The original Ninfa’s in the Second Ward is a cornerstone of Tex-Mex history. It's been open since 1973, and Mama Ninfa, the original owner and restaurant’s namesake, is credited as the inventor of the fajita. If it isn’t enormous trays of fajitas flying by your table, it’ll be plates of tacos al carbon overflowing with yellow rice and refried beans. Or maybe fajita burgers piled with peppers and onions ready to be devoured.

Never order two of the same dishes at Himalaya. Or rather, if you try to, the owner will tell you no. He lumbers around the classic Pakistani and Indian restaurant, chatting up diners, suggesting more food, and passing out to-go orders. You’re essentially dining in his home. Order a spicy, herbaceous chicken hara masala or the sweet mutton biryani with a side of warm, buttery garlic naan. And since it’s BYOB, make sure to bring a bottle of wine.

The Breakfast Klub is one of the only places in Houston where people will happily stand in line for a meal. And while the wait to get inside is inevitable on the weekends, the comforting, hearty food makes every minute worth it. The eggs are fluffy, the “katfish” is crispy, and the hot syrup is on tap right next to the coffee. Plates come out astonishingly fast.

Kiran’s in Upper Kirby was one of the first upscale Indian restaurants in Houston. The menu includes afternoon high tea service, a full tasting menu of lobster, or delicate, layered dishes like pea and spiced lamb samosas. Whether you come to the bar for a lassi cocktail and chaats, or get decked out for high tea and tandoor chicken finger sandwiches, Kiran’s will make you feel just as ornate as the food you're eating.

Go to this upscale yet casual Mexican restaurant in Montrose once for a celebration, and it’ll become a tradition. It’s where regular folks celebrate a birthday and where Houston’s elite celebrate a random Thursday with slow-roasted lamb barbacoa or crispy duck and fiery poblano mole. Few other places can pull off fancy fine dining without being stuffy or forced, which is why Houstonians love Hugo’s.

Everything at this family-owned dim sum spot in Sharpstown is larger than life. The seafood tanks are giant, as are the banquet-sized dining rooms. And there's literally a dish named “Lobster Mountain.” Despite Fung’s size, the service never falters. Servers fill your table with food to the point where you’ll begin accepting additional plates of crispy shrimp croquettes and beef-stuffed rice noodles, not to disappoint anyone.

Christie’s has served seafood, steaks, and fat Gulf oysters for over 100 years. The dining room resembles an old-school cruise ship deck or the nicest restaurant in a small seaside town. Above every table, a mounted fish gazes down at your crispy fried snapper po’boy, grilled strip sirloin, or pile of golden fried shrimp. This is a great place to go with your family, especially if someone has memories of Christie’s from growing up in Houston or usually asks for a seafood dinner every visit.

We Houstonians have come to rely on Pappas Bros. as the classic steakhouse to live out a fantasy of choosing expensive dry-aged meat straight from the display case. For nearly 30 years, the Galleria-area restaurant has served the best steak in town, bar none. (There’s also a Downtown location if you’re craving an after-work ribeye.) Pappas Bros.' dining room is pleasantly dim, the wine list is as long as a Homeric epic, and the staff is diligent.

Huynh is a beloved neighborhood Vietnamese restaurant in EaDo, close to the convention center and downtown. It’s a reliable place to eat charred shaken beef or spicy, aromatic bún bò huế, even when it’s busy. But what's more memorable is the owners waiting tables, greeting guests, and treating every diner like a regular. (You’ll know who they are from all of the family photos hanging in the waiting area.)

With 80 years under its belt, Molina’s Cantina is the oldest continually operating Tex-Mex restaurant in Houston. The uncles are glued to the flat-screen TVs by the bar, and excitable eight-year-olds dunk housemade tortilla chips in steaming queso. But no matter what, parades of sizzling fajita trays always momentarily capture everyone's attention. Most of what goes on at Molina’s has stayed the same over the years, which is what gets people in the door.

If you're looking for a steak with Texas history, Taste Of Texas is the only spot to go. The place is filled to its barn roof with Texas memorabilia and actual antique weapons. And not only does their prime rib taste great, but it goes nicely with a trip to the all-you-can-eat salad bar flanked by giant slabs of cheese. Come here for birthdays and whenever those out-of-town friends need reminding that Texas is the best damn state in the union.

Combine a lot of chrome, a renovated old railway car, and a Wurlitzer piano near the edge of Rice Village, and somehow, you wind up with Goode Company Seafood. The Gulf Coast seafood spot serves incredible campechana, a slew of fried combos, po’boys, and mesquite-grilled fish with the curious but delicious duo of an empanada and garlic bread. We love hitting the bar early for Happy Hour for a beer and oysters, or an entire seafood tower.

This steakhouse-adjacent and wild game-focused restaurant is built around a 100-year-old log cabin and has a game trophy room that would make Ace Ventura clutch his pearls. It's been open for over 40 years and serves a whole mess of seafood and game meat. We usually eat on Rainbow Lodge's patio with bayou views because it feels like Hill Country or maybe some distant Rocky Mountain chalet, but you’re just off TC Jester and Ella.

Lankford Grocery & Market occupies a corner of Midtown untouched by modernity, and eating excessively topped cheeseburgers here feels similar to hanging out in a town where they've outlawed dancing. We especially like the Grim burger stuffed with macaroni and cheese or the Midtown with a thick onion ring and a BBQ-sauce-slathered patty.

Wanna party like it’s 1999, or at least like Desperate Housewives is still in its prime? Head to Tony’s. This Italian spot in Greenway serves a delightfully retro menu with fresh pasta and dishes like the truffle filet mignon. But the bizarre touches like hat box-sized soufflés or cotton candy presented on top of a bust make Tony’s memorable.

Brennan’s Of Houston, a classic Creole restaurant, brings Big Easy glamor to Midtown with its Live Oak trees, chandeliers, and servers in vests lighting food on fire. Brennan’s is the only spot in town serving a bowl of snapping turtle soup with drizzles of sherry. The next time you're looking for a nostalgic night, get that, the gulf fish pontchartrain with crab and fried oysters (which is the best of the Gulf on one plate), and their iconic bananas foster flambéed tableside.

Eating at Irma’s Original is like having a meal inside of a living room, which is why so many Houstonians make time to visit. At Irma’s Original, the Tex-Mex menu changes daily, and the space is filled with just about any tchotchke imaginable. The daily menu is whatever the chefs feel like making, so you'll probably have to come more than once to experience the best of Irma's: the chicken mole. The mole is bold and sweet, with a subtle heat.

Burns in Acres Homes showcases the best of old-school, East Texas-style barbecue. While some places specialize in brisket or potato salad, Burns’ specialty is, well, everything. The best order here only depends on who you’re asking. To us, pork rib is king, and sides—like the spicy dirty rice—are as essential to the tray as the meat. Order all of the above and eat it on the picnic tables.

Cleburne Cafeteria exists in the same cinematic universe as your local Luby’s. The cafeteria-style restaurant in West University has been around since the ‘40s, and people have been coming long enough to know most of the staff by name. Instead of serving your typical chocolate milk and fish sticks, they do hefty pieces of cod and mounds of smooth mashed potatoes protecting pools of rich gravy.

When the appeal of fancy restaurants has worn thin, and you want something straightforward and satisfying, turn to Houston This Is It, the archetype for good soul food in the city. Everyone convenes at the Third Ward spot over cups of sweet tea and styrofoam trays filled with one entree and three sides. We always get candied yams and mac and cheese.

While the smell of smoked BBQ may get you in the door, it's Pizzitola’s fluffy banana pudding and kind servers while refilling sweet tea that'll make you want to be a regular. Pizzitola’s has been doing down-home BBQ in Houston for decades. Between the southern hospitality, college team paraphernalia, and family photos, the Washington Corridor restaurant is like a small-town Texas spot where folks gather after a Friday night football game.

When you’re in the mood for lox, latkes, or a pastrami sandwich the size of a miniature poodle, go to Kenny & Ziggy’s. The classic Jewish delicatessen takes the adage of "everything is bigger in Texas" to the nth degree. Get a triple-decker corn beef sandwich and basketball-sized stuffed cabbage, revel in the grandiosity of giant foods, then ask for more pickles and a to-go container.

Open in North Houston since 1977, Hickory Hollow looks more like a giant barn than a hollow. Everything here screams, "This is Texas, pard’ner," including the menu with combination barbecue plates, southern sides, and a salad bar that only seems to stock ranch dressing. You can also order three different sizes of chicken fried steak, including a “large rancher” portion the size of a thick saddle blanket.