The Scott's Houston Restaurant Guide

One of the things about Houston that Matt and I were most excited for was the restaurant scene. Don't get me wrong, we loved Cafe Rio and Rancheritos as much as the next person, and the pupusas on Center Street? I think the people who worked there were starting to recognize us. But Provo's selection pales in comparison to what we've found here. Here are a few of our favorites:

Gatlins BBQ: The family who owns the place is so nice and friendly. True Texan hospitality. However, due to the location, this is probably a "be there in broad daylight" kind of place. And you may want to get your food to go rather than leave your car out on the street. . . but the brisket?! Oh my word. And the barbecue sauce?! Get out of town. The ribs?! Words fail me. Yes, it's that good.

Marini's Empanada House: "An empanada is a stuffed bread or pastry baked or fried in many countries in Western Europe, Latin America, and parts of Southeast Asia. The name comes from the Galician, Portuguese and Spanish verb empanar, meaning to wrap or coat in bread." wikipedia.com
Everything delicious, stuffed inside a delicious pastry, fried to perfection. How could you go wrong? The variety at Marini's is incredible, and we've loved every empanada we've tried (been there twice already). They aren't too greasy, and this place even has dessert empanadas. Yahoo!

La Pupusa Loca: "(Salvadoran stuffed masa flatbread) Pupusas are similar to corn tortillas, only thicker and stuffed with cheese, beans or meat. The pupusa originated in El Salvador, but it is also popular in neighboring Honduras. Pupusas are traditionally made by slapping the dough back and forth between greased palms. A tortilla press is quicker and easier for beginners." whats4eats.com

This little hole in the wall place is right by my school. Last year, Matt and I had pupusas at this market in downtown LA and thought we'd never find anything like them again. Hallelujah! We did. And they're cheap. And they're right on my way home. I knew we moved here for a reason :)

Thai Cottage: Once I moved to Utah I realized how spoiled I had been by the abundance of good Thai food in Southern California. But it's ok because now I live by Thai Cottage and I'm spoiled all over again! We went to this place last weekend and I've thought about it every day since. There are at least five more curries that I'm dying to try, and I've been craving a good mango sticky rice for the past two years, so we'll be returning to this place again very soon.

Taco Keto: The "Houston mobile food scene" is supposed to be pretty magnificent. The best trucks park downtown during the weekdays at lunchtime, so it's been hard for us to find any. Until last night, that is, when I stumbled upon Taco Keto on Yelp. This truck parks near University of Houston, and is the best, most authentic, Mexican food that we've had since moving here. We like TexMex as much as the next person, but a person can only take so much queso and sour cream, you know? These were legit, greasy, street tacos topped with nothing but cilantro, lime, and onion. Mmm. City life definitely has it's perks.

So come and visit us! And come hungry. We'll show you a good time :)

*all photos courtesy of yelp.com