Inside My Table #45 | Restaurant listings
Satisfy Your Inner Child
The notion of childhood “comfort foods” might be expanded to “comfort restaurants”: places that probably won’t earn a plaque from the Chaine des Rotisseurs, but offer appealing, usually very hearty food in a setting that is the antithesis of elegant. Most of the 14 restaurants listed below are noisy, whimsical and cheap. Both the setting and food will satisfy your inner child … or the child holding your hand.
59 DINER, 3801 Farnham bet. Greenbriar & S. Shepherd, 713-523-2333, and other locations. This is your basic mid-20th-century American fare: hot sandwiches, chicken pot pie, pot roast, liver and onions, meatloaf, etc. (The milkshakes are made to order and delicious.) Have a cheeseburger, onion rings and a cherry Coke and cruise through your 1950s memories all over again. $
AMAZON GRILL, 5114 Kirby Dr., 713-522-5888. The charm at this contemporary Latin cafe is the make-it-yourself bias of the menu. Two of our favorites: the “ta kit o kit” for creating your own taquitos and the tabletop s’mores that let you incinerate marshmallows and assemble the Girl Scout classic. Outstanding inner child appeal: cotton candy on the menu. $
AQUARIUM, 11 Kemah Boardwalk bet. Hwy. 146 & 6th Street, Kemah, 281-334-9010, and other location. Sure, you’ve visited the Houston Zoo’s aquarium, but we bet you have never eaten surrounded by enormous tanks of sea creatures. The menu leans toward seafood, but there’s enough meat to satisfy any fish-phobe. There is often a wait for a table, so visit at non-peak hours if you’ve got antsy munchkins in tow. $$
DAVE & BUSTER’S, 6010 Richmond Ave. near Fountain View, 713-952-2233. All kids and a few (mostly male) adults will love this spot for an afternoon of video games, riflry, race car-driving and every other variant of token-sucking electronic game made. When you tire, there’s sports on the big-screen TVs and a fairly decent menu. $
DESSERT GALLERY BAKERY & CAFE, 3200 Kirby Dr., at West Main, 713-522-9999 and other locations. Sara Brook’s idiosyncratic shop smells wonderful and looks like a tableau from Alice in Wonderland, with lots of fun things to look at and play with. She’s long famous for her desserts (the brownies may be the best in Houston) and there are sandwiches and light plates for more serious appetites. $
HARD ROCK CAFE, 570 Texas Ave. at Bagby, 281-479-7025. Imagine eating in a rock ‘n roll museum. There’s always a new guitar or article of clothing—vestiges of both world-famous and regionally known rockers — to discover here, plus burgers, ribs and salads. With its gift shop and live-music promotions, this is one of the few theme chains to not only endure but thrive. $
JAMES CONEY ISLAND, 5745 Westheimer at Bering, 713-785-9333. Women often seem to have a slightly guilty look when entering one of these hot dog emporia, but men and kids aren’t bothered in the least by the nutritionally incorrect offerings: cheapie weenies on squishy buns topped with chili, liquid cheese and weird chopped onions. We admit it: We still love them after all these years. $
KENNY & ZIGGY’S NEW YORK DELI, 2327 Post Oak Blvd. near Westheimer, 713-871-8883. With its broadly humorous menu, high sound level and brusquely friendly wait staff, this is the spot for a gathering of the clan. Especially if your clan is fond of traditional New York deli food, such as Ruben sandwiches, matzoh ball soup, bagels with lox, pickled herring, maybe a knish. Tip for the timid: We’ve never met a kid who didn’t like cheese blintzes, topped with sweetened fruit. $
LANKFORD GROCERY & MARKET, 88 Dennis two blocks east of Taft, 713-522-9555. Hard to find and park, but, swear devotees, worth the trouble for the enchilada special and burger and fries. This is very much the old-timey cafe, offering both table and counter service, and the owners really get into decorating for holidays. It’s not charming like some tea room, but like a 1940s or 50s Texas cafe. Looking for the real article? Here it is. $
LUPE TORTILLA’S, 318 Stafford St. east of Highway 6, 281-496-7580, and other locations. Some would say that eating here is more about enduring other people’s children than discovering your own inner child. Yup, it’s kid intensive on the weekends and evenings, with rugrats all over the waiting-area sandbox. The Spanglish menu is hokey (some call it offensive), but the fajitas and margaritas will make it all better. $
MAGGIANO’S LITTLE ITALY, 2019 S. Post Oak Blvd. near Westheimer, 713-961-2700. Oldsters will like the Frank Sinatra-esque ambiance, complete with soundtrack; youngsters and big eaters will zero in on the huge portions at this Little Italy inspiration. Favorite dishes include lasagne, spaghetti and meatballs, and the New York steak, contadina style. We recommend the outstanding chopped salad to those with more modest appetites. $-$$
MISSION BURRITO, 2245 W. Alabama east of Kirby, 713-529-0535, and other locations. There are several Mission Burrito wannabes springing up around town, but we’re fond of the original. Kids will be reassured to see exactly what goes into their custom burrito—thumbs-up only what you like as you follow your burrito down the prep line—and there’s always some goofy toy to amuse the little ones (or their parents) for a few moments while your meal is being wrapped up. $
RAINFOREST CAFE, 5000 Katy Mills Circle, Katy, 281-644-6200. The bird calls, elephant trumpeting and lightning “storm” are early Disney fun, silly but good for an outing with kids too young to appreciate Hard Rock Cafe. The menu is fussier than it needs to be, but there’s plenty of chicken, beef, seafood and rice dishes to satisfy most appetites. $
SKEETERS MESQUITE GRILL, 700 Town & Country Blvd. near Sam Houston Pkwy., 713-461-9773, and other locations. Craftpaper tablecloths, scrawling on the bricks, video games and local youth league stuff hanging around have helped make this a popular spot after football practice or a Saturday soccer game. The fish tacos are good, as are the burgers. If you don’t mind eating in a setting only slightly neater than the average 9-year-old’s bedroom. $
