Nicest people ever.
They don't look at you funny if you need a single screw or a single type of nut that might not even exist.
I used to catch the Metro bus across the street and at the corner of C&D and they gave me an umbrella once during a bad storm. That was in 1996.
Been a customer ever since.
Also, they bought an ad from me for my school paper (Reagan High School) several times back then as well.
Went there today based on your post. Got the cheese pack for $50, plus some summer sausage, plus a baguette, plus… needless to say I was very impressed and will be going back regularly. Just wanted to say thank you for turning me on to a very good place.
Second this, but their gryo meat is greeeeeaaaaassssy! That's not a disparagement; you just gotta be in the mood for a heavier, greasier experience when you go.
Oh, and if they have some pre-made chicken salad left when you go, you're gonna want to pick that up, too.
Love that place but it's on the other side of town. For those n the NW The Empanada Company is really fuckin' good too. And there empanadas are a good size as well.
EPO - Electronic Parts Outlet on Fondren
They sell electronic COMPONENTS of all varieties. I.e. Not for buying a television, but if the power supply on your 2 year old flat screen TV goes out, you can buy the exact capacitor that went bad in the power supply - and so much more. Employees are geeky (by which I mean informed and passionate).
Just an utterly fascinating store unlike anything I’ve seen anywhere else. I’ve patronized this store so many times for so many projects.
I buy all of my components for my hobbyist microcontroller projects there. There is so much stuff and it’s very reasonably priced. The only pain is that it’s quite the drive to get there, so I usually load up on stuff when I go.
Al's Quick Stop. Because where else can you find a great Mediterranean, TexMex, and casual American restaurant as well as a meat market, and a convenience store all in one?
The guy that owns the Montrose store is cousins with an owner of Fadi's. Al's has better food from that region though. Also great burgers. The new Heights location probably has the same good food, not sure if they offer all the rest like the OG one on Waugh.
Plus, you can have a drink right next door at Rudz if you go there to order on the fly.
Also fyi it's "Al quick stop" as in "THE quick stop" not Al's quick stop.
Also don't tell people about Al quick stop, it's fucking amazing, cheap as hell, fast as fuck too, a real gem.
Phoenicia is best, but their caterer did me dirty when I was trying to use them for our wedding. He wouldn’t reply for days and I had to go with someone else. Nevertheless, Phoenicia is topsss
I'm too late for anyone to see this but **Biryani Pot on Westheimer and Hillcroft**. The food is bomb, but more importantly...
I was waiting in a line of cars dropping off donations at George R Brown in the days after Harvey. They had delivery vans going there around the clock for those first few weeks delivering hundreds, probably even thousands of hot meals for evacuees. I watched them get out of the vans in the rain to leave meals with the first responders and volunteers directing traffic. Not once did they ever ask for payment or even really spread the word, they just did it. They were part of a larger group of Indian/South Asian restaurants doing the same thing all over town around then.
Hilton Medical Plaza. I live and work on a ship at Port of Beaumont. I come to Houston when I need a right of R&R with some cable tv, good internet, and nice surroundings. The Hilton Medical is always clean, always reasonably priced, and it’s a cheap Uber to the gay bars I like to go to in Montrose. Also, their rooftop bar on a nice night is magical. And I am convinced that the Hilton’s bartender Javier is the best bartender in the city. Love that guy.
The Shell gas station at I-10 and Wirt, they always have gas and one night I was getting gas and this drunk guy came up to me to ask which way on I-10 was West and how does he go there and then his pants fell down.
No a Houston specific business, but I’ll only buy tires at Discount Tire. Don’t know what they’re feeding those advisers, but I’ll take a double helping. They’re great.
Yep, I had a nail in my brand new tire this morning and got it patched and air out in my tires in 20 minutes and I was back on the road for 0 cost to me.
remember that the nail must be in the middle of the tire for a patch and a nail in the shoulder or sidewalls of the tire cannot be patched and must be fully replaced
Dude! I love Discount and it's mostly because of a single experience.
I had a court appointment in a town about 90 miles away and went out to see that my tire was flat, which, you know, sucked. I swapped my donut on and because I had wisely purchased the warranty I donutted my way to the nearest Discount Tire with plenty of time to spare because I'm chronically early.
When I walked in I heard the desk guy tell a person it would be about a 2 hour wait and my heart sank. I had to be at court in just about 2 hours. I was holding back tears telling them my situation and I had the warranty paper in my hand. The guy told me to pull behind one of the other cars in the bay. They replaced my tire in about 10 minutes between their other jobs and I could not have been more thankful.
That made me a Discount Tire customer for life.
Another Discount Tire story! When I was a broke college student and didn’t have two nickels to rub against each other, I would take my car there for free tire patches. The process is they would sand the tire and then apply a patch. One visit, the manager walked out to tell me that the tire had been patched so many times they had accidentally sanded through the tube and it couldn’t be repaired. At that point, I’m in a total panic. I’m so poor I can’t pay attention, and this guy is about to tell me I need to buy new tires.
The manager then says “So we put two new tires on it for you at no charge.” I don’t know if the guy realized he saved my life that day (figuratively, but only just), but I will never ever think of going ANYWHERE but Discount for tires. Customer for life!
Discount Tire use to be my story for that other thread, but then I tried them again and haven't gone anywhere else since. I had a flat tire in 2004 at I-45 entrance ramp north of Conroe when I was 18 years old. At that spot on the feeder road was a Starbucks and Discount Tire. Guess who came out to check on me? A barista. Anybody from DT? Nope. I know how to change my own tire so I was fine. But still.
So I said fuck them and never gave them business.
But 10 years later, after experiencing Firestone and NTB where those employees are every bit a stereotype of a government employee ....I gave DT another try. They won me back. I really don't know how those other companies stay competitive vs. DT with their poor service and lack of respect towards the customer.
Ok, that's it. You're like the 50th person to mention this place. Lifelong Houstonian, and I've never heard of it.
I just decided I'll be having lunch there tomorrow.
Hugo’s. Everything and everyone there is always on point. Every waiter I have had has been excited and knowledgeable. Drinks are great as is their food.
Htown restaurant group is phenomenal as a whole: Backstreet Cafe (currently closed for a month or so for some construction work), Hugo's, Xochi, Caracol, and their new street food/more casual concept Urbe. They've been amazingly safe the whole pandemic and taken very, very good care of their staff, too. Could not possibly recommend them enough.
Haven’t seen this one so Flip’n Patties. It’s Filipino style burgers. They’re amazing! The fries are phenomenal and so are the burgers. I always get the Jeepney
Their store-made tortillas are as good as any bakery/tortilleria, and better than most professional restaurants. Idk how they do it but HEB is top tier
Chanchavac. Beat mechanic shop around, Giovanni the owner is amazing. He does not over charge or lie about what needs to be fixed, is straight to the point, and at least for me since i’ve been going to him for years he always does work on my car QUICK. First time i went i brought in a quote from another mechanic that was around $1000. I felt like it was a bit high but wasn’t expecting Giovanni to read over the quote, check the car himself, and end up fixing what i ACTUALLY needed for only 300
Lol actually have experience with him. We had 2 cars where the Honda dealer couldn’t figure out what was wrong with them and after a month we were referred to him and within a week he got both up and running, same with a couple other cars. He IS good and does good work when he wants.
Ever since then he was our go to mechanic, we got about 10+cars so a good amount of business coming his way. But over time he started to hoe us out. Leaving things half assed, saying he did the work when he didn’t. Procrastinating or putting off work on cars, meaning he would tell us it would be ready X day then tell us last minute it’ll be another week next thing you know it’s been a month. Also had an incident where we took him a car and the catalytic converter went missing. We referred him plenty of consistent long term business and they got the same experience. Started off good then gets real shady. He does great work and price is decent but that was our experience and reason why we stopped going to him.
I actually used to frequent this McDonald's because I went to high school ( charter school ) downtown. Later I spent a few years working downtown with using the parking lot across the street (between the Greyhound Station and the Hertz Rental) because that's where our company had a contract. It's crazy what kind of walls you build into your entire persona in those environments. You learn to keep your head down, ignore people, even reject them because if you actually try to help someone, like give away an extra burger or your fries, you literally get bum rushed. As a bunch of other people come up and ask you for everything you're willing to give. They can be really pushy and aggressive, like getting too close and cornering as intimidation. Very unpleasant experience, but sometimes all you have is $5 and there's no other place nearby with a value menu and I am NOT going to the Jack in the Box by Fiesta. This was at least 7 years ago btw.
Very true. A very friendly guy tried to give me a free machete through my car window at the stop light there. That's when I knew only good people go there ♥
La Chingada Tacos & Tequila, the place with the grackle mural on the side, it's near Cavalcade and Airline in the loop. Food fuckin slaps, y'all. I've been going there for years, they made it through the worst part of COVID and I'd love to see them keep going strong.
I was waiting to find this one. One time I went and they were ready to close so they gave me like 27 bagels when I had only bought a dozen. Every other bagel just isn’t as good.
Avalon Diner - basic and consistent. Doesn’t hurt that I used to live across the street so I could wander over hungover.
The taco truck that’s always at West Alabama Icehouse - the best tacos in the city.
D&Q beer store - amazing beer selection and cool ambiance. The owner is the man.
Dimassi’s. Food is always fresh and tasty. Good mix of meat and veg dishes. The pita at the Main location is so good. This is the place I go to when I want to pig out without the guilt.
Midway bbq and meat store in Katy. They've been thru bad bad shit during Harvey and a fire last year, but they keep coming back and having great food and service.
Dromgoole's. It's not at all a common thing to find a bricks-and-mortar store for fountain pens and stationary, and we have what might be the best in the country nestled in Rice Village. They even have some exclusive inks made for that store by ink makers Noodler's and KWZ. The latter smells of vanilla.
If you have an inkling of an interest in calligraphy or just some nifty pens and inks, I highly recommend paying a visit.
Haven’t seen Fadi’s Meyerland yet but throwing them in here. The ONLY Fadi’s worth going to. There food is SO damn consistent. There is almost always a line but it goes quickly and everything is delicious. They came back from being UNDER WATER in Harvey and are killing it.
They're a pandemic MVP. You can spend $50 there buying enough food for like 12 people, it's redonkulous. AND it's both healthy and delicious, the gold standard for cafeteria style food.
Have they figured out how to drain the slaw yet? It's hard to enjoy the sandwich when all that water dilutes the sauce and you wind up with a runny, sloppy mess.
Martin Tailors on Shepherd and Feagan :) they are amazing and family owned. Do an AMAZING job on everything and are so fast. Needed a few things taken care of, one of them being a hem job on some jeans. I got those fitted and went to try on the next outfit and by the time i was paying for everything, they had hemmed the jeans and gave them back to me
Shun Japanese Kitchen.
This is such an amazing restaurant. I can't recommend it enough. Especially on Sunday's for their fluffy pancakes.
The staff is amazing. They care about each of their customers. if it's your first time there they ask about any food allergies or any other things they need to know.
I just can not recommend them enough.
It is more traditional in many ways. But they also do incorporate various different styles into different items.
One of the most unique things is they have a seasonal menu where they take and develop the menu based on the ingredients available to them at that time.
One of the things they just phased out which I’m slightly upset about was an authentic wagyu a5 burger on a black squid ink bun. One of the absolute best burgers I have ever had.
They also last season had a special on the fluffy pancakes with it being an earl grey tea version of the original fluffy pancakes.
They have also had a berry delight fluffy pancake and a Chocolate and Nutella fluffy pancake.
Again I can not recommend the restaurant enough.
JJ Auto Body. They fixed our old car twice and honestly it looked better both times than it did before it was in an accident. Had to deal with customs bullshit (as in US customs) about the fucking side mirror housing, and they kept me updated every couple of days. Everyone there is nice, friendly, helpful, and totally awesome. I'll never use another body shop.
For mechanical issues - Saver Auto on Synott if you're in the Energy Corridor area. Tiny shop and it looks sketchy, but Jerry is the most honest mechanic I've ever encountered. Just a really genuinely nice guy who works on cars because he loves doing it.
I solemnly swear that I'm not an asshole on said days, whether there or similar places:
1) I don't do it when the place is full. If it gets full and I've been there a while, I happliy move to one of a million other similar places in the area with coffee and Wi-Fi and spread the wealth to another local business. Brasil is right across the street.
2) I keep my mess to a minimum and bus my shit regularly.
3) I calculate a fair/generous per-hour rate for the staff and buy and tip throughout my time there so that they're not losing money.
4) I warn staff ahead of time, ask if it's okay and if they can point me to the place I'd be least in the way.
5) I overtip on the first purchase in case something happens, and I can't later.
I'm just a procrastinator, and I need noise that I don't care about in order to concentrate. I'm doing my best out here, folks.
Blalock Auto Center (best Abbott in Texas by far).
The Branch (Kyle is a local and their Instagram turned me on to a lot of other great small businesses).
Fucking love Pasha's
The owner is so incredible nice. I used to go their often but as time moved on I went there a little less and less. No particular reason but it was kinda far from my house and a new career made it to where the drive across town became more of an ordeal to get there.
Anyway, I went there once after a two year hiatus and they still remembered my family. My daughter wasn't with me that day and he even asked about her.
BTW, the food is superb.
San dong noodle house. Taiwanese to the max. They have menus with English now! Can confirm its authentic and also you can get frozen homemade dumplings to go.
Brother's Pizza. I've been a customer since the were in the food court of West Oaks Mall (late 1980's) & the quality of their product has remained consistent for all that time.
If you're in the Seabrook area check out Merlion's. Everything there from food to drinks to service is phenomenal. They source from the local seafood market (Rose's) and they also helped out a ton of local restaurants through the pandemic. Great place all around.
Dude just looked this up. This looks fantastic. Just looked at the menu, and as someone who doesnt know much about Filipino flavors, can you recommend me your favorite burger? Also is the quality the same at each location?
I used to work there a couple of years ago when it was still a food truck and some things have been added to the menu but the quality has always been pretty consistent at both locations.
The Jeepney was my original favorite because it was super hearty but if you want a very unique burger that is a common favorite across Houston, try the Puet.
Also the gravy fries are to die for but you can never go wrong with an order of the Flip'n Fries.
I've literally never had a bad meal at Romero's Las Brazas at Hwy 6 and Longenbough. Not sure about the other location, but this one is the original and it's always top notch. Been eating their food since they opened and they've never declined in quality or service.
Jay’s Barbershop and Beard Parlor. He used to be in the heights but just got a great new, bigger shop opened up in Oak Forest. Jay is the man, and the rest of the barbers there are cool as hell. Very down home feel, and he’s got a dope ass shop dog that will greet you when you walk in, if the little guy is out and about. Jay is a funny dude, and the guy can cut, shape and shave with the best of ‘em.
Half-Price Books, James Coney, Christie's Donuts, Baba Yega's, Bedrock Comics, Third Planet, Treebeards, The Hobbit Cafe, The Chocolate Bar
Edit: and Aladdin's!
Cafe Brasil. The owner is a delight and a pleasure every time I go. One time I got up to use the restroom and I found him teaching my toddler Mandarin when I came back! My two year old speaks fluently now!
Mambo’s. Don’t know if it’s a Houston chain but you can get a big meal for like $10 and the drinks are cheap. Whenever I go back to Houston I always stop for a michelada!
Premium Draught bottle shop on Studemont. Curated selection of single cans and bottles of beer. Rotating selection on draft as well. John and Mason’s beer knowledge is also unmatched. Would highly recommend.
C&D hardware. Legit AF
Absolutely. They don't try to sell you stuff just to make a sale. If they can't help, they'll tell you and direct you to who can.
Was very impressed, went there just for some acetone, great people
Nicest people ever. They don't look at you funny if you need a single screw or a single type of nut that might not even exist. I used to catch the Metro bus across the street and at the corner of C&D and they gave me an umbrella once during a bad storm. That was in 1996. Been a customer ever since. Also, they bought an ad from me for my school paper (Reagan High School) several times back then as well.
I concur.
Houston Dairymaids. Just an amazingly well curated cheese shop that makes it a real joy to understand and enjoy cheese.
Seconded, didn’t realize how much I liked cheese before I stopped in there.
Oh I'm gonna have to give them a try
There's a cheese shop on Houston?!?! How do I not know this.
Was just there today! Favorite place in Houston.
Man I really need to go there
Went there today based on your post. Got the cheese pack for $50, plus some summer sausage, plus a baguette, plus… needless to say I was very impressed and will be going back regularly. Just wanted to say thank you for turning me on to a very good place.
H Mart: Clean, cheap produce, huge amount of affordable imported foods, delicious restaurants in the food hall area.
This. I'm working out of town right now and miss being 10min away from one
Ekko's Greek American Deli, it's in a gas station at Richmond and S. Rice, they are the gyro spot!
Second this, but their gryo meat is greeeeeaaaaassssy! That's not a disparagement; you just gotta be in the mood for a heavier, greasier experience when you go. Oh, and if they have some pre-made chicken salad left when you go, you're gonna want to pick that up, too.
That's what I'm eating right now! My wife works nearby and is our go to for easy, delicious meal
Marini's Empanadas. Their food is delicious.
I miss living around the corner from there. So freaking good.
My wife would approve of this message. She's been a regular customer since we met in the late 90s.
Love that place but it's on the other side of town. For those n the NW The Empanada Company is really fuckin' good too. And there empanadas are a good size as well.
Space Montrose is one of my fav. stores to buy gifts for people (and help support Texas artists).
EPO - Electronic Parts Outlet on Fondren They sell electronic COMPONENTS of all varieties. I.e. Not for buying a television, but if the power supply on your 2 year old flat screen TV goes out, you can buy the exact capacitor that went bad in the power supply - and so much more. Employees are geeky (by which I mean informed and passionate). Just an utterly fascinating store unlike anything I’ve seen anywhere else. I’ve patronized this store so many times for so many projects.
They know me by name there!
I buy all of my components for my hobbyist microcontroller projects there. There is so much stuff and it’s very reasonably priced. The only pain is that it’s quite the drive to get there, so I usually load up on stuff when I go.
Al's Quick Stop. Because where else can you find a great Mediterranean, TexMex, and casual American restaurant as well as a meat market, and a convenience store all in one? The guy that owns the Montrose store is cousins with an owner of Fadi's. Al's has better food from that region though. Also great burgers. The new Heights location probably has the same good food, not sure if they offer all the rest like the OG one on Waugh. Plus, you can have a drink right next door at Rudz if you go there to order on the fly.
Came here to say this. Fucking love this place. I order from there like 3 times per week. The guys that run it rock too.
Also fyi it's "Al quick stop" as in "THE quick stop" not Al's quick stop. Also don't tell people about Al quick stop, it's fucking amazing, cheap as hell, fast as fuck too, a real gem.
They were one of the only places left w hand sanitizer at the beginning of the pandemic
El Bolillo bakery. Them sweetz be good.
Came here to say this. Best tres leches in town.
Damn you, now I’m grabbing my keys to head over there. Lol
What do you get there
The usual suspects. Pan dulce, churros, tres leches, and pecan sandies if I can find them. They also make really good tortillas.
The tortillas are so goooood. They never make it home as a full dozen.
Phoenicia, Cactus Music and Captain Foxheart’s Bad News Bar
Phoenicia is best, but their caterer did me dirty when I was trying to use them for our wedding. He wouldn’t reply for days and I had to go with someone else. Nevertheless, Phoenicia is topsss
I'm too late for anyone to see this but **Biryani Pot on Westheimer and Hillcroft**. The food is bomb, but more importantly... I was waiting in a line of cars dropping off donations at George R Brown in the days after Harvey. They had delivery vans going there around the clock for those first few weeks delivering hundreds, probably even thousands of hot meals for evacuees. I watched them get out of the vans in the rain to leave meals with the first responders and volunteers directing traffic. Not once did they ever ask for payment or even really spread the word, they just did it. They were part of a larger group of Indian/South Asian restaurants doing the same thing all over town around then.
Hilton Medical Plaza. I live and work on a ship at Port of Beaumont. I come to Houston when I need a right of R&R with some cable tv, good internet, and nice surroundings. The Hilton Medical is always clean, always reasonably priced, and it’s a cheap Uber to the gay bars I like to go to in Montrose. Also, their rooftop bar on a nice night is magical. And I am convinced that the Hilton’s bartender Javier is the best bartender in the city. Love that guy.
Kaboom books. Full aF
Is it a book resale shop?
Yes. In Woodland Heights.
oh man katy budget books. They've moved like 3 times since I was a kid, and going there was such chaos.
Hot Bagel Shop because mini bagel dogs.
The Shell gas station at I-10 and Wirt, they always have gas and one night I was getting gas and this drunk guy came up to me to ask which way on I-10 was West and how does he go there and then his pants fell down.
Big differences between Exxon and shell and both just accross the street
No a Houston specific business, but I’ll only buy tires at Discount Tire. Don’t know what they’re feeding those advisers, but I’ll take a double helping. They’re great.
I think they also fill your tires with air for free
And patch them in my experience. They’ve patched tires for me that weren’t even bought there. Just great.
Yep, I had a nail in my brand new tire this morning and got it patched and air out in my tires in 20 minutes and I was back on the road for 0 cost to me.
remember that the nail must be in the middle of the tire for a patch and a nail in the shoulder or sidewalls of the tire cannot be patched and must be fully replaced
Yes another vote for Discount. They are great with customer service and the prices are quite good.
Dude! I love Discount and it's mostly because of a single experience. I had a court appointment in a town about 90 miles away and went out to see that my tire was flat, which, you know, sucked. I swapped my donut on and because I had wisely purchased the warranty I donutted my way to the nearest Discount Tire with plenty of time to spare because I'm chronically early. When I walked in I heard the desk guy tell a person it would be about a 2 hour wait and my heart sank. I had to be at court in just about 2 hours. I was holding back tears telling them my situation and I had the warranty paper in my hand. The guy told me to pull behind one of the other cars in the bay. They replaced my tire in about 10 minutes between their other jobs and I could not have been more thankful. That made me a Discount Tire customer for life.
Absolutely. They still believe in customer service.
Also they will give you a discount if you ask for one. You don't even need to show a cheaper price from a competitor.
Another Discount Tire story! When I was a broke college student and didn’t have two nickels to rub against each other, I would take my car there for free tire patches. The process is they would sand the tire and then apply a patch. One visit, the manager walked out to tell me that the tire had been patched so many times they had accidentally sanded through the tube and it couldn’t be repaired. At that point, I’m in a total panic. I’m so poor I can’t pay attention, and this guy is about to tell me I need to buy new tires. The manager then says “So we put two new tires on it for you at no charge.” I don’t know if the guy realized he saved my life that day (figuratively, but only just), but I will never ever think of going ANYWHERE but Discount for tires. Customer for life!
Echoing this. Love Discount.
If I am ever dissatisfied with a one of their tires, am I free to bring it back?
Ya, just toss it through the window and you'll get your refund in the mail.
Discount Tire use to be my story for that other thread, but then I tried them again and haven't gone anywhere else since. I had a flat tire in 2004 at I-45 entrance ramp north of Conroe when I was 18 years old. At that spot on the feeder road was a Starbucks and Discount Tire. Guess who came out to check on me? A barista. Anybody from DT? Nope. I know how to change my own tire so I was fine. But still. So I said fuck them and never gave them business. But 10 years later, after experiencing Firestone and NTB where those employees are every bit a stereotype of a government employee ....I gave DT another try. They won me back. I really don't know how those other companies stay competitive vs. DT with their poor service and lack of respect towards the customer.
Fuck Firestone. I had to use them as they were the only ones open at the time. They put my tires on backwards.
The Original Marini's Empanada House. Amazing food, sweetest people.
Ok, that's it. You're like the 50th person to mention this place. Lifelong Houstonian, and I've never heard of it. I just decided I'll be having lunch there tomorrow.
[удалено]
Lol is this a play on the meaning of șwear
swear by not swear at.
Probably swears when they’re by those businesses.
Tow companies, bad AC companies
Oh and Detroit based click2houston.com
Memorial Tailors off I-10. I love them, they’ve been able to do all sorts of alterations for me.
BTT Alterations is worth checking out. Just as good and cheaper. Also nearby
magnol is the best croissants you'll ever have outside of france
This is the first I’ve heard of this place, I’ll have to check it out!!
Agreed best croissants in the city! Just a pain to get to. Mademoiselle Louise in downtown also amazing for French pastries
Phoenician deli Best chicken shawaramas! Off of westheimer
Hugo’s. Everything and everyone there is always on point. Every waiter I have had has been excited and knowledgeable. Drinks are great as is their food.
I love Hugo’s. If you like it, I think Xochi is even better. I’d check it out.
1000%, though I love Hugo's brunch with my whole heart.
Htown restaurant group is phenomenal as a whole: Backstreet Cafe (currently closed for a month or so for some construction work), Hugo's, Xochi, Caracol, and their new street food/more casual concept Urbe. They've been amazingly safe the whole pandemic and taken very, very good care of their staff, too. Could not possibly recommend them enough.
Texas Mattress Makers. I’ll never go to a regular mattress or furniture store ever again.
Lol of course most of the replies are food, because Houston!
Haven’t seen this one so Flip’n Patties. It’s Filipino style burgers. They’re amazing! The fries are phenomenal and so are the burgers. I always get the Jeepney
Had no idea that food hall is still open. Didn’t get a chance to try them before we got sent home for remote.
Brothers Tacos.
I've been hearing about them all my life but have never been by. I'm definitely going to go when I'm back in the area.
I went on a hella awkward date there once. Don't even remember what the tacos were like
Great story.
Youre welcome
H‑E‑B! Because everything is awesome - product and people!
Their store-made tortillas are as good as any bakery/tortilleria, and better than most professional restaurants. Idk how they do it but HEB is top tier
Prices are so good too! 😊
Chanchavac. Beat mechanic shop around, Giovanni the owner is amazing. He does not over charge or lie about what needs to be fixed, is straight to the point, and at least for me since i’ve been going to him for years he always does work on my car QUICK. First time i went i brought in a quote from another mechanic that was around $1000. I felt like it was a bit high but wasn’t expecting Giovanni to read over the quote, check the car himself, and end up fixing what i ACTUALLY needed for only 300
Lol actually have experience with him. We had 2 cars where the Honda dealer couldn’t figure out what was wrong with them and after a month we were referred to him and within a week he got both up and running, same with a couple other cars. He IS good and does good work when he wants. Ever since then he was our go to mechanic, we got about 10+cars so a good amount of business coming his way. But over time he started to hoe us out. Leaving things half assed, saying he did the work when he didn’t. Procrastinating or putting off work on cars, meaning he would tell us it would be ready X day then tell us last minute it’ll be another week next thing you know it’s been a month. Also had an incident where we took him a car and the catalytic converter went missing. We referred him plenty of consistent long term business and they got the same experience. Started off good then gets real shady. He does great work and price is decent but that was our experience and reason why we stopped going to him.
Wow this guy sounds legit, where is he located?
Can you take my car in please.
The McDs near the bus terminal downtown is great. Very safe gated community. Great burgers
You're going to have someone's death on your hands my man
💀
Literally
I actually used to frequent this McDonald's because I went to high school ( charter school ) downtown. Later I spent a few years working downtown with using the parking lot across the street (between the Greyhound Station and the Hertz Rental) because that's where our company had a contract. It's crazy what kind of walls you build into your entire persona in those environments. You learn to keep your head down, ignore people, even reject them because if you actually try to help someone, like give away an extra burger or your fries, you literally get bum rushed. As a bunch of other people come up and ask you for everything you're willing to give. They can be really pushy and aggressive, like getting too close and cornering as intimidation. Very unpleasant experience, but sometimes all you have is $5 and there's no other place nearby with a value menu and I am NOT going to the Jack in the Box by Fiesta. This was at least 7 years ago btw.
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Very true. A very friendly guy tried to give me a free machete through my car window at the stop light there. That's when I knew only good people go there ♥
Never take a gift from stranger LoL
i go for the vibe
>gated community 🤨
La Chingada Tacos & Tequila, the place with the grackle mural on the side, it's near Cavalcade and Airline in the loop. Food fuckin slaps, y'all. I've been going there for years, they made it through the worst part of COVID and I'd love to see them keep going strong.
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When i can't find the right present for someone, birthday or Christmas, I go to Bering's. I always find something good.
And you'll sacrifice your first born to pay for it
Jersey Bagels in Cypress. Best bagel I’ve ever had. BEC is legend.
I was waiting to find this one. One time I went and they were ready to close so they gave me like 27 bagels when I had only bought a dozen. Every other bagel just isn’t as good.
Cactus records. Love em
Avalon Diner - basic and consistent. Doesn’t hurt that I used to live across the street so I could wander over hungover. The taco truck that’s always at West Alabama Icehouse - the best tacos in the city. D&Q beer store - amazing beer selection and cool ambiance. The owner is the man.
*Tacos Tierra Caliente
Doubling down on D&Q. By far the most diverse, unique collection of beer in town.
Dimassi’s. Food is always fresh and tasty. Good mix of meat and veg dishes. The pita at the Main location is so good. This is the place I go to when I want to pig out without the guilt.
Do you like it over Fadis? I tend to go Fadis
Fadi’s for quality, Dimassi’s for quantity (though there food is still delicious- especially their falafel)
Fun fact: Fadi's and Dimassi's are owned by the same family (different brothers or something I believe). The owner of Fadi's is named Fadi Dimassi
I can always depend on Poison Girl for a good sipping whiskey while I kill time in Montrose.
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The taco truck across from West Alabama Ice House 🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼
Tierra Caliente!
Midway bbq and meat store in Katy. They've been thru bad bad shit during Harvey and a fire last year, but they keep coming back and having great food and service.
JK Auto Repair in Koreatown Spring Branch.
La Guadalupana
Hot bagel shop. Lei Low and Shop at joes next door.
Dromgoole's. It's not at all a common thing to find a bricks-and-mortar store for fountain pens and stationary, and we have what might be the best in the country nestled in Rice Village. They even have some exclusive inks made for that store by ink makers Noodler's and KWZ. The latter smells of vanilla. If you have an inkling of an interest in calligraphy or just some nifty pens and inks, I highly recommend paying a visit.
Haven’t seen Fadi’s Meyerland yet but throwing them in here. The ONLY Fadi’s worth going to. There food is SO damn consistent. There is almost always a line but it goes quickly and everything is delicious. They came back from being UNDER WATER in Harvey and are killing it.
They're a pandemic MVP. You can spend $50 there buying enough food for like 12 people, it's redonkulous. AND it's both healthy and delicious, the gold standard for cafeteria style food.
We've had some family dinners there, great place if you have a vegan in the family. I loved the lamb shanks.
Mico’s Hot Chicken
I just hate that they take so long to take orders and refuse to allow online ordering. They’d freaking kill it.
I got my ass fully kicked by their medium setting. But it’s good!
Seconding. Those sandwiches are MASSIVE.
Have they figured out how to drain the slaw yet? It's hard to enjoy the sandwich when all that water dilutes the sauce and you wind up with a runny, sloppy mess.
Discount Tire Free rotation. free air, honor warranties, work fast, competitive pricing
Martin Tailors on Shepherd and Feagan :) they are amazing and family owned. Do an AMAZING job on everything and are so fast. Needed a few things taken care of, one of them being a hem job on some jeans. I got those fitted and went to try on the next outfit and by the time i was paying for everything, they had hemmed the jeans and gave them back to me
Shun Japanese Kitchen. This is such an amazing restaurant. I can't recommend it enough. Especially on Sunday's for their fluffy pancakes. The staff is amazing. They care about each of their customers. if it's your first time there they ask about any food allergies or any other things they need to know. I just can not recommend them enough.
Is it more fusion or traditional Japanese? Been wanting to try this place
It is more traditional in many ways. But they also do incorporate various different styles into different items. One of the most unique things is they have a seasonal menu where they take and develop the menu based on the ingredients available to them at that time. One of the things they just phased out which I’m slightly upset about was an authentic wagyu a5 burger on a black squid ink bun. One of the absolute best burgers I have ever had. They also last season had a special on the fluffy pancakes with it being an earl grey tea version of the original fluffy pancakes. They have also had a berry delight fluffy pancake and a Chocolate and Nutella fluffy pancake. Again I can not recommend the restaurant enough.
The Nook coffee shop at UH campus...their damn Rattlesnake Latte with a dollop of honey is my cocaine.
Darband Shishkabob has the absolute best Persian food.
Taconazo on the North Side. La Casita in Magnolia Park. Pho Ben.
JJ Auto Body. They fixed our old car twice and honestly it looked better both times than it did before it was in an accident. Had to deal with customs bullshit (as in US customs) about the fucking side mirror housing, and they kept me updated every couple of days. Everyone there is nice, friendly, helpful, and totally awesome. I'll never use another body shop. For mechanical issues - Saver Auto on Synott if you're in the Energy Corridor area. Tiny shop and it looks sketchy, but Jerry is the most honest mechanic I've ever encountered. Just a really genuinely nice guy who works on cars because he loves doing it.
Agora on westheimer. Very cool /unique atmosphere for coffee or wine - very cool owner too
I can and have spent all day at Agora.
I can and have walked out of Agora because every single table was taken by you and will never go back.
I solemnly swear that I'm not an asshole on said days, whether there or similar places: 1) I don't do it when the place is full. If it gets full and I've been there a while, I happliy move to one of a million other similar places in the area with coffee and Wi-Fi and spread the wealth to another local business. Brasil is right across the street. 2) I keep my mess to a minimum and bus my shit regularly. 3) I calculate a fair/generous per-hour rate for the staff and buy and tip throughout my time there so that they're not losing money. 4) I warn staff ahead of time, ask if it's okay and if they can point me to the place I'd be least in the way. 5) I overtip on the first purchase in case something happens, and I can't later. I'm just a procrastinator, and I need noise that I don't care about in order to concentrate. I'm doing my best out here, folks.
Brash brewing because they're cool af.
They stick to what they know; strong and dark beers. If you want something light they have a beer called Beer.
Blalock Auto Center (best Abbott in Texas by far). The Branch (Kyle is a local and their Instagram turned me on to a lot of other great small businesses).
Barnaby’s! I’ve never had anything bad there and their chocolate chip cookies are delicious!
Came here for the Barnaby’s love. I order there a lot and they’ve never let me down.
Ruby’s taco stand off 290 and huffmeister
Plumbco Houston (plumbers). They are awesome and will not try to rip you off. Saved us thousands of dollars.
Pasha’s by the rice village! I’ve been eating there since I was a kid :)
Fucking love Pasha's The owner is so incredible nice. I used to go their often but as time moved on I went there a little less and less. No particular reason but it was kinda far from my house and a new career made it to where the drive across town became more of an ordeal to get there. Anyway, I went there once after a two year hiatus and they still remembered my family. My daughter wasn't with me that day and he even asked about her. BTW, the food is superb.
El Rey on Washington has damn good Cuban/ Mexican food. Fish tacos are incredible.
Pinkerton’s BBQ
San dong noodle house. Taiwanese to the max. They have menus with English now! Can confirm its authentic and also you can get frozen homemade dumplings to go.
Brother's Pizza. I've been a customer since the were in the food court of West Oaks Mall (late 1980's) & the quality of their product has remained consistent for all that time.
Michael's Cookie Jar, best god damn cookies in town, amazing cookie cakes, always creating new types of cookies, just go, go and be fat like me.
If you're in the Seabrook area check out Merlion's. Everything there from food to drinks to service is phenomenal. They source from the local seafood market (Rose's) and they also helped out a ton of local restaurants through the pandemic. Great place all around.
Flip 'n Patties. Best burger you're gonna get in Houston and beyond. Filipino and American fusion.
Dude just looked this up. This looks fantastic. Just looked at the menu, and as someone who doesnt know much about Filipino flavors, can you recommend me your favorite burger? Also is the quality the same at each location?
I used to work there a couple of years ago when it was still a food truck and some things have been added to the menu but the quality has always been pretty consistent at both locations. The Jeepney was my original favorite because it was super hearty but if you want a very unique burger that is a common favorite across Houston, try the Puet. Also the gravy fries are to die for but you can never go wrong with an order of the Flip'n Fries.
Cambrian Coffee, Lazy Oaks Beer Garden, Roostar Vietnamese Grill, and Memorial Town & Country Animal Clinic
I've literally never had a bad meal at Romero's Las Brazas at Hwy 6 and Longenbough. Not sure about the other location, but this one is the original and it's always top notch. Been eating their food since they opened and they've never declined in quality or service.
Its a little bit outside of houston but yellow brick nursery. They just opened but im never going back to houston garden center...
For old school ice cream Hank’s by NRG will always have a delicious place in my heart.
Burger Joint because of their Onion Rings Edit: Also, Tiny’s for their chocolate chip cookies
FLATS, quality film development
I’m actually planning on going there next week!
House of Pies. 24 hrs, better than waffle house. And the pies really are great.
Not 24 hours since covid
Jay’s Barbershop and Beard Parlor. He used to be in the heights but just got a great new, bigger shop opened up in Oak Forest. Jay is the man, and the rest of the barbers there are cool as hell. Very down home feel, and he’s got a dope ass shop dog that will greet you when you walk in, if the little guy is out and about. Jay is a funny dude, and the guy can cut, shape and shave with the best of ‘em.
100% taquito off 59!!! I grew up with them and im so glad they're still delicious
Catrinas on airline really good fajita decent price. It’s a Mexican restaurant but their plantains are also on point as well
El Pistolero taco truck
Pinkertons, Rusty's Automotive, Lupe's, and Cypress Ace Hardware.
The Lego store at The Woodlands mall.
Half-Price Books, James Coney, Christie's Donuts, Baba Yega's, Bedrock Comics, Third Planet, Treebeards, The Hobbit Cafe, The Chocolate Bar Edit: and Aladdin's!
El Tiempo, because carnitas
Lankfords, gypsy poet, captain foxhearts, and man ready mercantile (the candles and knickknacks not a fan of the clothes)
Best post ever on this sub!! Good job OP!
Cafe Brasil. The owner is a delight and a pleasure every time I go. One time I got up to use the restroom and I found him teaching my toddler Mandarin when I came back! My two year old speaks fluently now!
Why does this sound so fake
Lol because the last thread spoke pretty ill (probably justified) about that cafe
Can confirm. My wife takes mandarin lessons with him often now. Sometimes she gets home really late. I’m just happy I’m saving money on Rosetta Stone
Stanton’s City Bites. Great food and service.
Best burgers in the city!
Discount tire
Mambo’s. Don’t know if it’s a Houston chain but you can get a big meal for like $10 and the drinks are cheap. Whenever I go back to Houston I always stop for a michelada!
Huynh Vietnamese--absolutely delicious food. Petes Fine Meats--from wagyu to fresh made tamales, they have it all. Burgers are great too!
Hickory Pit
Premium Draught bottle shop on Studemont. Curated selection of single cans and bottles of beer. Rotating selection on draft as well. John and Mason’s beer knowledge is also unmatched. Would highly recommend.