It’s the most magical time of the year. Houston Restaurant Weeks started on Aug 1, and will go through to Sept. 2. It’s time to prioritize which HRW menus you’re gonna take advantage of!

Note: Ultimately, every single one of these restaurants and menus are donating to the Houston Food Bank so you can literally do no wrong! Each time you eat good, you’re also doing good!

That being said, after many years of HRW-ing, I know the system! I know what restaurant’s prix fixe menus are SUCH a steal and I know which ones you can skip and save for another non-HRW day.

Some quick tips before we get to the menus…

• Do your research. Every single menu is on houstonrestaurantweeks.com AND the free mobile app. I mostly know exactly what I’m going to order before I even sit down. BTW, the app is great! You can favorite your restaurants, then scroll through when it’s time to pick a place.
• Portions vary between restaurants. I’m not sure if there are rules within the participating restaurants, but I definitely think some restaurants have sized-down their portions. It’s fine by me — most of the time, since there’s THREE courses — but it’s definitely something to keep in mind when ordering. You can do some recon by searching yelp and instagram for pix of people’s HRW food!
• Fries are friends. My workaround for the small portions is ordering the item that comes with fries. Not sure this was intentional at first, but then I realized I had more food than my fellow diners — even took some to go!
• Three-course lunches/brunches are a steal. While every dinner menu comes with three courses, only a few lunch and brunch menus do. I found a few that do and prioritized going to those.
• $35 vs. $45 dinners. Honestly, aside from a few, I have no interest in the $45-dinner restaurants. There are plenty amazing $35 dinners and it’s a bit more budget friendly for me.

Without further adieu, here are the restaurant’s I’m most pumped about!

• B&B Butcher’s lunch menu. B&B’s is one of the exceptions to my $45 aversion for dinner. The iconic Houston steakhouse is totally worth that splurge — make a reservation and make a whole night of it! BUT the $20 is even more of a steal — and you can add on a dessert for an additional $5.

• Fig & Olive’s lunch menu. Three courses at a nice new spot in the Galleria! I got the salmon crudo, which was amazing but definitely small. Luckily, I followed my own fries rule and got the lamb burger, which was soooo filling. Yes, I shared fries with my friend who got the shrimp and salmon salad that was a little bit on the tiny side.
• Caracol’s lunch. This one’s a must for me every year. It’s such a large menu with so many great options. It’s a 3-course lunch and honestly so hard to decide what to get — definitely one I’ll allow a double visit to.
• Brasserie du Parc’s dinner menu. This $35 deal is pretty freaking sweet. SEVERAL different options on every course and a beautiful backdrop of the park.

• Maison Pucha’s brunch. I’d been wanting to try this spot for a while! Portions are definitely small, but unclear if that’s just for HRW or a French thing. I feel pretty great about the steak and eggs I ordered but had menu fomo over the watermelon salad and souffle — which was 100% the best thing on that menu!
• Oceanaire’s lunch menu. Clearly, I work in the Galleria area, because all my lunch menus are over here, but this one’s on my list! Soooo many different options, but not a 3-course menu, but still into it.

• 51fifteen’s lunch menu. Another great stop with a 3-course menu — however, they do NOT skimp on their portions! Both my mom’s salad and my chicken sandwich were plenty large, and I even took some to go. Loved that they had a piano player entertaining us to the very end our cheesecake and sorbet!
• Indika’s brunch menu. I discovered Indika for its GF and veggie- friendly options but then, as someone who eats meat and bread, I also fell in love!

• The Grove’s $35 brunch. The Grove flips the switch on the $20 prix fixe menu! They have their normal $35 brunch buffet with $5 going to the food bank. You gotta make a reservation, btw. I love this buffet — such great foods (read more here!) and my favorite: for $15 you can make it bottomless!!!
• Rise no. 2’s dinner menu. I would have totally expected a $45 menu from Rise, but what a steal! It’s only $35! AND it has all our fave souffle’s on the menu! I already know what I’m going to order: Marshmallow soup (not what you think it is), cauliflower and brie souffle, and chocolate souffle (hoping my dining partner get’s the apricot souffle so I can have a bite!)
• Backstreet Cafe’s brunch menu. This is a tried and true Houston institution and I love nothing more than brunch on a patio! The HRW menu is huge for brunch — three courses and a drink menu where $1 goes to the food bank.
• Bisou for lunch or dinner. This hot new restaurant is on my hit list this year! Will report back with more deets.

What HRW menus are you excited about or have tried and loved??