Houston foodies rejoice! It’s that time of year again- Houston Restaurant Weeks! Today’s post is a complete guide to Houston Restaurant Weeks, including an explanation of what it is for those who don’t know, a bit of the history, reasons why it’s such a great event and how to participate for yourself!
What is Houston Restaurant Weeks?
Running from August 1 – September 3, Houston Restaurant Weeks (HRW) is both a foodie paradise and a 34 days-long charity event- the largest of its kind. Local restaurants create multi-course, fixed menus at discounted rates for Houstonians to enjoy, and donate a portion of their proceeds to the Houston Food Bank.
Even better- 100% of the money donated through HRW goes directly to the Houston Food Bank, thanks to the entirely-volunteer staff that helps out with the event.
This year, over 250 restaurants are participating in Houston Restaurant Weeks! Find the full list of participating restaurants, and check out their menus on the official HRW site, here.
It was started in 2003, by Cleverley Stone, host of “The Cleverley Show”- a food talk radio program. At one point in time it was actually just one week long (Houston Restaurant Week), but Houstonians loved it so much, they had to keep it going.
To date, Houston Restaurant Weeks has raised $12.2 million and 36.6 million meals for the Houston Food Bank to help end hunger in our city.
Last year’s donation. Image via Houston Restaurant Weeks Facebook
Why Should You Participate?
The most obvious reason to take part in Houston Restaurant Weeks is that it’s a charitable cause!
For each meal sold off of the HRW menu, restaurants will donate anywhere between $3-$7, depending on the cost of the meal. That $3-$7 donation to the Houston Food Bank will help them generate 9-21 meals each! Which means if you go out this week, and grab brunch with your friends for $20, that will create 9 meals for Houstonians in need. That’s a pretty powerful impact.
Post Harvey, the Houston Food Bank needs donations now more than ever. Food pantries and other resources across the state were spread thin helping Houstonians get back on their feet, and food in their bellies. The donations from Houston Restaurant Weeks are a large part of how the Houston Food Bank is able to help people in dire situations year round.
A full breakdown of the donation system can be found on the HRW website here.
Nigiri from Tobiuo Sushi in Katy, because yes, even some suburban restaurants are participating! Image via Houston Culture Map.
You Get To Try New Things
Houston Restaurant Weeks is a great opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and try new places you otherwise wouldn’t have.
Maybe it’s a style of food you’ve never had before. Or the typical price range of the restaurant has you wary. Or maybe it’s a brand new spot that opened up that you’ve been meaning to try.
Houston Restaurant Weeks is the time to get out there and try them all! With everything from casual restaurants to very upscale to barbeque to seafood to international menus (and everything in between), there is literally something for everyone to try. With over 250 restaurants to choose from, it would be impossible to not find at least one place you want to check out! And with lunch and brunch menus at only $20, it’s affordable, as well.
So go get a taste of some of the amazing cuisine Houston has to offer, and help out charity while you’re doing it.
Brennan’s is a Houston classic- and a must-visit spot during HRW. Image via Brennan’s.
It’s A Uniquely Houston Experience
Houston has an amazing food scene. Locals have known this for years. Everyone else is finally starting to catch on, too. With such a large and diverse population, you can find almost any type of food here, and 9 times out of 10, it’ll be a pretty incredible dining experience, too. A lot of those delicious places are participating this year and are so uniquely Houston, you won’t want to miss out on this opportunity to try them.
Nowhere else has an event quite like Houston Restaurant Weeks, either! We dare you to try and find one… and if you do, let us know in the comments so we can go taste more yummy food! 😉
Houston Restaurant Weeks is also a celebration of our city- of the incredible chefs and restaurant owners that do business here and share their crafts with us, of the diverse representation of cultures and countries, and of our desire to help those who need it.
It’s hard to go wrong with B&B Butchers- a steakhouse, and top-donating restaurant for Houston Restaurant Weeks in 2017. Image via B&B Butchers.
How To Participate
Onto the good stuff- the eating!
There are three kinds of menus during Houston Restaurant Weeks: brunch, lunch and dinner. Each restaurant chooses what kind of menu they want to offer, and what items to include on their menu. This is the full list of all participating restaurants and their menus.
As you go through the list, you can click a restaurant name and their menu will pop up. The right hand side of the page will also tell you if they accept walk-ins, or if they accept online reservations. To be on the safe side, it’s best to always call ahead and make a reservation so you don’t miss out on a spot you’ve been looking forward to trying. No matter if you call ahead, book online, or just walk-in, always make sure to request the Houston Restaurant Weeks menu!
When you arrive, your experience will be just like a regular restaurant visit. If you order anything extra off the HRW menu (like a drink, or an optional upgrade item that is a feature on some menus), expect your bill to be higher than the projected cost.
At the end, when you get the check, leave a tip as usual, and be on your way! You don’t have to do anything special. As long as you order off of the HRW menu, the restaurant will automatically donate the portion of your meal. They will not ask you for any extra money, or make you jump through any extra hoops.
Just eat and enjoy!
If you can’t swing a visit during Houston Restaurant Weeks, there’s still other ways to help out the cause. Check out this page on the Houston Food Bank page for ways you can give back!
We hope this post gives you all the information you need to get out there and start eating your way through Houston’s foodie paradise!
