clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
More Maps

17 Farmers Markets to Explore in Houston

14 Essential Tex-Mex Restaurants In Houston

18 Standout Mexican Restaurants in Houston

More in Houston See more maps
A bowl of duck meat filling with a lettuce wrap.
Duck lettuce wraps at newcomer Benny Chows are a delicious alternative to a traditional lunch salad.
Brian Kennedy

14 Houston Restaurants Raising the Bar for Lunch

With indulgent salads, heaping bowls of pasta, and loaded sandwiches, these restaurants are slinging belly busting eats for lunch

by Megha McSwain
View as Map
Duck lettuce wraps at newcomer Benny Chows are a delicious alternative to a traditional lunch salad.
| Brian Kennedy
by Megha McSwain

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but lunch deserves just as much fanfare, especially with so many Houston restaurants offering festive places to break from the office, lounge with friends, or simply retreat for sustenance on a hot summer’s day. There are dreamy Downtown restaurants serving up prime steaks and sandwiches, plus neighborhood gems in Montrose and Rice Village that offer premium people-watching from well-appointed patios. Put simply — the city is littered with worthy restaurants to “do lunch.”

Whether you’re in search of a place to connect with coworkers or a gathering place for gal pals within one of the city’s premier shopping districts, here are 14 restaurants that stand out for midday dining.

Don’t see your favorite lunch spot on the list? Shout it in the comments.

Read More
If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Gatlin's Fins & Feathers

Copy Link

Greg Gatlin is no stranger to serving daytime diners at Gatlin’s BBQ, but lunch service is also offered at his full-service restaurant, Fins & Feathers in Independence Heights. Here, the spotlight is on fried chicken and Gulf Coast gems like New Orleans barbecue shrimp and chargrilled oysters. At lunch, pair a charred Brussels sprouts salad with a cup of gumbo or go whole hog with a fried catfish plate.

302 W Crosstimbers St, Houston, TX 77018
(346) 800-4668
(346) 800-4668

Also featured in:

Benny Chows

Copy Link

Berg Hospitality’s newest restaurant, celebrating American Chinese cuisine, launched both lunch and dinner service right off the bat, with a single menu available throughout the day. Dishes made with Cantonese traditions in mind are prepared using local ingredients, as in the smoked brisket egg roll using meat from Truth BBQ. Cold sesame noodles and duck lettuce wraps appeal during Houston’s hotter days, while the Beijing duck, made with a 7-pound specially sourced Jurgielewicz duck that takes three days to prepare, is a full feast.

1818 Washington Ave Building A, Ste. 150, Houston, TX 77007
(346) 888-1818
(346) 888-1818
Sliced Peking duck on a slab with sauces.
Benny Chow’s Beijing duck takes three days to prepare.
Brian Kennedy

Also featured in:

Tribute

Copy Link

Located within the Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa, Tribute is open for all-day dining with a dedicated menu for lunch (plus breakfast, dinner, and weekend brunch, too.) The cuisine reflects the best of Texas, Louisiana, and Mexico with highlights like smoked blue crab claws, blackened redfish, and the Tribute burger built with house-ground beef.

111 N Post Oak Ln, Houston, TX 77024
(713) 685-6713
(713) 685-6713

Also featured in:

Guard and Grace

Copy Link

Located on the street level of One Allen Center, Guard and Grace is one of the few Downtown steakhouses that offer lunch service. Its dedicated lunch menu features steakhouse favorites like shrimp cocktail and a wedge salad, plus hearty meat sandwiches like the brisket melt made with Creekstone prime smoked brisket Steaks are on offer, too. A bounty of choices like the 4- or 8-ounce filet mignon or New York strip are just the right portions for lunch.

500 Dallas St Suite 100, Houston, TX 77002
(346) 326-0789
(346) 326-0789

Also featured in:

Pastore

Copy Link

After a brief opening phase, this coastal Italian restaurant from Underbelly Hospitality has introduced lunch service, available Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Along with salads like the panzanella and the old school Caesar, there are pastas, flatbreads, and Pastore’s take on a BLT — a sandwich built with porchetta, lettuce, and tomato, naturally coined the PLT.

1180 Dunlavy St Suite 100, Houston, TX 77019
(346) 867-1905
(346) 867-1905
A white plate with chicken sausage ravioli at Pastore.
Chicken sausage ravioli, plus a slew of other pastas, are available at Pastore for lunch.
Duc Hoang

Also featured in:

Urbe

Copy Link

When an escape from the mundaneness of the office is needed, lunch at Urbe provides exactly the right vibe. The casual counter-service restaurant from chef Hugo Ortega is decked out with vibrant Mexican art, and offers a colorful backdrop to dine and drink margaritas, should you opt not to return to the office. Go for the shrimp tostadas or something heartier like the quesabirria, and save room for something sweet made from the on-site bakery. Glass cases are stocked with made-from-scratch pastries like pan dulce, orejas, muffins, and cookies.

1101 Uptown Park Blvd Suite 12, Houston, TX 77056
(713) 726-8273
(713) 726-8273
A large meat torta topped with sliced avocado and a sunny side-up egg.
The pambazo torta at Urbe is a handful.
Urbe

Also featured in:

Toro Toro

Copy Link

Toro Toro, by globally renowned chef Richard Sandoval, brings pan-Latin flair to the ritzy Four Seasons Hotel, and is a popular choice among Downtown’s power lunch crowd. Lunch service features a number of salads and taco plates, along with more filling mains like the pulled pork, turkey, and ham Cuban sandwich. Return to work with an order of the churros with brandy dulce de leche, and be the office hero.

1300 Lamar St, Houston, TX 77010
(713) 650-1300
(713) 650-1300

Also featured in:

Ostia

Copy Link

Ostia is not a bad choice any time of day, but during lunch is when the restaurant slings its famed pizzas prepared in the restaurant’s live-fire, four-deck Italian stone pizza oven, and offers its three-course family-style lunch meal for two to three people, priced at $42, that includes an appetizer, salad, a pizza, pasta, entree, and dessert. Going a la carte? Take to the picturesque greenhouse room, and start with a classic Caesar salad or chicken liver pate before keeping an entire pie to yourself.

2032 Dunlavy St, Houston, TX 77006
(713) 324-9288
(713) 324-9288
A whole pizza with mushrooms on a white plate.
Ostia’s pizza Bianco is a house favorite.
Michael Anthony

Also featured in:

Marmo

Copy Link

This vibey Italian restaurant at the Montrose Collective is known for its extended hours, remaining open well into the night, but it’s equally as popular for its daytime service, with lunch beginning at 11 a.m. The menu is one and the same all day, with salads, half portions of pasta, and entrees like chicken marsala and scallops with corn succotash being top-notch lunch choices.

888 Westheimer Rd Suite 109, Houston, TX 77006
(832) 626-3400
(832) 626-3400

Also featured in:

BARI RISTORANTE

Copy Link

River Oak District’s scene-y new Italian restaurant draws in the crowds day and night, making it a popular lunch destination on weekdays and weekends alike. Find hard-to-resist salads like the poached lobster with citrus dressing, and heaping pasta plates like the pappardelle bolognese with a housemade three-meat ragu or gnocchi with montasio cheese fondue.

4444 Westheimer Rd suite A-175, Houston, TX 77027
(832) 415-9222
(832) 415-9222

PS-21

Copy Link

This new French restaurant from Houston hospitality veterans chef Philippe Schmit and beverage expert Sébastien Laval offers a dedicated lunch service Tuesday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Find a scaled down version of the main menu, showcasing more lunch-forward features like the eggplant panini, ham and cheese baguette, and a wagyu-patty burger.

2712 Richmond Ave., Houston, TX 77098
(346) 571-8988
(346) 571-8988

Also featured in:

Money Cat

Copy Link

Located on the street level of Kirby Grove, a mixed-use development that includes a 16-story office building and sprawling outdoor space at Levy Park, Money Cat is a favorite for its modern Japanese cuisine. Lunch is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. during which time the full menu is offered, with highlights like the chicken katsu sando, chutoro toast on squid ink milk bread, plus nigiri and sashimi.

2925 Richmond Ave. Suite 140, Houston, TX 77098
(281) 974-3735
(281) 974-3735
Overhead view of two halves of a chicken katsu sando, layered with Japanese tartar sauce and tamari caramel on house milk bread.
Money Cat’s chicken katsu sando is layered with Japanese tartar sauce and tamari caramel on house milk bread.
Jenn Duncan

Also featured in:

Navy Blue

Copy Link

This posh seafood restaurant from chef Aaron Bludorn is an ideal place to fuel up during a day of shopping in Rice Village. During its lunch service, hosted on Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., diners can explore its menu featuring dinner favorites like the grouper sandwich, plus lunch-exclusive items like the omelet with black truffles and chicken Milanese with marble potato salad, arugula, and piperade.

2445 Times Blvd, Houston, TX 77005
(713) 347-7727
(713) 347-7727
A grouper sandwich with cabbage, tomato condiment, caper, and aioli on a seeded bun, wrapped in paper.
Navy Blue’s grouper sandwich is built with cabbage, tomato condiment, caper, and aioli.
Caroline Fontenot

Also featured in:

Hamsa

Copy Link

This Rice Village gem known for its modern Israeli cuisine offers lunch service Tuesday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Try the falafel sandwich, loaded with toppings like tahini, hummus, and red cabbage, or opt for something saucy like the shakshuka with spiced tomato and egg. On nice weather days, sit on the picturesque front patio, and take in the sights and sounds of the bustling shopping center while you dine.

5555 Morningside Dr #100, Houston, TX 77005
(281) 612-3515
(281) 612-3515

Also featured in:

More in Maps

© 2023 Vox Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
Link copied to the clipboard.

Gatlin's Fins & Feathers

302 W Crosstimbers St, Houston, TX 77018

Greg Gatlin is no stranger to serving daytime diners at Gatlin’s BBQ, but lunch service is also offered at his full-service restaurant, Fins & Feathers in Independence Heights. Here, the spotlight is on fried chicken and Gulf Coast gems like New Orleans barbecue shrimp and chargrilled oysters. At lunch, pair a charred Brussels sprouts salad with a cup of gumbo or go whole hog with a fried catfish plate.

302 W Crosstimbers St, Houston, TX 77018
(346) 800-4668
(346) 800-4668

Benny Chows

1818 Washington Ave Building A, Ste. 150, Houston, TX 77007

Berg Hospitality’s newest restaurant, celebrating American Chinese cuisine, launched both lunch and dinner service right off the bat, with a single menu available throughout the day. Dishes made with Cantonese traditions in mind are prepared using local ingredients, as in the smoked brisket egg roll using meat from Truth BBQ. Cold sesame noodles and duck lettuce wraps appeal during Houston’s hotter days, while the Beijing duck, made with a 7-pound specially sourced Jurgielewicz duck that takes three days to prepare, is a full feast.

1818 Washington Ave Building A, Ste. 150, Houston, TX 77007
(346) 888-1818
(346) 888-1818
Sliced Peking duck on a slab with sauces.
Benny Chow’s Beijing duck takes three days to prepare.
Brian Kennedy

Tribute

111 N Post Oak Ln, Houston, TX 77024

Located within the Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa, Tribute is open for all-day dining with a dedicated menu for lunch (plus breakfast, dinner, and weekend brunch, too.) The cuisine reflects the best of Texas, Louisiana, and Mexico with highlights like smoked blue crab claws, blackened redfish, and the Tribute burger built with house-ground beef.

111 N Post Oak Ln, Houston, TX 77024
(713) 685-6713
(713) 685-6713

Guard and Grace

500 Dallas St Suite 100, Houston, TX 77002

Located on the street level of One Allen Center, Guard and Grace is one of the few Downtown steakhouses that offer lunch service. Its dedicated lunch menu features steakhouse favorites like shrimp cocktail and a wedge salad, plus hearty meat sandwiches like the brisket melt made with Creekstone prime smoked brisket Steaks are on offer, too. A bounty of choices like the 4- or 8-ounce filet mignon or New York strip are just the right portions for lunch.

500 Dallas St Suite 100, Houston, TX 77002
(346) 326-0789
(346) 326-0789

Pastore

1180 Dunlavy St Suite 100, Houston, TX 77019

After a brief opening phase, this coastal Italian restaurant from Underbelly Hospitality has introduced lunch service, available Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Along with salads like the panzanella and the old school Caesar, there are pastas, flatbreads, and Pastore’s take on a BLT — a sandwich built with porchetta, lettuce, and tomato, naturally coined the PLT.

1180 Dunlavy St Suite 100, Houston, TX 77019
(346) 867-1905
(346) 867-1905
A white plate with chicken sausage ravioli at Pastore.
Chicken sausage ravioli, plus a slew of other pastas, are available at Pastore for lunch.
Duc Hoang

Urbe

1101 Uptown Park Blvd Suite 12, Houston, TX 77056

When an escape from the mundaneness of the office is needed, lunch at Urbe provides exactly the right vibe. The casual counter-service restaurant from chef Hugo Ortega is decked out with vibrant Mexican art, and offers a colorful backdrop to dine and drink margaritas, should you opt not to return to the office. Go for the shrimp tostadas or something heartier like the quesabirria, and save room for something sweet made from the on-site bakery. Glass cases are stocked with made-from-scratch pastries like pan dulce, orejas, muffins, and cookies.

1101 Uptown Park Blvd Suite 12, Houston, TX 77056
(713) 726-8273
(713) 726-8273
A large meat torta topped with sliced avocado and a sunny side-up egg.
The pambazo torta at Urbe is a handful.
Urbe

Toro Toro

1300 Lamar St, Houston, TX 77010

Toro Toro, by globally renowned chef Richard Sandoval, brings pan-Latin flair to the ritzy Four Seasons Hotel, and is a popular choice among Downtown’s power lunch crowd. Lunch service features a number of salads and taco plates, along with more filling mains like the pulled pork, turkey, and ham Cuban sandwich. Return to work with an order of the churros with brandy dulce de leche, and be the office hero.

1300 Lamar St, Houston, TX 77010
(713) 650-1300
(713) 650-1300

Ostia

2032 Dunlavy St, Houston, TX 77006

Ostia is not a bad choice any time of day, but during lunch is when the restaurant slings its famed pizzas prepared in the restaurant’s live-fire, four-deck Italian stone pizza oven, and offers its three-course family-style lunch meal for two to three people, priced at $42, that includes an appetizer, salad, a pizza, pasta, entree, and dessert. Going a la carte? Take to the picturesque greenhouse room, and start with a classic Caesar salad or chicken liver pate before keeping an entire pie to yourself.

2032 Dunlavy St, Houston, TX 77006
(713) 324-9288
(713) 324-9288
A whole pizza with mushrooms on a white plate.
Ostia’s pizza Bianco is a house favorite.
Michael Anthony

Marmo

888 Westheimer Rd Suite 109, Houston, TX 77006

This vibey Italian restaurant at the Montrose Collective is known for its extended hours, remaining open well into the night, but it’s equally as popular for its daytime service, with lunch beginning at 11 a.m. The menu is one and the same all day, with salads, half portions of pasta, and entrees like chicken marsala and scallops with corn succotash being top-notch lunch choices.

888 Westheimer Rd Suite 109, Houston, TX 77006
(832) 626-3400
(832) 626-3400

BARI RISTORANTE

4444 Westheimer Rd suite A-175, Houston, TX 77027

River Oak District’s scene-y new Italian restaurant draws in the crowds day and night, making it a popular lunch destination on weekdays and weekends alike. Find hard-to-resist salads like the poached lobster with citrus dressing, and heaping pasta plates like the pappardelle bolognese with a housemade three-meat ragu or gnocchi with montasio cheese fondue.

4444 Westheimer Rd suite A-175, Houston, TX 77027
(832) 415-9222
(832) 415-9222

PS-21

2712 Richmond Ave., Houston, TX 77098

This new French restaurant from Houston hospitality veterans chef Philippe Schmit and beverage expert Sébastien Laval offers a dedicated lunch service Tuesday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Find a scaled down version of the main menu, showcasing more lunch-forward features like the eggplant panini, ham and cheese baguette, and a wagyu-patty burger.

2712 Richmond Ave., Houston, TX 77098
(346) 571-8988
(346) 571-8988

Money Cat

2925 Richmond Ave. Suite 140, Houston, TX 77098

Located on the street level of Kirby Grove, a mixed-use development that includes a 16-story office building and sprawling outdoor space at Levy Park, Money Cat is a favorite for its modern Japanese cuisine. Lunch is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. during which time the full menu is offered, with highlights like the chicken katsu sando, chutoro toast on squid ink milk bread, plus nigiri and sashimi.

2925 Richmond Ave. Suite 140, Houston, TX 77098
(281) 974-3735
(281) 974-3735
Overhead view of two halves of a chicken katsu sando, layered with Japanese tartar sauce and tamari caramel on house milk bread.
Money Cat’s chicken katsu sando is layered with Japanese tartar sauce and tamari caramel on house milk bread.
Jenn Duncan

Navy Blue

2445 Times Blvd, Houston, TX 77005

This posh seafood restaurant from chef Aaron Bludorn is an ideal place to fuel up during a day of shopping in Rice Village. During its lunch service, hosted on Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., diners can explore its menu featuring dinner favorites like the grouper sandwich, plus lunch-exclusive items like the omelet with black truffles and chicken Milanese with marble potato salad, arugula, and piperade.

2445 Times Blvd, Houston, TX 77005
(713) 347-7727
(713) 347-7727
A grouper sandwich with cabbage, tomato condiment, caper, and aioli on a seeded bun, wrapped in paper.
Navy Blue’s grouper sandwich is built with cabbage, tomato condiment, caper, and aioli.
Caroline Fontenot

Hamsa

5555 Morningside Dr #100, Houston, TX 77005

This Rice Village gem known for its modern Israeli cuisine offers lunch service Tuesday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Try the falafel sandwich, loaded with toppings like tahini, hummus, and red cabbage, or opt for something saucy like the shakshuka with spiced tomato and egg. On nice weather days, sit on the picturesque front patio, and take in the sights and sounds of the bustling shopping center while you dine.

5555 Morningside Dr #100, Houston, TX 77005
(281) 612-3515
(281) 612-3515

Related Maps