75 Houston hidden gems: where Houstonians actually go

20 of the 75

1. S

   Sheba Restaurant

   GulftonYemeni$$

   A plain Yemeni dining room at the back of a Gulfton strip center that makes some of the most incredible lamb in the city. Bring a group.

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2. R

   Reggae Hut

   Third WardJamaican$

   A sunny Third Ward Caribbean spot for about 25 years, all Jamaica murals and lazy ceiling fans: jerk chicken, oxtail and coco bread done right.

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3. T

   Thiên Thanh

   ChinatownBánh cuốn$

   The Chinatown OG for bánh cuốn: delicate rice crêpes stuffed with pork, mushrooms and dried shrimp, dunked in fish sauce. Cash only.

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4. C

   Cream Burger

   Third WardBurgers & shakes$

   A red-and-white Third Ward stand on Elgin since 1961: burgers, chili cheese dogs, fries and an incredible pineapple milkshake.

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5. C

   Christie's Seafood & Steaks

   GalleriaClassic seafood$$

   A Houston classic for over 100 years, with stuffed fish over every table, golden fried Gulf shrimp, snapper po'boys and fat oysters.

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6. K

   Kenny & Ziggy's New York Delicatessen

   GalleriaJewish deli$$

   A giant deli covered in Broadway posters and celebrity caricatures, serving pastrami sandwiches the size of a standard poodle.

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7. I

   Irma's

   DowntownTex-Mex & daily specials$$

   A tiny downtown dining room like grandma's living room, cluttered with dolls and dishware, cooking a daily menu. Hope for the chicken mole.

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8. H

   Hickory Hollow

   North HoustonChicken-fried steak$$

   A barn of a restaurant in North Houston since 1977, serving the city's top-seeded chicken-fried steak under country gravy.

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9. C

   Cali Sandwiches & Phở

   MidtownBánh mì & phở$

   A Midtown bánh mì temple: crisp bread, smoky pork and a magical house mayo. Seating's uncomfortable and service chaotic; nobody cares.

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10. C

    Calliope's

    Third WardPo'boys$

    A Third Ward truck where there's no bad po'boy. Get the Surf and Turf: thin roast beef and crisp fried shrimp together.

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11. A

    The Almighty Moon Tower Inn

    East EndGame-meat hot dogs & beer$

    Shipping containers and a big yard in the East End: wild-game hot dogs, a lot of beer, and an attitude locals secretly love.

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12. P

    Phoenicia Specialty Foods

    WestchaseMediterranean market$$

    A huge family-run Mediterranean market on Westheimer with a bakery, prepared foods, cheeses, olives and imported pantry goods.

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13. B

    Beer Can House

    Rice MilitaryFolk-art house$

    John Milkovisch, a retired railroad upholsterer, spent 18 years from 1968 covering his house in flattened beer cans. Open weekends; free.

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14. B

    Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern

    Fourth WardUnderground former reservoir$$

    A 1926 underground drinking-water reservoir the size of 1.5 football fields, with 221 concrete columns and a 17-second echo, now open for tours and art.

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15. P

    Project Row Houses

    Third WardArt & community project$

    An art and community project in the Third Ward, with artist installations in its row houses and art programs across the Third Ward Cultural District.

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16. T

    Twilight Epiphany Skyspace

    Rice UniversityJames Turrell skyspace$

    James Turrell's 2012 grass-and-stone pyramid at Rice, seating 120, with a light sequence at sunrise and sunset framing the sky.

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17. N

    National Museum of Funeral History

    North HoustonQuirky history museum$

    "Any day above ground is a good one": a North Houston museum of funeral history, including an exhibit on the lives and deaths of the popes.

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18. S

    Smither Park

    East EndMosaic folk-art park$

    A park of artist-made mosaic walls and sculpture next to the Orange Show, run by the same folk-art group.

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19. G

    Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park

    UptownFountain park$

    Philip Johnson and John Burgee's monumental wall of falling water in Uptown, a short walk from the Galleria.

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20. M

    Memorial Park

    MemorialUrban park$

    1,500 acres of urban wilderness in the heart of Houston: prairies, wetlands and forest laced with hiking and biking trails, plus golf, a pool and tennis.

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The other 55

The 75 are spread across 31 neighborhoods. Museum District (8), Chinatown (7), Third Ward (7), Galleria (5), the Heights (5) and Montrose (4) have the most; the other 25 have 1 to 3 each.

For the classics, see the best places in Houston.

All 75, on your own map

This page is 20 of them. The Houston Local Favorites pack in Whosly has all 75 — add it and every one drops onto your map, ready to save, rate and turn into a plan your friends RSVP to from a text, no app needed to answer. The pack is included with Planner Pro.

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