8 Amazing Restaurants in Kashmere Gardens, Houston

Located just 4.3 square miles northeast of Downtown Houston, Kashmere Gardens is a historic African-American neighborhood.

The hamlet, which the city annexed, now has many single-family dwellings, with a population of around 20,000 individuals, and increasing.

It’s a vibrant community neighborhood with much to offer, including some great eateries.

As a big food lover and regular visitor to Houston, I’ve got comprehensive knowledge of places to eat in and around the city. I have compiled this guide to the most amazing restaurants in Kashmere Gardens, Houston.

Amazing Restaurants in Kashmere Gardens, Houston – My Top Picks

Suppose you plan to drop into Kashmere Gardens for a bite to eat. In that case, this is the guide you’ll want to read because it will include some of the most amazing restaurants in the area that are a must-try when visiting.

During this guide, you will learn what each restaurant serves in terms of cuisine, how I rated the food, and what specials to enjoy.

You’ll also notice I have spent some time commenting on the prices. I wanted to make sure that there was a good selection of budget-friendly and higher-end restaurants.

Alright, let’s dig in.

1. The Original Connie’s Seafood Market and Restaurant

Connie has been a staple of the community for over forty years. It’s a popular hub within the neighborhood, whether for dining in the restaurant or shopping at their fresh seafood market.

Offering seafood of all varieties, you can expect to sample some amazing dishes, including grilled, fried, and boiled seafood.

All the seafood here is available to buy by the lbs and is priced at market price for the most part. For example, the jumbo shrimp are priced at $26.99 per lb. All of the seafood items on this section of the menu are available either fried, grilled, steamed, boiled, or ranchero.

To go with your seafood of choice, you can pick some additional sides for an extra cost, such as steamed broccoli, fries, salad, onion rings, and hush puppies. These are all relatively cheap for just a couple of dollars.

This restaurant is doing well at keeping up with the area’s growing popularity. It continues to attract customers from far and wide who want to sample some of the best seafood in the area.

2. Jun

Suppose you’re looking for excellence and a touch of fine dining. In that case, Jun will provide everything you’re looking for and exceed your expectations.

Jun is a restaurant in high demand, so getting a table without booking in advance can be tough, but trust me, it’s worth the wait.

The cuisine style is American Chinese, so some dishes on the menu are unique to the restaurant, such as the carrots with matcha salsa, Salvadorian cheese, quail eggs, or the salmon with oolong tea, leeks, turnips, and gremolata.

My favorite dish, however, was the lamb curry. This perfectly spiced dish, with melt-in-your-mouth lamb, is served with pickled daikon and pistachios. The flavor combinations were simply out of this world.

They offer a splendid cocktail, too, with some unique, tasty beverages such as the unusual-sounding Michelada, which is made using fish sauce, modelo, hoisin, chili, and lime.

For something non-alcoholic, I recommend the Matcha Loose Tea or the Honey I’m Home.

3. Best Kept Secret

It doesn’t surprise me that this place is called Best Kept Secret because most people I speak to aren’t even aware of its existence, and you know something? They should because they’re missing out on some of the best-fried goodness in the local area.

BKS is located inside a gas station, which I bet you never thought you’d read about in a best restaurants article, right?

Despite the unusually bog-standard location, everything else about this place is superb.

Suppose you want to satisfy a craving with a midweek crawfish boil or toss a juicy burger down the hatchet. In that case, this is your place, and it will quickly become a regular haunt for you if you like it as much as I did.

The service is great, the food is excellent, and the best part is, everything is good value for money, which is something to behold in this current climate.

4. Triple J’s Smokehouse

If there’s one thing the staff and owners are passionate about at Triple J’s, it’s smoked food.

Using recipes handed down through generations and local ingredients, the chefs put together a stunning menu of delicious smoked foods in a sandwich, baked potato, or an entire filling dinner.

I recommend one of the dinners (especially if this is your first time here). You can pick from a selection of meat options and two sides to complement it.

I opted for the three-meat dinner, which came with brisket, sausage, and ribs, and I chose fries and baked beans to go with it. It was so well done; I even ordered an extra portion of ½ lb of sausage to take home.

The Ravens Bowl is a gigantic portion of dirty fries loaded with brisket and cheese. These were quite pricey at $15.00. However, the portion was colossal, and they’d be a huge portion of dirty fries loaded with brisket and cheese, which I didn’t try as I already had fries with my meal.

Don’t worry, the rest of the menu is extremely reasonably priced, and you can easily dine on a budget without going home hungry.

There’s only a small drinks menu and no alcohol, and there’s also no option for dessert, but given the portion sizes here, you won’t need one.

5. Riverhouse Houston

Riverhouse Houston is a beautiful neighborhood restaurant with a gorgeous outdoor patio where you can relax in the Texas sun and enjoy breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner.

The food here sounds casual at first glance but is made extra special with unique cooking styles and blends of flavor.

For example, I opted for the Croissant Breakfast Sandwich, which is not uncommon for me, and this one stood out from others I’ve had in the past. It was packed with bacon, eggs, and smoked cheese, and the croissant was super fresh and perfectly baked in-house. You can also choose to have this with chicken sausage instead of bacon.

Other tasty breakfast options include the breakfast tacos, which are available with meat or as a veggie option, and sweet cream pancakes with whipped cream and a choice of bacon or sausage. Sausages and whipped cream, I hear you questioning; it works, trust me!

Aside from the food, they have plenty more on offer here.

If you head down on Saturday night, you’ll enjoy some live music, and they also have one of the best views of the Houston skyline.

I also read recently that the restaurant is in the process of building a 9-hole golf course, which might pique the interests of any keen golfers here.

I suggest heading down during Happy Hour, Monday – Wednesday, between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm. You can enjoy bar snacks and cheap drinks, such as an Old Fashioned for just $10.00 and a glass of wine for $7.00.

6. The Ginger Mule

The Ginger Mule is a brand-new plant-based restaurant with a soft opening in 2023, and from what I can see, they’re doing great.

I am not a vegetarian, and I rarely visit veggie-only restaurants unless I’ve heard truly remarkable things, as I had with this place.

For a start, as soon as I laid eyes on the menu, I could tell this was going to be no ordinary vegan meal.

I ordered The Fajitas. Mushrooms are one of my favorite veggies, and this was loaded with portobello mushrooms, peppers, and onions. It also came served with sour cream, guacamole, rice, beans, and salsa. You could also have these with a gluten-free wrap if you desire.

A friend dining with me on the day opted for the Cozy Curry, packed with veggies such as squash, chickpeas, cauliflower, and carrots and made with a massaman yellow Thai paste and coconut milk, so it had a real kick to it while remaining silky and creamy. You could also add tofu to this. However, it isn’t a must.

I was pleased to see a children’s menu here too, which consisted of grilled cheese, mini pizzas, and cannon balls, which are lentil meatballs served with sweet potato fries.

The prices here were extremely reasonable, although the fajitas were one of the more expensive items at $21.00. The curry was just $14.00, and the kids’ meals were just $8.00 or $9.00 each. Everything was a fair size for the price, and it was exceptionally tasty.

As nonvegetarians, we both said we would return for part two.

7. Fabio’s Artisan Pasta

Despite not technically being a restaurant, I must mention Fabio Artisan Pasta. Suppose you ever feel in the mood for restaurant-style Italian cuisine in the comfort of your own home. In that case, this is what you can get from Fabios.

Fabio’s offers every kind of shape and sized pasta you can imagine: fresh, homemade, and artisan.

If you’re a bit of a connoisseur in this department, you can taste the quality from the first bite. Even the smell is like no pasta you’ll ever buy from the local grocery store.

You can also purchase sauces to go with your pasta, so you’ve got an entire meal kit to cook from your kitchen, and the best part is, because it’s so fresh, it only takes three or four minutes to cook.

I have ordered from here several times when I’ve wanted a hassle-free but good-quality dinner idea when hosting guests, and it’s gone down a storm each time. But the last time I ordered was exceptionally outstanding.

I chose the Italian beef and pork stuffed ravioli with mushroom and garlic sauce. The flavors were impeccable. I would have been happy paying $30 per head for this dish alone in a fine-dining restaurant.

8. Trattoria Sofia

If I’ve got you excited at the thought of Italian food, but you need to get into the idea of cooking it yourself at home, then worry not; I’ve got an excellent Italian restaurant for you here.

Trattoria Sofia is part of the Berg Hospitality Group, but don’t let the thought of it being a chain restaurant put you off because, from my experience alone, you’re guaranteed a special and memorable dining experience.

If you’re looking for somewhere to enjoy a romantic meal, then this is an ideal spot. The ambiance is cozy and intimate, and the perfect setting to wine and dine with someone special.

The menu is all made up of dishes that are made using fresh, local ingredients, and there are a lot of changes made daily depending on what is available at the market, which I love!

If you want to enjoy your meal al fresco, head back to their tranquil, sheltered secret garden. In that case, you’ll feel as though you’re on a back street in Italy and forget all about being close to the busy city of Houston.

To Conclude

So now that you know where to find all the best restaurants in Kashmere Gardens Houston, where will you begin your culinary journey? Will you wrap your hands around a gourmet burger or take the flavors of Italy back to your kitchen to impress your guests? Whichever spot you choose to dine, make sure you make the most of your trip to Houston, and if you’re stuck for ideas, check out my ultimate guide for things to do in Houston.