Spring Forward

In a city as diverse as Houston, whatever you crave is on the plate—sometimes in the most surprising places

- BETH D'ADDONO

When you think food diversity in Space City, spots both funky and polished come to mind in neighborhoods from boho Montrose to the walkable Heights and urban cool of Uptown.

But Spring Branch west of downtown? The word "hotspot" doesn't exactly bubble up.

Founded as a religious German farming community in 1830, Spring Branch is now a crosshatch of highways lined with strip shopping centers, bodegas, tire shops, and apartments. There are modest brick ranchers in mature leafy neighborhoods, some eclipsed by huge McMansions as the neighborhood gentrifies.

But don't be discouraged. Beyond the highway chain restaurants there are brilliant gems, sweet spots of family-owned authenticity and tasting menus curated by award-winning chefs.

On the cocktail side, bars both trendy and divey impress. Consider a culinary tour through the neighborhood a neverending treasure hunt.

Tacos Doña Lena is chef Lena Cabrera's dream, one she realized with her son Angel and his husband, Brian Ponce. In a city bursting with Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, this taqueria stands out, a neat, colorful eatery powered by one family's grit and hard work. A street taco vendor in her Mexican hometown, Cabrera moved her family to Houston in 1992 and started selling tacos out of her kitchen. Almost 30 years later, even the pandemic couldn't derail her strip mall opening.