of any place in Houston with scrumptious Creole and African American cooking that deserves a place on this hastily compiled list of restaurants, we would like to know about them. You are welcome to add their address in the comment section below or by contacting us through the email link in the column on the right.

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