24 Perfect Hours of Dining and Drinking in Katy

Houston’s culinary scene is, as everyone knows, diverse and thriving, but the city’s suburbs can often get a bad rap. Once known as a wasteland of chain restaurants and boring eateries, Katy is positively packed with excellent restaurants. For folks who aren’t familiar with what this suburb situated about 30 miles outside of Space City, consider taking a day to make the drive and explore what Katy’s all about.

With stops at new Asian eateries to Houston mainstays and excellent snacks in between, here’s how to spend a full day dining on the bounty that Katy’s dining scene has to offer.

8 a.m. — Breakfast at Snappy’s

Carb up for a long day of exploring Katy at Snappy’s Cafe, an Old Town Katy institution with Greek roots that’s been serving up the town’s best diner fare since 2002. Here, diners can dig into rib-sticking fare like huevos rancheros smothered in homemade chili, biscuits and gravy, and omelets like the Greek Answer, stuffed with gyro and tomato and topped with feta cheese, creamy tzatziki, and pita.

Tiger Noodle House [Official Photo]

11:30 a.m. — Lunch at Tiger Noodle House

With two locations in Katy and a third headed to Houston, Tiger Noodle House is the definition of a local favorite. The Sichuan cuisine at this beloved eatery is top-notch, and focused on classic dishes like xiao long bao (soup dumplings) and spicy, mouth-numbing hot pots. Share the cumin lamb with a group, and brave spice enthusiasts should consider taking the “hot noodle challenge,” which involves slurping down a bowl of noodles spiked with mouth-searing ghost peppers in 30 minutes or less.

Chuck Cook for Phat Eatery

1:30 p.m. — Malaysian favorites at Phat Eatery

Arguably one of Katy’s best restaurants, Phat Eatery’s Malaysian cuisine is absolutely worth the drive to the suburbs. Even if you’re still stuffed from lunch, make room for satay skewers, kerabu prawn, a spicy and fresh salad made with green papaya and mango, and nasi lemak, a craveable dish of coconut rice, fried anchovies, and curry chicken that’s crowned with a perfectly runny fried egg.

3:30 p.m. — Soft-serve snack at Somi Somi

This booming development has attracted a truly stunning number of Asian eateries over the past year or two, bringing beloved spots like Japanese cream puff chain Beard Papas and Korean grocer H-Mart. After two lunches, food crawlers are still going to be pretty stuffed, but make sure to save room for sweet, soft-serve-stuffed taiyaki at SomiSomi. Open since July, this ice cream shop swirls ice cream in flavors like matcha and ube into soft, fish-shaped cones filled with Nutella or custard.

Kimberly Park for Tobiuo

7 p.m. — Dinner at Tobiuo

This Katy sushi bar rivals any of Space City’s most top-notch raw fish destinations. The fish here is impeccable, the presentation is gorgeous, and it’s really best to just let Lim and his team of sushi chefs guide the meal via a tasting menu, though a minimum of two people is required for that option. Control freaks and solo diners can dig into flame-seared foie gras served in a smoke-filled cloche, toro tartare, and bluefin sashimi that’s topped with edible gold.

9 p.m. — Drinks at Soju 101

An all-in-one Korean restaurant, karaoke bar, and soju destination, Soju 101 is the perfect place to wind down the night in Katy. If, somehow, you’re still hungry, booze-soaking snacks like honey butter fries and fried pork dumplings await, along with soju in flavors like yogurt and strawberry, cocktails, and Korean beer. Reserve one of the private karaoke rooms for a session of belting out Whitney Houston classics.