Where to Eat in Houston Right Now: 5 Hot Restaurants for Spring

Spring’s arrival hasn’t only gifted Houston with picturesque weather. A bevy of new restaurant menus are also in tow. Featuring everything from locally-sourced chicken sandwiches and posh dim sum to Mexico-style street tacos, here’s where you should eat the rest of this month and beyond.

Cafe Azur, 4315 Montrose Boulevard, cafeazurhouston.com. French restaurant Cafe Azur has finally added lunch to its repertoire, and it’s off to a strong start. The diverse menu features a range of fare, highlighting everything from salads and tartines to pasta and small plates.

Start your meal with the butternut squash topped with melted taleggio cheese, fresh chives, and pumpkin seeds, or the salmon gravlax salad fashioned with house-smoked salmon, romaine lettuce, yogurt-marinated cucumber, cherry tomatoes, fresh herbs, and gin dressing.

The duck pot pie — duck confit, sliced potatoes, and foie gras wrapped inside a puff pastry — makes for an indulgent entree.

Dolce Neve, 4721 North Main Street, dolcenevegelato.com. You’ll experience some of the best artisanal gelato at Houston’s newest gelateria Dolce Neve in The Heights. The Austin-originated shop showcases a variety of gelato and sorbet flavors.

Feeling traditional? Go for Italian classics such as organic pistachio, stracciatella, or the signature Crema Dolce Neve (custard with lemon zest). Have some fun with more whimsical flavor options including coconut milk and blueberry jam; strawberries and buttermilk; earl gray tea; goat cheese and pecan; and malted milk with milk chocolate chips.

Dolce Neve’s signature gelato and sorbet can be served in a cup or cone, or enjoy the creamy confections in a gelato sandwich or pop.

Krisp Bird & Batter, 5922 Richmond Avenue, krisphouston.com. A few weeks ago, I decided to soothe my Chick-fil-A craving with a trip to chef Ben McPherson‘s new fast casual chicken sandwich concept Krisp Bird & Batter. Not only is he reinventing the fast food favorite using pasture-raised chickens, but McPherson’s also sourcing the sandwiches’ fixins from local farms.

Try the spicy Krisp Classic on a fresh-made roll — topped with cider slaw, pickles, barrel-aged maple syrup, and Crystal hot sauce — paired with seasoned waffle fries. (Yes, there are waffle fries!) Or substitute the conventional bun for a GMO-free Belgium waffle. Don’t forget to grab a few of Krisp Bird’s house-made sauces.

I’ll be back to indulge in the KFC, a crispy chicken sandwich topped with Korean spicy chili sauce and kimchi.

Tacodeli, 1902 Washington Avenue, tacodeli.com. Houston may not need any new taco eateries, but Austin import Tacodeli is certainly a welcomed addition. The taqueria brings its signature Mexico City-inspired street tacos to Washington with its first Houston location, which officially made its debut last week.

With more than 40 different taco options, picking just one is no easy feat. We’re loving the Pollo Fantastico, a taco loaded with shredded chicken, roasted green chile sauce, crema mexicana, and green onions; the El Conquistador, a mash-up of roasted organic pork shoulder, chile pasilla sauce, avocado, cilantro, and onion; the Papadulce, a vegetarian option crafted with roasted sweet potatoes, grilled corn, roasted peppers, caramelized onions, toasted pepitas, chipotle camote sauce; and The Otto, a breakfast taco made with organic refried black beans, bacon, avocado, and Monterrey Jack cheese.

But you’ll have to grab these tacos by 3 pm. Tacodeli is only open for breakfast and lunch.

Yauatcha, The Galleria, 5045 Westheimer Road, yauatcha.com/houston. Simply put, Yauatcha is the dining experience Houston’s been missing. The new Chinese, dim sum teahouse is dishing out a bevy of elevated dim sum offerings — everything from basic dumplings and puffs to shui mai and cheung fun — alongside succulent entrees, expertly crafted cocktails, posh desserts, and a megawatt tea selection.

If you’re a fan of options, go for Yauatcha’s tasting menu. Priced at just $48, the menu offers a diverse range of menu specialties including standouts like the venison puffs, jasmine tea smoked pork ribs, Shantou-style Chilean sea bass clay pot, and egg and scallion fried rice. However, dim sum is best experienced through Yauatcha’s regular menu.

Don’t leave without a treat from this new Houston restaurant’s posh patisserie.