Sure, Houston Restaurants Weeks is a wonderful project that simultaneously brings new customers to restaurants and raises tons of money for the Houston Food Bank. Almost every restaurant that participates gets flooded with diners looking to take advantage of the chance to try places more cheaply than they could the other 11 months of the year.

Thus, there is opportunity. Like Boyd Crowder setting off an explosion in one part of Harlan County so he can rob a bank in another, Houston Restaurant Weeks creates a diversion for savvy diners. Since everyone is focused on the restaurants that are in HRW, those that are not may be less crowded than usual. With that in mind, here are 12 great Houston restaurants that should be a little easier to get into through the end of the month.

—Rachel Brill and Eric Sandler