There’s no better time than Black Business Month to eat at these Black-owned restaurants bringing culture, history, and flavor to Houston’s dining scene.
August is a popular month in Houston, despite the sweltering temps. That’s because Houstonians love to go out to eat this month to take advantage of Houston Restaurant Weeks (HRW).
This month is filled with prix fixe deals at hundreds of restaurants across the city, all supporting the Houston Food Bank. To make August even better, HRW coincides with Black Business Month, an opportunity to recognize Black entrepreneurs, including restaurateurs, whose businesses are worth visiting any time of the year.
The restaurants featured below consistently draw rave reviews from diners and even the Michelin Guide, which has granted its fair share of stars to Houston eateries. So join your fellow foodies in savoring the flavors at these Black-owned restaurants in Houston.
ChòpnBlọk
Where: 507 Westheimer Rd., Montrose
Owner: Opeyemi “Ope” Amosu
With dishes rooted in West African culture and a commitment to fresh food and warm, inviting hospitality, ChòpnBlọk has established itself as a Houston favorite.
The fast-casual establishment is tucked into POST Houston along with a number of other great restaurants, so you have to do a bit of a search, but when you find it, you’ll be rewarded. There’s always a smiling staffer with samples in hand, and one small bite will quickly lead to a huge appetite for whatever they’re serving.
James Beard-recognized dishes include the smokey jollof jambalaya and the Nigerian red stew known as buka. The restaurant’s picture-perfect dishes are downright delicious, and somehow they taste even better inside this brightly colored spot featuring artwork that celebrates Black artists and artifacts from Amosu’s homeland.
Taste Kitchen & Bar
Where: Two locations – 1550 Lake Pointe Pkwy, Sugar Land; 420 Main St., Downtown
Owner: Chef Don Bowie
Houston-born celebrity chef and culinary entrepreneur Don Bowie did so well with his Downtown Houston location that he opened a second, waterside restaurant in Sugar Land. Now that restaurant is packed as well.
It’s not hard to see (or should I say, taste) why Taste Kitchen & Bar inspires so many loyal customers. Here, I had the best General Tso chicken sandwich of my life (okay, it’s the only one I had in my life, but still), topped with an Asian slaw I’m still dreaming about.
The elevated chicken and waffle dish is a standout, as is the jerk surf and turf, and prices vary widely from $16 for the former to $80 for the latter. There really is something here for everyone, making Taste a restaurant worth visiting.
Kulture
Where: 701 Avenida of the Americas, Downtown
Owner: Marcus Davis
This self-titled “Urban Komfort Kitchen” brings all the comfort food you could want in a fusion of Caribbean and Southern cuisine. But Kulture is more than just food—it’s an entire atmosphere where art, music, and drinks round out the experience and highlight contributions of the African diaspora.
You’ll find Kulture on the ground floor of Partnership Tower, a 10-story office tower. Grab a seat and a menu, and start drooling. Choose from small and large plates that deliver a cornucopia of flavors, from fried fish to oxtails to Southern-style carbonara.
Check out the wine menu, which features vintages from South Africa, or choose a craft cocktail or beer on tap.
Lucille’s
Where: 5512 La Branch St., Museum District
Owners: Brother team Ben and Chris Williams
Have a hankering for boudin balls, black eyed pea cakes, or catfish and grits? Then you’ve come to the right place: Lucille’s in the Museum District.
Named after the owners’ great-grandmother, Lucille B. Smith, this spot offers many menu items that are exact replicas of Smith’s original recipes. Others have been modified with twists that have only made each dish more interesting.
The most impressive feature of these dishes is that they are crafted from ingredients grown right at Lucille’s 1913, a non-profit collective that works to ensure healthy food for Houstonians dealing with food insecurity. For restaurant goers, this means your food is made with fresh, local, seasonal ingredients.
In the capable hands of James Beard Award Finalist Chef Chris Williams and Chef de Cuisine Khang Hoang, Grandmother Lucille’s recipes—and her community spirit—live on.
Krack Kitchen
Where: Inside the Swift gas station at 1600 Cullen Blvd., Pearland
Owner: Chef David Netter
What’s more convenient than stopping to fill up the tank and then stepping inside to fill up your belly? Krack Kitchen makes it easy to pop in for counter service and score some delicacies that are so much better than any fast food.
Lest you be curious about the name, Krack is an anagram for Kooking Real Authentic Cajun Kuisine. It’s Chef David Netter’s tongue-in-cheek moniker for what happens when you mix Louisiana and Texas cuisine to bring a new taste and atmosphere to H-Town’s dining scene.
You’ll see Chef Netter when you arrive—he works alongside his employees to bring you the heat with jambalaya pizza topped with shrimp, chicken sausage, and crawfish that the locals devour. If you’re with a group or a hungry partner, consider ordering the Da Justo Sampler of seafood grilled cheese, sweet and spicy chicken wings, mac and cheese, and fries—rich, flavorful, and finger-lickin’ good.
Tip: You will get a receipt at the counter, but you’ll pay with the gas station attendant. Take your time, as orders are made fresh and take longer than your standard gas station food. There are four tables for dining, and you’ll want to snag one so you can truly give your meal the attention it deserves.
Winsome Prime
Where: 5888 Westheimer Rd., Galleria area
Owners: Rob Wright, Mazen Baltagi, Steve Rogers, and Kurt-Ogechi Agomuo
Winsome Prime is a Black-owned, upscale Southern steakhouse and cocktail lounge that is perfect for special occasions, but why wait for one of those? Every day is a celebration, so don your favorite evening wear and enter a space that is chic, sleek, and oh so elegant.
The four owners reimagined the former The Warwick, creating an experience where dinners of sushi and smoked oxtail roll segue into posh nightlife where celebrity-spotting (Shaquille O’Neal, Bun B, and Travis Scott, anyone?) is more common than you would think.
Order the pan-seared airline chicken breast stuffed with boudin rice, mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, spinach, and peppers, all served on a bed of mashed potatoes and topped with mushroom royale sauce.
Vegan options and a Monday-through-Friday happy hour with specially priced cocktails and bites make this place even more special.
Dandelion Café
Where: Three locations: 5405 Bellaire Ave., Bellaire; 611 West 22 St., The Heights; Ralph S. O’Connor Building for Engineering and Science at Rice University, Campanile Rd.
Owners: J.C. Ricks and Sarah Lieberman
For brunch and breakfast lovers, Dandelion Café is a Houston staple that never disappoints. This Black- and woman-owned restaurant has a small but mighty menu that runs the gamut from Chef J.C.’s chicken and waffles (featured on “Good Morning America”!) to bagel and lox to a veggie scramble.
If you oversleep and miss breakfast, no worries, as the Dandelion Café also serves a tasty lunch of sandwiches and salads, along with every version of a variety of hot and cold drinks for a caffeine fix or a green juice boost.
If you’ve never had the pleasure of savoring the food at these Black-owned Houston restaurants, Black Business Month is the perfect time to give them a whirl. Whether they bring Cajun-Creole flavors, Southern comfort food, or African fare, they deliver on food you will crave year-round.
