Houston, TX
For Soul Food in Houston, the local food press points to Lucille's, Esther's Cajun Café & Soul Food, and Cassy's Kitchen. Picks from The Infatuation, updated July 2026.
Editor’s picks
Press picks, until locals rank their own Top 5s. Sourced from the local food press. As seen in The Infatuation. Updated July 2026.
Lucille's · Museum District
Chef Chris Williams built this Museum District restaurant as a tribute to his great-grandmother, culinary pioneer Lucille B. Smith. The chili biscuits are a signature starter, and the menu runs through gumbo, deep-fried chicken, and tender braised oxtails in a polished sit-down room.
Esther's Cajun Café & Soul Food · Northside
A cafeteria-style Northside spot known for smothered turkey wings with a gravy regulars single out as the reason to visit, alongside a rotating steam-table lineup of Cajun-inflected soul food sides. The turkey wings are the order to build a tray around here.
Cassy's Kitchen · Sunnyside
A modest spot attached to a gas station in Sunnyside, worth the stop for plain fried chicken wings breaded to an audible crunch, a quick and reliable lunch pick. The setup is bare-bones, but the fried chicken is what carries the whole operation.
Mikki's Soul Food Cafe · Brays Oaks
A cafeteria-style Brays Oaks kitchen that usually draws a line out the door, with classics that regularly sell out before the day is over. Going early is the safest way to catch the full spread before the popular dishes run out for the day.
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