LOCAL Houston | The City Guide DECEMBER 2015 | Page 27

FOOD | ARTS | COMMUNITY | STYLE+LEISURE

of maintaining consistency and flavor purity. I was impressed with the
smoke… Double Apple hookah has some of the best shisha in town
and the service is top-notch. For $10 you get more than what you pay
for and it would be a shame for you to miss out!
–Josue M., Yelp
FRANK’S GRILL
$ Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers | 4702 Telephone Rd.
713.649.3296
I love Frank’s. And that’s saying something as I usually am not a fan
of breakfast food. They have huge portions. I usually get a chocolate
chip waffle and a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich, and that’s enough
for me and my daughter. Their chicken strips and chicken fried chicken
are so tender, and they have just the slightest kick, like a bit of hot
sauce added to the batter. This place gets pretty packed during breakfast hours, and sometimes the wait is pretty long, and the hash browns
are usually more like bland mashed potatoes, but other than that, great
traditional diner fare.
–Laura P., Yelp
HUNKY DORY
$$ British | 1801 N. Shepherd Dr. | 713.864.2450
www.treadsack.com/hunkydory
First off, the buildout is absolutely beautiful. The proper restaurant on
one end, with the pub on the other, and one amazing patio complete
with a live oak for even more charm and shade. I have sat at the bar,
all three visits, and I come early… The pub menu is the standard with
fish and chips, bangers and mash, etc. The Silver Salver is rabbit game
pies (the pastry crust is so damn good), house pickles, gentleman’s relish and so much more. At $30, it is pricey, but again this will fill you
up. Not to mention the happy hour menu with house terrines, rillettes
and other goodies. The Welsh Rarebit is back from Feast, as well as the
Beef Tongue, which is out of this world good – lightly battered and
fried tongue, light gravy and chips. If you don’t like Worcestershire
Sauce or horseradish, avoid the sauce. Though how could anybody not
love that amazing funky sauce to drizzle over everything? All this while
not even mentioning the regular restaurant’s menu. Which should
speak for itself. Really, they have a great rustic menu, much of it very
traditional. Happy hour menu also includes $4 pints, discount on wines
and cheap cocktails. The draught selection, by the way, is unique.
Plenty of European beers not found on tap elsewhere. Like
Weihenstephaner Pilsner, Ayinger Hefeweizen, Fuller’s ESB, Well’s
Bombardier and some good American crafts thrown in for good measure.
–Paul D., Yelp
LOWBROW BAR & GRILL
$$ Bars, Breakfast & Brunch | 1601 W. Main St. | 281.501.8288
www.lowbrowhouston.com
Good brunch food, decent prices, $2 mimosas and $5 frozens (it’s different every week but I had a frozen mojito and it was amazing). I
probably had one too many mimosas, but at $2, who’s counting? ... I
had the two egg breakfast with bacon, a huge delicious biscuit and
potato hash. I have to say the hash was super flavorful and crispy –
not soggy like most brunch places make hash. I’d go back just for the

potato hash and biscuits, no joke. The bacon was smoked and delish
also. My bf had steak and eggs, and our friends got chicken dishes.
...They all loved their food, and the mac ‘n’ cheese was even topped
with Cheetos! The waiter was very attentive with our food and drinks.
I was full and buzzed by the end of our brunch date, so needless to say
it was a good Sunday.
–Kristina T., Yelp
MR. PEEPLES
$$$$ Steakhouse | 1911 Bagby | 713.652.0711
www.mrpeeples.com
Steaks and seafood are the specialties, but the menu is packed with
delicious descriptions and creative titles. There are banquet and meeting facilities on the second floor with state-of-the-art audio and visual
systems for business conferences, receptions, private parties, et al. So
there are plenty of reasons to return.
–Jeff Lane

RICO’S MORNING NOON NIGHT
$ Hot Dogs, American (Traditional), Burgers | 401 Gray St. |
713.750.0050
www.ricosmnn.com
The concept is good: promoting the use of Houston’s green spaces.
Cheap, late-night, non-food-truck dining is also a welcome addition to
Midtown. During Rico’s breakfast service, I can imagine that it would
be lovely for people who live nearby to lounge in the park with a breakfast taco, coffee and a book on one of the few balmy days that
Houston offers. Except for the longer hours, Rico’s is very much reminiscent of Madison Square Park's original Shake Shack except without
the long lines – the menu offering, clean linear aesthetic and even the
cardboard boxes that the food is served in are eerily similar.
–Lisa G., Yelp

SHADE
$$ New American, Brunch
250 W. 19th St. | 713.863.7500 | www.shadeheights.com
If I’m breathing and mobile, my family is going to Shade for Sunday
brunch. Every Sunday. And we take our dog, who is treated like royalty
(just as the staff treats the humans). We sit in the outdoor area, where

our pup is brought a bowl of water and the occasional sneaked slice of
bacon. The menu is slightly different every week, and it’s consistently
excellent. The omelet is among my favorites, and the fillings vary; one
week it might be asparagus, another week artichokes, sometimes
both, sometimes an entirely different filling. Always excellent. The
shrimp and grits are homey, wonderful comfort food, as is the chicken
and waffle dish. I’m no food critic; I just know what I like. And I love
this place... This is my favorite Houston restaurant.
–Dinah M., Yelp
THAI JIN
$$ Thai | 2753 Gessner Rd. | 713.939.4999
I lived in NW Houston for 2.5 years, and in that time hadn’t been able
to find a single place with really good Pad Thai, even when venturing
out to other parts of Houston to find it. From the very first bite of Thai
Jin’s Pad Thai, I knew it was exactly what I was looking for. They serve
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