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Mirchi bajji, or fried green chiles, at Gayatri Bhavan
Gayatri Bhavan

11 Spectacularly Spicy Houston Dishes to Eat Right Now

From biryani to shockingly hot fried chicken, these dishes are serious about spice

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Mirchi bajji, or fried green chiles, at Gayatri Bhavan
| Gayatri Bhavan

Whatever the dish, Houstonians enjoy their food with a hefty dose of spice, and the city’s diverse crop of restaurants is happy to oblige. Whether it’s fried Indian chiles, mouth-singeing Vietnamese salad or a Thai stew that will leave diners reaching for the tissues, there’s something for everyone who wants to feel the burn.

From the taste bud-melting to merely palate-provoking, these 11 restaurants serve some of the spiciest dishes in town.

Is your favorite searingly hot spicy dish missing from this map? 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.

De Hoang Duy

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Bun bo Hue, one of Vietnam’s great noodle soups, is spicy by design. This satiating soup is dotted with hot chile oil anywhere in town, but the version here has a well-earned reputation for an extra dose of heat. Even the meaty-yet-refreshing goat salad packs a piquant punch.

Street Food Thai Market

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Spice levels run high at this Northern-Thai-Laotian market with a comfortable dining area. Even the pad kee mao may hurt a little, but to really feel the fire, order the gaeng om. The dill-flecked mushroom stew is replete with chiles that belie its bright, herbaceous first impression.

Vons Chicken

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Korean fried chicken doesn’t have to be spicy. It’s just best when it is. The hottest we’ve found is at this Spring Branch outlet, where there are both fried and oven-baked wings. The Shocking Hot option is the way to go for a sizzling sensation. Luckily, there’s bubble tea and a full range of bingsu (Korean shaved ice) to transition back to the world of the living.

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.

Gayatri Bhavan

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South Indian fare is a leaner, meaner cousin to the creamy North Indian dishes more common in the United States. That’s evidenced across the menu at Gayatri Bhavan, bolstered by spicy sambars and chutneys. For an unmitigated slap of heat, order the mirchi bhaji, green chiles fried in chickpea batter.

Ono Poke

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“Light” and “fresh” are the words most often associated with the chopped fish bowls served here, but those who order their poke with K-Sauce are in for a wallop of heat. The thick red sauce is spicy and sweet with gochujang. The rice at the bottom of the bowl is necessary to keep the pain at bay.

Bawarchi Indian Cuisine

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The biryani is the marquee offering at this Hillcroft restaurant, and without a scoop of raita with each bite, this dish is definitely spicy enough to induce sweating. Here, there are four different varieties of goat biryani alone, but go for the avakai. It’s heavily spiced on its own, then enhanced with hot and tangy mango pickle.

Thai Gourmet

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Dining at this expansive restaurant is like a mini trip to Thailand, complete with souvenir shopping. Part of the friendly atmosphere is the server’s warning not to request more than medium heat. Even the typically sweet pad thai is likely to cause a runny nose here. A Thai custard will provide sweet relief to those who make it through the flames.

Trinity Bar & Grill

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The starches, including jollof rice, yam porridge and attiéké—fermented and grated cassava that’s similar to couscous—get star billing at this pan-African restaurant. Perhaps that’s because they’re necessary to mitigate the fire of the pepper sauce-topped proteins that accompany them. Even safe-sounding grilled chicken leaves tasters in for a world of hurt.

Tiger Noodle House

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Sichuan food is incendiary by default, but for those looking for more than the Chengdu-style fish dishes that both burn and numb the tongue, there is the “Tame the Tiger” challenge at this Rice Village restaurant. Even the most experienced stunt eaters have been felled by this chile-packed noodle soup.

Niu Jiao Jian

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Even before the chiles touch diners’ tongues, the wafting vapors of the bubbling soup is fiery enough to bring the tears — even the medium spice level. For a few extra dollars, spring for a frozen bear or bunny made of chile oil. It melts in the broth, bringing with it more numbing spice and an extra dash of cuteness.

De Hoang Duy

Bun bo Hue, one of Vietnam’s great noodle soups, is spicy by design. This satiating soup is dotted with hot chile oil anywhere in town, but the version here has a well-earned reputation for an extra dose of heat. Even the meaty-yet-refreshing goat salad packs a piquant punch.

Street Food Thai Market

Spice levels run high at this Northern-Thai-Laotian market with a comfortable dining area. Even the pad kee mao may hurt a little, but to really feel the fire, order the gaeng om. The dill-flecked mushroom stew is replete with chiles that belie its bright, herbaceous first impression.

Vons Chicken

Korean fried chicken doesn’t have to be spicy. It’s just best when it is. The hottest we’ve found is at this Spring Branch outlet, where there are both fried and oven-baked wings. The Shocking Hot option is the way to go for a sizzling sensation. Luckily, there’s bubble tea and a full range of bingsu (Korean shaved ice) to transition back to the world of the living.

Lankford's Grocery & Market

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.

Gayatri Bhavan

South Indian fare is a leaner, meaner cousin to the creamy North Indian dishes more common in the United States. That’s evidenced across the menu at Gayatri Bhavan, bolstered by spicy sambars and chutneys. For an unmitigated slap of heat, order the mirchi bhaji, green chiles fried in chickpea batter.

Ono Poke

“Light” and “fresh” are the words most often associated with the chopped fish bowls served here, but those who order their poke with K-Sauce are in for a wallop of heat. The thick red sauce is spicy and sweet with gochujang. The rice at the bottom of the bowl is necessary to keep the pain at bay.

Bawarchi Indian Cuisine

The biryani is the marquee offering at this Hillcroft restaurant, and without a scoop of raita with each bite, this dish is definitely spicy enough to induce sweating. Here, there are four different varieties of goat biryani alone, but go for the avakai. It’s heavily spiced on its own, then enhanced with hot and tangy mango pickle.

Thai Gourmet

Dining at this expansive restaurant is like a mini trip to Thailand, complete with souvenir shopping. Part of the friendly atmosphere is the server’s warning not to request more than medium heat. Even the typically sweet pad thai is likely to cause a runny nose here. A Thai custard will provide sweet relief to those who make it through the flames.

Trinity Bar & Grill

The starches, including jollof rice, yam porridge and attiéké—fermented and grated cassava that’s similar to couscous—get star billing at this pan-African restaurant. Perhaps that’s because they’re necessary to mitigate the fire of the pepper sauce-topped proteins that accompany them. Even safe-sounding grilled chicken leaves tasters in for a world of hurt.

Tiger Noodle House

Sichuan food is incendiary by default, but for those looking for more than the Chengdu-style fish dishes that both burn and numb the tongue, there is the “Tame the Tiger” challenge at this Rice Village restaurant. Even the most experienced stunt eaters have been felled by this chile-packed noodle soup.

Niu Jiao Jian

Even before the chiles touch diners’ tongues, the wafting vapors of the bubbling soup is fiery enough to bring the tears — even the medium spice level. For a few extra dollars, spring for a frozen bear or bunny made of chile oil. It melts in the broth, bringing with it more numbing spice and an extra dash of cuteness.

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