What’s for dinner?

Being a native Houstonian, I know very well the plight that is figuring out where to eat in this city. Almost every night comes the dreaded question, where do you want to eat? And almost every night….silence. No response.  No one knows which of the 10,000+ restaurants representing 70+ countries (You can thank visithoustontexas.com for that tidbit).

If you find yourself in the same position as me, go ahead and check out these 5 spots.  They may soon become your favorite standbys, too.

Here are my top 5 go-to dinner spots in Houston:

1. Goode Co. Taqueria (website)
   Taqueria (as I call it, as if there are no other taquerias in this city) is my standard go to for EVERYTHING. Quick bite with the boyfriend? Check. Birthday dinner for 20? Check. Much-needed Saturday morning breakfast tacos? Check. With the quick and friendly service, delicious margaritas, and ability to keep adding on tables as your group grows, Goode Co. Taqueria is a solid inner-loop staple.
2. Aka Sushi (website)
   This one’s a no-brainer. They have happy hour specials running ALL DAY except for during dinner time (7pm-9pm) which means you can fill up on sushi without breaking the bank.  Their rolls are great, they’re open late, plus they have Tony, who may just be the best waiter in this whole city.
3. Tacos Tierra Caliente  (twitter)
   Parked next to West Alabama Ice House, Tacos Tierra is the bomb.com. Whether you’ve been sitting outside on the picnic tables at the ice house all day and need a little grub to go with your beers, or are just looking for a fast, easy, delicious and CHEAP tacos, Tacos Tierra has you covered.  At only $1.50 for meat tacos and $1 for breakfast tacos, you can feed your whole hungry house for less than a two-taco dinner at most Tex-Mex joints.
4. Houston’s (website)
   Remember when they tried to change the name to Hillstone’s? That was funny. Now this restaurant may be a chain and is more of a splurge than my other go-to spots, but when that Spinach-Artichoke Dip craving strikes, there’s no other spot that can satisfy it like Houston’s.  While the menu’s not quite the same as in the original days (hint hint: order the off-the-menu Flying Chicken Tenders for the most chicken strips you will ever have in your life), a quick dinner up at the bar with some spinach dip and a burger always hits the spot.
5. Les Givrals (website)
   The Les Givrals on Washington is open late. And is fast. And is cheap. And while it is not my favorite banh mi in the city (you can find that over at Paris Sandwich off of Gessner and Westpark), it always does the trick when I’m in need of some food and everywhere else is closed.

Note: As a native Houstonian, I’ve always lived in the inner loop, and so that’s where my go-to spots are.

I’d love to hear from you what your favorite standbys are (and where they are — this city is HUGE!) so leave me a comment!