A favorite since the restaurant opened in August 2020, the flaming baked Alaska has become the signature dessert at Aaron Bludorn’s eponymous restaurant. A reinterpreted classic, pecan whisky ice cream, and strawberry sorbet are layered with pecan mirliton and strawberry jam, shaped into a ball, then enrobed in a tufted, fluffy meringue shell that’s set on fire at the table.

Inspire major FOMO at this pan Latin steakhouse by international celebrity chef Richard Sandoval with an order of their incredible 52-ounce prime tomahawk. Topped with fresh herbs and clarified butter, the meaty masterpiece is pushed to the table on a gueridon with all the pomp and circumstance befitting a tableside show. The steak is then doused with mezcal and lit with a torch, bursting into spectacular flame before it’s meticulously hand-carved and served with accompaniments of shishito peppers, chimichurri, and house BBQ sauce.

One of Houston’s finest dessert traditions, Brennan’s Bananas Foster, which is flambeed with rum and served a la mode with a crackling cinnamon sauce, is the most famous of the fiery dishes at this midtown gem. But if you want to see fire, there are other ways to do it. Order the Shrimp Chippewa two see shrimp on fire in a blaze of Cognac. Like coffee? Get the Cafe Brulot for two, and have your cameras ready as your server deftly mixes coffee, brandy, and triple sec in a moving arc of blue fire. 

Their bread services are one of the best in Houston, and their Mediterranean sides and apps are stellar, but that’s not the only reason why guests flock to this swanky Israeli-born steakhouse in River Oaks. Order a meat board — usually reserved for specialty cuts such as the American Wagyu Tomahawk, or for parties who order four or more steaks — and they’ll light the board on fire so that the steaks arrive at the table in full blazing glory. 

This hidden gem in Houston’s Westside is a Mediterranean restaurant and hookah lounge with belly dancing and live music on weekends. Add to the festivities by ordering one of their famous flaming special family plates, including salt-baked whole chicken or lamb shoulder, the Testi kabob, and a Turkish lamb stew that’s cooked in a clay urn. Each dish is set aflame, then broken down tableside before being plated on a giant tray topped with basmati rice, butter, and grilled tomato, grilled jalapeno. The best part? Each order easily serves up to four people and comes with a choice of sides like baba ganoush, stuffed grape leaves, and falafel.

When it comes to fine dining, Tony’s is a bona fide institution that has been graced by A-Listers such as Andrea Bocelli, Mick Jagger, and millionaire socialite Lynn Wyatt. The dish to get above all else? The salt-baked snapper. An off-menu item that has been served for the better part of 20 years, place the order 24 hours in advance to experience its majesty. The flaming fish emerges from the kitchen atop the shoulder of a server, who will take a circuitous route around the dining room so that everyone can participate in the spectacle. When it arrives tableside, the salt crust is broken down with a small hammer, gracefully filleted, then finished with Tony’s signature Barolo sauce.

Heads will turn for this one: The long-necked custom Peking duck carving table was always impressive, but with the introduction of what’s being called “Fire Duck,” it has literally become this Cantonese restaurant’s hottest dish. Call ahead to order, and revel in the experience as the restaurant dims the lights, wheels the duck to the table, then sets the entire bird on fire with a mixture of tequila and Cointreau. Served with a choice of pancakes or bao buns and traditional accompaniments, the fiery dish has become so popular that the owner is now offering Blue Mountain Flaming Oysters — Oregon oysters steamed, topped with an orange peel, then set aflame at the table with a mix of Kahlua and vodka.