Inside My Table #92 | Restaurant listings
The Cheap List
Culled from the most recent edition of Houston Dining on the Cheap by Mike Riccetti, we offer this round-up of international restaurants where you eat well for less than $10 per person (excluding drink, tax and tip). Eschewing barbecue, sandwich chains and burger joints this time, the following might be off-the-beaten track for many diners. But each is worth checking out, especially if flavor and value are your objectives.
By Mike Riccetti
1. ISTANBUL GRILL, 5613 Morningside near University Blvd., 713-526-2800, www.istanbulgrill.com. Here’s a good reason to brave the parking travails in the Village: fresh-tasting, well prepared Turkish food. It’s helped by the pleasant, informal setting and friendly staff. One of the best entrees is the karadeniz pide, something like a pizza with hand-rolled bread and a choice of toppings, such as cheese, sausage, pastrami and eggs. The beef and lamb kabobs are also enticing.
2. JARRO CAFE, 1521 Gessner bet. Long Point & Hammerly, 713-827-0373, www.jarrocafe.com. Mexico City-style tacos and plates draw patrons inside this bright, comfortable spot, while the same tacos keep patrons buzzing around the taco truck permanently parked out front. It’s tough to choose from among the lemon-touched sirloin or saudero, al pastor and cochinita pibil. The chilaquiles con carne asada is also excellent, as are the breakfast tacos.
3. JASMINE ASIAN CUISINE, 9938 Bellaire bet. Corporate & Beltway 8, 713-272-8188. Not only one of the best stops in New Chinatown for Vietnamese cooking — well-regarded for its whole catfish preparations — it’s also one of the nicest. And, amazingly cheap lunch specials and a 400-item menu entice a wide range of customers, at least during lunchtime. The 50 or so $4 lunch specials include many of the expected dishes and more, such as pepper steak and beef with coconut and curry sauce.
4. KHUN KAY THAI CAFE, 1209 Montrose at W. Clay, 713-524-9614, www.khunkaythaicafe.com. The long-standing Golden Room recently morphed into the fast-casual Khun Kay, taking a cue from its successful neighbor Pronto, which traffics in counter-service Italian-American. Khun Kay’s friendly service and a competent kitchen dish up a nice range of fresh-tasting dishes with mix-and-match proteins, such as pad Thai, jalapeño wok stir-fry and rich panang curry. Their $7.99 lunch special is a terrific good deal.
5. MARKET SQUARE BAR & GRILL, 311 Travis bet. Prairie & Congress, 713-224-6133, www.marketsquaregrill.com. It’s pub fare here, but refined pub fare. Everything at the Market Square is made to order, and the ingredients are top-notch. If known for anything, it’s their burgers, but the sandwiches are also excellent, and even the salads have drawn raves. Check out the Pete’s Philly with blue cheese and sautéed fresh jalapeños on a Vietnamese roll.
6. MEXICO’S DELI , 2374 Dairy Ashford bet. Westheimer & Briar Forest, 281-679-7790, www.mexicosdeli.com. In a derelict strip center just north of Westheimer, this cheery spot serves up sandwiches that are not only the best tortas around, but are in the running for top sandwiches in town, period. Large creations featuring airy telera bread boast notable fillings like steak in a piquant cascabel chile sauce, chorizo and roasted pork (al pastor) cut from a spinner.
7. POLLO RIKO, 7229 Fondren north of Highway 59, 713-271-4321 and other locations, www.polloriko.com. Roast chicken, Colombian-style, doesn’t get any better than this, and it certainly doesn’t get much cheaper. A marinade with 30-plus herbs and spices — and Houston favorite, mesquite, contributing the charcoal — provide much of the flavor. The lunch special is around $4, and dinner, $5; it includes a quarter-chicken and choice of two Colombian sides. The restaurant itself is pretty bleak, with bars over the windows and flickering florescent lights, which is why you should make your order to-go.
8. SHAWARMA KING, 3121 Hillcroft bet. Westheimer & Richmond, 713-784-8882, www.shawarmakingonline.com. The shawarmas here are some of the very best in town. This is a great stop for casual Middle Eastern fare. A plate with three sides featuring the ground beef kafta, one of the shawarmas, or even a kabob, are all under $10. If you have room, the baklava is excellent with a choice of fillings: pistachio, walnut and, sometimes, the scarce but wonderful cashew.
9. SUNRISE TAQUITOS, 5601 Memorial bet. Westcott & Detering, 713-880-5959, and other locations. Opened early in the morning through the early afternoon, Sunrise Taquitos specializes in quick-serve breakfast and lunch. It’s tough to go wrong with any of the tacos, as their large, made-in-house flour tortillas are a great base upon which to build. Some of the recommended choices include the huevos y chorizo, huevos a la mexicana, migas, al pastor, picadillo and barbacoa.
10. TEOTIHUACAN, 1511 Airline just north of Main, east of I-45, 713-426-4420, and other locations, www.teotihuacanmexicancafe.com. These well-run stops churn out bounteous Tex-Mex and Mexican dishes to crowded dining rooms, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some of the value recommendations include the tacos de fajita, el chon seafood enchiladas filled with scallops and crab meat, and the enchiladas chilangas, filled with shredded chicken and chili gravy.
11. THU THU, 5015 Antoine bet. W. 43rd & Pinemont, 713-956-4970. Located on Antoine in near Northwest Houston, spartan but spic-and-span, Thu Thu serves often-excellent Vietnamese food that would stand out on Bellaire Boulevard. And, it’s a terrific bargain, to boot. Fried egg rolls, com thit nuong (a char-grilled pork rice plate) and bun tom nuong (char-broiled shrimp with vermicelli) are just a few of the many delicious possibilities.
12. VIENG THAI, 6929 Long Point bet. Silber & Antoine, 713-688-9910, www.viengthaihouston.com. Not only is Vieng Thai on the short list of top Thai spots in Houston, it is also amazingly affordable, especially when you factor in the BYOB policy of no corkage fee. The setting is charmless, service is friendly if uneven, but the food is often spectacular and as authentic as it gets in this part of the world. Som tum (papaya salad), the city’s best green panaeng curry and spicy mixed seafood yum salad with squid are a few of the highlights.
13. VILLA ARCOS, 3009 Navigation east of Canal, 713-227-1743. A couple blocks from the ever-popular Ninfa’s, this homey counter-service taco shop has been aptly filling a neighborhood need for inexpensive yet tasty breakfast and lunch options. In addition to the excellent breakfast tacos, Villa Arcos has also earned its reputation with its top-notch tamales. The best are thick, heavy and filled with shredded pork. Carne guisada is similarly good, featuring well-trimmed beef tips and a flavorful sauce.
14. ZABAK’S, 5901 Westheimer at Fountain View, 713-977-7676. Zabak’s is a great place near Briargrove for well-made, quick and informal Middle Eastern fare. The beef shawarma, one of the highlights, is done differently here. Marinated, thinly sliced beef is cooked on a flat grill, so the resulting strip is crispier than usual, and seems to mix even better with the onions and zesty tahini sauce. Either hummus or baba ganoush makes for a perfect accompaniment.
