Highest-rated Southern restaurants in Houston by diners
When you travel below the Mason-Dixon Line, you'll find some of the most mouthwatering, comforting cuisine in the U.S.: Southern food.
Southern dishes are a vital part of American cuisine, from hush puppies to ham hocks and beignets to barbecue. It's impossible to define a classic Southern meal, but a solid one starts with the sharp savory flavor of pimento cheese dip, followed by the delicious crunchiness of fried chicken or a spicy Louisiana étouffée, culminating with a sugary slice of chess pie that's best washed down with a tall glass of sweet tea.
What's unique about Southern fare is that multiple ethnic and cultural groups have influenced it. Spanish staples, such as potatoes and cocoa, are in many Southern dishes; the Acadians, who traveled to Louisiana from Nova Scotia and later became Louisiana Creoles, contributed their seafood to many Southern meals; African ingredients—okra, sorghum (an ancient grain), and black-eyed peas—became a part of the cuisine through the forced labor of enslaved people; French cooking methods, like braising and sautéing, are used for many Southern recipes; and Native Americans introduced corn to Southern recipes, yielding dishes like succotash and grits.
The Southern culinary scene is an explosion of cultures. To find out where you can sample some Southern offerings, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated Southern restaurants in Houston using data from Yelp. Data is as of June 11, 2024. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only restaurants with at least 10 reviews were considered. In an effort to highlight independent restaurants and local chains, restaurants with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.
Read on to find the perfect spot to get a taste of the South near you.
Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily depict the specific restaurants listed or the dishes they serve.
#26. Mia's Table
- Rating: 4.2/5 (199 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1035 Gessner Road Bldg-B Houston, Texas
- Categories: american, southern, comfort food
- Read more on Yelp
#25. Field & Tides
- Rating: 4.2/5 (638 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 705 East 11th St. Houston, Texas
- Categories: southern, new american, seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#24. Mia's Table
- Rating: 4.2/5 (841 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3131 Argonne St. Houston, Texas
- Categories: american, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#23. SouthernQ BBQ and Catering
- Rating: 4.2/5 (222 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 411 West Richey Road Houston, Texas
- Categories: barbeque, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Soul Y Mex Kitchen
- Rating: 4.3/5 (16 reviews)
- Address: 13521 Perry Road Houston, Texas
- Categories: southern, mexican, soul food
- Read more on Yelp
#21. J. Henry's Draught House & Kitchen
- Rating: 4.3/5 (282 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1105 Clear Lake City Blvd. Houston, Texas
- Categories: new american, gastropubs, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#20. Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack
- Rating: 4.3/5 (982 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3929 Old Spanish Trl Ste 300 Houston, Texas
- Categories: barbeque, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Dish Society
- Rating: 4.3/5 (1067 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1050 Yale St. Ste 100 Houston, Texas
- Categories: new american, breakfast & brunch, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Daily Gather
- Rating: 4.3/5 (528 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 800 Sorella Court Ste 940 Houston, Texas
- Categories: breakfast & brunch, new american, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Gatlin's Fins & Feathers
- Rating: 4.3/5 (234 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 302 West Crosstimbers St. Houston, Texas
- Categories: southern
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Late August
- Rating: 4.3/5 (20 reviews)
- Address: 4201 Main St. Ste 120 Houston, Texas
- Categories: southern, latin american, new american
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Dish Society
- Rating: 4.3/5 (385 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4191 Bellaire Blvd. Ste 180 Houston, Texas
- Categories: breakfast & brunch, new american, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#14. The Pit Room
- Rating: 4.3/5 (2957 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1201 Richmond Ave. Houston, Texas
- Categories: barbeque, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Truth BBQ
- Rating: 4.3/5 (980 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 110 South Heights Blvd. Houston, Texas
- Categories: barbeque, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#12. The Signature Kafe
- Rating: 4.4/5 (14 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3722 Main St. Houston, Texas
- Categories: southern, cajun/creole
- Read more on Yelp
#11. La Lucha
- Rating: 4.4/5 (829 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1801 North Shepherd Drive Houston, Texas
- Categories: seafood, southern, cocktail bars
- Read more on Yelp
#10. State of Grace
- Rating: 4.4/5 (1005 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 3258 Westheimer Road Houston, Texas
- Categories: southern, new american, seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Zydeco Louisiana Diner
- Rating: 4.4/5 (265 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1119 Pease St. Houston, Texas
- Categories: cajun/creole, southern, cafeteria
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Josephine's Gulf Coast Tradition
- Rating: 4.4/5 (132 reviews)
- Address: 318 Gray St. Houston, Texas
- Categories: seafood, sandwiches, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#7. The Breakfast Klub
- Rating: 4.5/5 (6142 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3711 Travis St. Houston, Texas
- Categories: breakfast & brunch, southern, american
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Glory Cuisines
- Rating: 4.5/5 (17 reviews)
- Address: 989 Ringold St. Houston, Texas
- Categories: seafood, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Mom's Country Kitchen
- Rating: 4.5/5 (123 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 14428 Aldine Westfield Road Houston, Texas
- Categories: american, breakfast & brunch, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Backyard Boil House
- Rating: 4.6/5 (63 reviews)
- Address: 3755 Southmore Blvd. Houston, Texas
- Categories: seafood, cajun/creole, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#3. The Brunch Bus
- Rating: 4.6/5 (11 reviews)
- Address: Houston, Texas
- Categories: food trucks, breakfast & brunch, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Goode Eats Southern Cuisine
- Rating: 4.7/5 (23 reviews)
- Address: 10920 Almeda Road Ste 600 Houston, Texas
- Categories: breakfast & brunch, southern, american
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Bobobs
- Rating: 4.7/5 (108 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5203 Almeda Houston, Texas
- Categories: southern, cajun/creole, seafood
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Rasha Aly, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 143 metros.
