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Look at all those peppers.
Look at all those peppers.
Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot/Facebook

Spicy Food In Houston: 10 Places To Light Your Mouth On Fire

Warning: these dishes aren't for the faint of heart

by Amy McCarthy
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Look at all those peppers.
| Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot/Facebook
by Amy McCarthy

Whether it's Tex-Mex, Indian, or Thai cuisine, Houstonians enjoy their food with a hefty dose of spice. It doesn't hurt that in Texas, having spicy food on the menu is damn near a legal requirement for restaurants, resulting in a veritable smorgasbord of pepper-spiked dishes to choose from.

But where does one find the best spicy food in Houston? If you're looking for a seriously piquant dish, perhaps made with Sichuan peppercorns or habanero, one of these 10 spots will certainly fit the bill.

Just be sure to drink plenty of water. Or whatever it is that makes that lingering burn in your mouth after a few too many spicy peppers go away.

Is your favorite mouth-incinerating dish missing from this guide? Shout it out in the comments.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Bon Ga Korean Restaurant

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A dose of spicy, housemade kimchi is enough to add punch to any dishes, but the plates at this innocuous strip mall eatery don’t need much help to light up your palate. Try the soon dubu, a tofu soup with a broth so spicy that you’ll feel like you just ran a marathon.
9861 Long Point Rd, Houston, TX 77055
(713) 461-5265
(713) 461-5265

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Cooking Girl

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There are any number of dishes for spice junkies to indulge their craving for capsaicin at Cooking Girl, chief among them the super cubic beef. This super-secret blend of ridiculously spicy peppers delivers as much heat as its name implies, and is tossed with enough pepper pods to seriously cause your mouth some pain. Proceed with caution.
315 Fairview St, Houston, TX 77006
(832) 382-2941
(832) 382-2941

Himalaya Restaurant

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Indian and Pakistani cuisine is notably spicy, and it’s done remarkably well at Himalaya. Dig into a plate of haleem (goat stewed in spicy chaat masala) or chicken hara masala, which features a creamy chile-spiked curry sauce. Pair with butter naan if you need to cool down.
6652 Southwest Fwy, Houston, TX 77074
(713) 532-2837
(713) 532-2837
Himalaya

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Lankford's Grocery & Market

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Burgers are generally a pretty mild dish, but not at Lankford Grocery. Try The Firehouse burger, a Guy Fieri-approved stunner topped with habanero sauce, cayenne butter, and fresh jalapenos. Fortunately, a glass of freshly-squeezed lemonade will (eventually) tame the heat.
88 Dennis St, Houston, TX 77006
(713) 522-9555
(713) 522-9555

Also featured in:

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot

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Kick up the spice several notches at Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot by ordering a full bowl of the spicy soup broth. More than 36 different spices and chiles go into the making of this richly flavored broth, which is perfect for dipping slices of sliced beef or fresh veg. If you’re feeling a little too wimpy, go for a bowl that’s half spicy, half regular.
5901 Westheimer Rd Ste A, Houston, TX 77057
(713) 975-0687
(713) 975-0687
Little Sheep/Facebook

Mala Sichuan Bistro

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This restaurant’s namesake pepper lends plenty of mouth-numbing spice. Try them in a dish of spicy crispy chicken that is addictively painful, or perhaps the water boiled fish which is equally piquant.
1201 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006
(832) 767-0911
(832) 767-0911

Also featured in:

Naam Khao Thai Restaurant & Bar

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Thai cuisine is generally customizable to one’s preferred level of sweat-inducing spice, and here, you can take it to the next level. Try the spicy basil fried rice, which you’ll need to follow with a Thai iced tea to cool your mouth. Continue punishing your palate with a papaya salad or chicken wings tossed in a super spicy sauce.
1420 Eldridge Pkwy, Houston, TX 77077
(281) 506-8069
(281) 506-8069

Peli Peli

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This South African eatery features plenty of even-handed spice on its menu. Try the shrimp espetada, topped with Peli Peli’s signature spicy sauce and a ridiculously good spicy butter, and wash it all down with a spicy cucumber martini.
5085 Westheimer Rd, Ste B-2515, Houston, TX 77056
(281) 257-9500
(281) 257-9500

Pondicheri

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This Upper Kirby restaurant offers spicy dishes no matter the size of your appetite, ranging from spicy goat samosa starters to the chicken Frankie, an Indian burrito of sorts spiked with a decidedly piquant tomato sauce. Head upstairs to the Bake Lab for a chocolate-chili cookie for a spicy but sweet ending.
2800 Kirby Dr, Houston, TX 77098
(713) 522-2022
(713) 522-2022

Also featured in:

Reggae Hut

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Jamaican jerk seasoning adds a punch of fresh spice to any dish, but the marinade at Reggae Hut isn’t playing around. Your choice of chicken or shrimp will be doused in a rich and spicy jerk marinade, then tossed on the grill for a nice dose of smoke. Reggae Hut’s housemade ginger beer also packs a pretty powerful punch.
4814 Almeda Rd, Houston, TX 77004
(713) 520-7171
(713) 520-7171
Reggae Hut/Facebook

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Bon Ga Korean Restaurant

9861 Long Point Rd, Houston, TX 77055
A dose of spicy, housemade kimchi is enough to add punch to any dishes, but the plates at this innocuous strip mall eatery don’t need much help to light up your palate. Try the soon dubu, a tofu soup with a broth so spicy that you’ll feel like you just ran a marathon.
9861 Long Point Rd, Houston, TX 77055
(713) 461-5265
(713) 461-5265

Cooking Girl

315 Fairview St, Houston, TX 77006
There are any number of dishes for spice junkies to indulge their craving for capsaicin at Cooking Girl, chief among them the super cubic beef. This super-secret blend of ridiculously spicy peppers delivers as much heat as its name implies, and is tossed with enough pepper pods to seriously cause your mouth some pain. Proceed with caution.
315 Fairview St, Houston, TX 77006
(832) 382-2941
(832) 382-2941

Himalaya Restaurant

6652 Southwest Fwy, Houston, TX 77074
Indian and Pakistani cuisine is notably spicy, and it’s done remarkably well at Himalaya. Dig into a plate of haleem (goat stewed in spicy chaat masala) or chicken hara masala, which features a creamy chile-spiked curry sauce. Pair with butter naan if you need to cool down.
6652 Southwest Fwy, Houston, TX 77074
(713) 532-2837
(713) 532-2837
Himalaya

Lankford's Grocery & Market

88 Dennis St, Houston, TX 77006
Burgers are generally a pretty mild dish, but not at Lankford Grocery. Try The Firehouse burger, a Guy Fieri-approved stunner topped with habanero sauce, cayenne butter, and fresh jalapenos. Fortunately, a glass of freshly-squeezed lemonade will (eventually) tame the heat.
88 Dennis St, Houston, TX 77006
(713) 522-9555
(713) 522-9555

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot

5901 Westheimer Rd Ste A, Houston, TX 77057
Kick up the spice several notches at Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot by ordering a full bowl of the spicy soup broth. More than 36 different spices and chiles go into the making of this richly flavored broth, which is perfect for dipping slices of sliced beef or fresh veg. If you’re feeling a little too wimpy, go for a bowl that’s half spicy, half regular.
5901 Westheimer Rd Ste A, Houston, TX 77057
(713) 975-0687
(713) 975-0687
Little Sheep/Facebook

Mala Sichuan Bistro

1201 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006
This restaurant’s namesake pepper lends plenty of mouth-numbing spice. Try them in a dish of spicy crispy chicken that is addictively painful, or perhaps the water boiled fish which is equally piquant.
1201 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006
(832) 767-0911
(832) 767-0911

Naam Khao Thai Restaurant & Bar

1420 Eldridge Pkwy, Houston, TX 77077
Thai cuisine is generally customizable to one’s preferred level of sweat-inducing spice, and here, you can take it to the next level. Try the spicy basil fried rice, which you’ll need to follow with a Thai iced tea to cool your mouth. Continue punishing your palate with a papaya salad or chicken wings tossed in a super spicy sauce.
1420 Eldridge Pkwy, Houston, TX 77077
(281) 506-8069
(281) 506-8069

Peli Peli

5085 Westheimer Rd, Ste B-2515, Houston, TX 77056
This South African eatery features plenty of even-handed spice on its menu. Try the shrimp espetada, topped with Peli Peli’s signature spicy sauce and a ridiculously good spicy butter, and wash it all down with a spicy cucumber martini.
5085 Westheimer Rd, Ste B-2515, Houston, TX 77056
(281) 257-9500
(281) 257-9500

Pondicheri

2800 Kirby Dr, Houston, TX 77098
This Upper Kirby restaurant offers spicy dishes no matter the size of your appetite, ranging from spicy goat samosa starters to the chicken Frankie, an Indian burrito of sorts spiked with a decidedly piquant tomato sauce. Head upstairs to the Bake Lab for a chocolate-chili cookie for a spicy but sweet ending.
2800 Kirby Dr, Houston, TX 77098
(713) 522-2022
(713) 522-2022

Reggae Hut

4814 Almeda Rd, Houston, TX 77004
Jamaican jerk seasoning adds a punch of fresh spice to any dish, but the marinade at Reggae Hut isn’t playing around. Your choice of chicken or shrimp will be doused in a rich and spicy jerk marinade, then tossed on the grill for a nice dose of smoke. Reggae Hut’s housemade ginger beer also packs a pretty powerful punch.
4814 Almeda Rd, Houston, TX 77004
(713) 520-7171
(713) 520-7171
Reggae Hut/Facebook

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