The East End of downtown Houston, referred to as EaDo by local Houstonians, is an eclectic urban neighborhood with attractions for all interests.
Sports fans can catch a pro soccer game at the PNC Stadium, while music enthusiasts can catch a show at the massive Warehouse Live concert hall.
EaDo’s edgy and funky urban vibe features a colorful graffiti park, not to mention dozens of fun bars, breweries, and restaurants.
HuynhRestaurant
912 St Emanuel St, Houston, Texas 77003
Phone: 713-224-8964
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Located across freeway 59 from Discovery Green, Huynh Restaurant is a modest yet welcoming family-owned Vietnamese restaurant serving the most authentic dishes from the family’s homeland.
An unassuming storefront and the sedate atmosphere is the perfect blank slate for some of the best, most flavorful Vietnamese food in the country.
Huynh Restaurant has been featured as the best of Houston restaurants by The Houston Press, Thrillist, and the Houston Chronicle.
The massive menu has an abundant offering of noodles, pho, fried rice, stir-fries, and family-style curry meals. I loved the beef pho with fatty brisket.
Truck Yard
2118 Lamar St, Houston, TX 77003
Phone: 713-855-9666
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Voted the best bar in Houston by Thrillist, and the best patio in Houston by the Houston Chronicle, Truck Yard is a funky pub a few blocks from Eadog Park.
Truck Yard is a self-proclaimed “adult playground” with live music, karaoke, and a massive backyard with food trucks and even a Ferris wheel.
They offer a full cocktail menu along with 16 beers on tap from local microbreweries and dozens of imported bottles.
The onsite kitchen offers a small menu of cheesesteak sandwiches and nachos, but there are various rotating food trucks in the backyard with more diverse and plentiful menus.
Tout Suite
2001 Commerce St, Houston, TX 77002
Phone: 713-227-8688
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Located a few blocks from Houston’s drive-in movie theater, Tout Suite is a quaint and lively bakery and café.
They offer craft coffees brewed with fair-trade beans, a full bakery, and a wonderful menu of breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner.
Open till late, Tout Suite is a favorite spot for students and remote workers looking for a comfortable place to post up for a long day or night of studying and working.
Their menu offers a wealth of fresh and flavorful breakfast plates, salads, sandwiches, and fresh soups. If you’re there for breakfast, I recommend the breakfast stuffed avocado, a half-avocado topped with a fried egg, and chopped bacon.
I loved their take on a BLT, with applewood smoked bacon, arugula, fried green tomatoes, and avocado chimichurri on toasted sourdough.
Tiny Champions
2617 McKinney St, Houston, TX 77003
Phone: 713-485-5329
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Tiny Champions is a hip, trendy gastropub a few blocks from the PNC Stadium, serving a seasonal menu of Italian food.
The interior is an urban, vintage-chic décor with antique chandeliers hanging from exposed wood beams and plush leather booths, opening onto a romantic, tee-light-lit backyard.
Their cocktails are incredible, but they also have a wonderful wine and craft beer list. If you can make it to their Tuesday-Thursday happy hour, you’ll find a selection of beer, wine, cocktails, and authentic Neapolitan pizzas at half their normal price.
The authentic Italian food on the full menu is incredible. I loved the Campanelli pasta with Italian sausage, fermented fennel, and crispy kale.
Nancy’s Hustle
2704 Polk St A, Houston, TX 77003
Phone: 346-571-7931
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Nancy’s Hustle is an upscale bistro serving creative takes on roadside diner comfort food in a cozy and upbeat dining space in the heart of EaDo.
Executive Chef Jason Vaughan received a James Beard Award for Best Chef for his culinary creativity, and Nancy’s Hustle has received accolades from Bon Appetit, Esquire, Thrillist, Culture Map, and the Houston Chronicle, to name a few.
The menu at Nancy’s Hustle is New American food at its finest, split into a simple savory and sweet category.
I started with spicy beer and butter dumplings with sauerkraut, yogurt, and dill, followed by a grilled bavette with beef fat sticky rice, fermented chili beurre black, and crispy shallots.
East End Hardware
3005 Leeland St, Houston, TX 77003
Phone: 713-497-5868
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East End Hardware is a contemporary dive bar inside an old hardware store and an EaDo neighborhood favorite for social gatherings over cocktails and refined bar fare.
They have daily food and drink specials, such as crawfish boils on Saturdays or Dogs-N-Drafts on Mondays, featuring discounted craft brews and gourmet fusion hot dogs.
Located a few blocks from the Gulf Freeway, East End Hardware has a great outdoor patio to enjoy delicious food and craft cocktails al fresco.
They do a great Taco Tuesday with cheap lime, jalapeno, and strawberry margaritas with scratch-made pico, guacamole, and queso dip with freshly fried chips and fajita-style taco plates.
Pitch 25
2120 Walker St, Houston, TX 77003
Phone: 713-814-8157
If you’re a beer fanatic, you’ll find paradise in Pitch 25, a massive and unique beer garden with over 100 beers on tap.
Located inside a giant warehouse across the street from the PNC Stadium, Pitch 25 is Houston’s go-to spot for post or pregame brews.
It has an arcade, countless TVs, and awesome antique décor, creating a great atmosphere for socializing, playing, and dining.
They offer weekend brunch, lunch, and dinner. The lunch and dinner menu has gourmet burgers, tacos, and a selection of chicken wings.
I enjoyed a boozy brunch of a crispy hefeweizen beer with an over-the-top breakfast sandwich on a burger bun with crispy fried chicken, chili seasoning, fried egg, American cheese, dill mayo, and michelada sauce.
Around the Corner
1510 Hutchins St, Houston, TX 77003
Phone: 346-444-6699
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Around the Corner is a casual and inviting EaDo neighborhood bar and kitchen with a cute vintage-chic interior and a great outdoor deck with spectacular views of the downtown skyline.
Located near the intersection of Interstates 45 and 69, Around the Corner has great daily drink and food pairing specials, whether it’s taco and tequila on Friday or steak night on Thursday.
On Wednesdays, they offer an all-day happy hour with discounts on all shareable plates, craft cocktails, draft beer, and wine.
You can get evening snacks, dinner, and brunch at Around the Corner from a small but delicious menu of elevated global bar fare. I loved their authentic pulled pork street tacos with pineapple salsa, onions, cilantro, and lime.
Roots
3107 Leeland St, Houston, Texas 77003
Phone: 713-818-2079
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Located right down the street from East End Hardware, Roots Wine Bar is a high-end wine bar and bistro with a unique wine-tasting program.
The owners draw from sustainably and fairly sourced wine from small-scale vineyards and female winemakers. They have automated wine-tasting dispensers so you can “try before you buy” a glass or bottle.
They also have a full wine shop on the premises to grab a bottle for your next dinner party or home collection.
The gourmet New American menu features a small yet wonderful selection of shareables and entrees. I loved the jumbo lump crab warmed in miso butter with pickled mushrooms, Fresno chile, and pea shoots.
Leeland House
2119 Leeland St, Houston, TX 77003
Phone: 713-505-1538
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Leeland House is a bright, airy, contemporary breakfast eatery across the street from EaDo’s famous graffiti park.
They offer an all-day brunch with a full coffee, cocktail, and wine bar from Wednesday through Sunday in a boutique bistro space with a sunny outdoor wooden deck.
You won’t find a better boozy brunch cocktail menu, with creative breakfast takes on classic cocktails as well as new creations.
I had a brown sugar peach old-fashioned with a delicious plate of shrimp and grits with creole shrimp, tomato, smoked gouda grits, roasted poblano peppers, and bacon cream sauce.
Little Woodrow’s Eado
2019 Walker St, Houston, Texas 77003
Phone: 713-222-2224
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Located cattycorner to Pitch 25 and the PNC Stadium, Little Woodrow’s is one of Texas’ most beloved sports bar chains and neighborhood watering holes.
It’s a no-frills, casual, dive-like sports bar with Texas-sports team-themed décor and the cheapest alcohol in town. Their happy hours are from noon through 7 pm daily.
They’re a community and neighborhood-oriented bar, with daily specials on top of happy hours, as well as seasonal or holiday specials.
For instance, on Wednesdays, they have a steak and beer combo, with a ribeye, loaded baked potato, mac and cheese, and a dinner roll with a pint of corona for a fraction of what you’d pay for the same meal at a steakhouse.