The top nine oldest restaurants in Houston

Houston is regarded as the cultural and culinary capital of South America. The

rich heritage of local restaurants has played a major role in shaping the city's

gastronomic culture. Read about the oldest of them in chronological order at

houston1.one.

Christie’s
The family-run Christie's Steakhouse was founded in 1917 by Greek
immigrant Theodore Christie off the coast of Galveston Island. In 1934, he
relocated the facility to the Medical Center Area. The restaurant immediately
established itself as a neighborhood favorite, selling 10,000 fish sandwiches
per week.

As generations of the Christie family passed, the restaurant's recipes,

particularly soups, salad dressings, and sauces, remained unchanged.
Christie's is famous for using local ingredients and products. No place in
Houston serves fresher meat or seafood.

James Coney Island

This local fast food chain, founded in 1923, sells hot dogs and other popular
fast food dishes. The restaurant is most renowned for its Coney Island hot
dog, which consists of grilled beef, chili, mustard, and onions on a freshly
baked bun. Other popular dishes of James Coney Island include Frito chili pie,
cheeseburgers, French fries with cheese, Italian sausage sandwiches, and
tater tots. For dessert, here, you may enjoy apple pie, brownies, milkshakes
and cheesecakes.

Yale Street Grill

In 1923, pharmacists Abel and Mildred Dupuy opened a pharmacy in the
historic Heights district, which was later converted into the American
restaurant Yale Street Grill. Initially, all they did was set up a soda fountain in
the pharmacy and begin serving breakfast and sandwiches. Later on, a gift
shop and post office were built.

You may come here to enjoy delicious homemade burgers, turkey burgers,
onion rings, and milkshakes.
Prince’s Hamburgers
Doug Prince tasted his first burger during a Texas cooking show in the early
1920s. He was so taken with the taste that he decided to make a business out
of hamburgers. Initially, he established Prince's Hamburgers in Dallas.
However, after visiting Houston in 1932, Prince chose to set up his hamburger
restaurant empire here. The first facility opened its doors in 1934. Today,
Prince's Hamburgers is the classic of Houston's gastronomy.

Pizzitola’s BBQ
Texas barbecue legend John Davis and his wife Leila developed a unique
barbecue recipe and spent years hosting picnics for neighbors. In 1934, they
founded Shepherd Drive BBQ restaurant, the predecessor of Pizzitola's BBQ.
Thanks to their hickory-smoked meat and hot barbecue sauce, the couple
rapidly gained the favor of the customers.

During the Jim Crow era (the unofficial name for racial segregation legislation

in some US states), the institution only allowed black people to dine inside,

while white guests had to wait for quite some time for their brisket, sausage, or

ribs and eat at one of the picnic tables on the premise. One of those loyal

white customers was Jerry Pizzitola. He and his father visited the restaurant

frequently, and he fell in love with the food. For a while, the Davis family had

to repair their brick barbecue pits, and in 1963 opened a restaurant in a new

location.

Pizzitola's BBQ has some of the greatest brisket, pork, beef ribs, and smoked
chicken in the city. The cooking process in an open pit with direct fire makes
visitors come back here again and again. After dinner, you may try one of
Mama Pizzitola's famous homemade desserts, which include classic banana
pudding, pineapple and coconut cake, and chocolate cake with pecan icing.

Brenner’s Steakhouse
German immigrants Herman and Lorene Brenner established Brenner's in
1936. Before that, they worked for many years as waiters at the renowned
Rice Hotel. Until the 1950s, the establishment operated as a cafe. Then, a
first-rate beef fillet was added to the menu for $3.50, and the cafe quickly
became a top-rated steakhouse.
Brenner's Steakhouse is known for its steaks, chicken, and seafood. It also
serves classic steakhouse dishes such as salads, shrimp cocktails and French
onion soup. The menu also includes popular German dishes: homemade
apple strudel, Wiener schnitzel and potato pancakes.

In 2003, Houston restaurateur Tilman Fertitta purchased Brenner's

Steakhouse intending to renovate the space while keeping the historic design.
Thanks to Fertitta, visitors may now enjoy fountains, waterfalls, and the
landscapes of the renowned gardens.

Lankford’s Grocery & Market

In 1938, Nona and Aubrey Lankford established the Lankford Grocery &
Market in Houston. Subsequently, the store added gourmet sandwiches to
the menu, which quickly turned this place into a magnet for tourists and
citizens looking for a quick snack.

It wasn't until the 1970s that the most famous dishes on the menu - exquisite
beef burgers - were added. The restaurant, widely regarded as one of the best
burger establishments in town, serves signature dishes such as red, white,
and blue burgers, as well as Grim burgers with jalapeño pepper, bacon, fried
egg, and macaroni and cheese.

Inside, you'll find vintage booths and 1940s-style decor. Also, the restaurant
features a large outside patio with picnic tables. Since this location is quite
popular, be prepared to wait in line for quite some time.

Molina’s Cantina
In the 1920s, Raul and Mary Molina brought their culinary knowledge from the

Texas city of Laredo to Houston. In 1941, they opened the Mexican restaurant

Old Monterrey, the predecessor of Molina's Cantina. Then it was one of the 5

Mexican restaurants in the city.

For seven decades, the family enterprise has offered some of Houston's best

Texas-Mexican food. Raul and Mary are considered pioneers of the city's own

take on Texas-Mexican cuisine, frequently referred to as "Tex-Mex."

Molina's Cantina serves a wide range of popular southwestern dishes at
affordable prices. This is an excellent site to begin or end an evening stroll
across the city. Be sure to order the Buenos Tiempos Platter for four people,
which contains taquitos, quesadillas, nachos, guacamole, and chili con queso.
Finish your dinner with a variety of delectable sweet desserts, including
traditional tender flan and Tres Leches cake.

Barbecue Inn
In 1946, Louis and Nell Skrehot founded the Barbecue Inn in northwest

Houston. After discovering an ideal location on Crosstimbers, Louis renovated

a small house, building a new facade and a unique barbecue pit.

Initially, solely barbecue was served here, but the menu was eventually

expanded to include a variety of Southern dishes. The Barbecue Inn serves

some of the greatest grilled seafood in town, including fresh Gulf shrimp,

catfish, fried oysters, and stuffed crab.

However, the Barbecue Inn is most known for its crispy fried chicken and

grilled steak in milk batter. The restaurant's fried chicken has been recognized

nationwide by culinary journals such as Travel + Leisure and Food & Wine,

America's Best Bites, and others. Be sure to come here early in the morning to

avoid queues and long waits.