Restaurant Recon: An Initiation into Neighborhood Noms

By Victor Nguyen     8/25/20 6:31pm

Now that school is back in session, “servery fatigue,” or that feeling you get after your umpteenth piece of water/safety/athlete chicken and rice, is sure to follow. Never fear, because the Thresher has a starter list for places to explore around the local area. This first list contains classics and student favorites, alongside underrated spots that should absolutely get more attention. All of these places offer expansive menus available for takeout and delivery that won’t break the bank, even with a big appetite. Happy feasting!

Bodegas Taco Shop, located in an office building at 1200 Binz St., is a local Tex-Mex spot known for its big burritos and portion sizes. This Museum District gem is a quick northbound ride on the MetroRail red line, which has multiple stops right outside of the hedges — one near the Biosciences Research Collaborative, another near the south colleges and another close to the north colleges. Order online through Bodegas’ website, Postmates, Grubhub or DoorDash. Alternatively, feel free to swing by and place an order inside for takeout. Expect to be dishing out anywhere from $3 for a single breakfast taco to $15 for a full meal combo.

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Les Givral’s, sometimes known as Les G’s here on campus, is a French-Vietnamese restaurant and cafe serving up banh mi, spring rolls, noodles and Viet iced coffee. This Midtown joint is located at 2704 Milam St., just a short one-block walk from the McGowen MetroRail station. With just a 20-minute round trip from Rice campus and back, you can grab this ultra affordable takeout Monday through Saturday. Best of all, Les Givral’s is available on practically every food ordering service and app here in Houston. How much can you expect to pay? If you’re like me, it’s around $10 for a coffee and banh mi.

Treebeards is a local legend of a restaurant for its distinctively cozy bar setting and rock solid Southern cooking. However, they were forced out of their downtown location of 40 years due to rent increases this summer. Show your support for this Houston stalwart by grabbing takeout lunch from one of their other locations in the Downtown Tunnels at 1100 Louisiana St. or from the Cloisters on 1117 Texas St. Consider ordering some of their signature chicken fried chicken, homemade meatloaf, or hand breaded catfish. With their menu changing daily, expect a different experience every time, with a single meat entree and 2 sides costing just under $15 at the max.

Frank’s Pizza is the iconic downtown pizza parlor for when big corporate pizza chains just won’t cut it. Located at 417 Travis St., this hole-in-the-wall is deep inside the Historic Downtown district. Street and garage parking is limited and will cost you, so consider taking the MetroRail red line into the heart of the city. Serving hot New York-style pizza by the slice and by the whole pie, this single family-owned location offers takeout and delivery via DoorDash and Favor. While a whole pizza can put a strain on the wallet at $12 for a medium cheese, that fresh hand-tossed dough is worth every bite. Plus, a single large slice of any pizza, specialties included, is no more expensive than $5.

Tacos A Go Go is a local taco chain started way back in 2006 as a tiny hole in the wall next to the legendary Continental Club. While it has expanded to three locations since its humble beginnings, Tacos A Go Go still dishes out some of the most highly recommended tacos in the entire state of Texas. The breakfast tacos are hands-down the best in town, with their Mexican and Tex-Mex offerings not too far behind. Stock up on their array of salsas and make sure to look around at the vibrant decorations unique to each of their locations. The closest location to Rice campus offering both pickup and delivery is the OG Midtown storefront, located at 3704 Main St. Bagging any 3 tacos on their menu should only cost $10 and some change. 

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