It was USA Today which declared that Houston is the ‘dining-out capital of the nation’ due to the fact those living there eat out more often than any other city in America. It’s inexpensive to eat great food which is always going to be a deciding factor when planning a vacation entertainment budget, so with the average number of nights out being three times a week to the 9000 restaurants across the area nicknamed the Space City, here’s the other reasons why Houston is a great place to dine.
Diversity
The three most popular styles of food in Houston are Lousiana Creole, Tex-Mex and Vietnamese. Whether established chains or niche boutique restaurants, the flavors of these styles of gourmet eating permeate much of the city. For those celebrating a birthday or the acceptance of a wedding proposal and have been shopping for Houston jewelry, the colors and flavors of Houston food are unique.
You’ll find fantastic fresh seafood combined with spices of the Far East and Mexican heat mixed with home-reared Texan beef. Close by Louisiana offers the creole taste from those who moved to Texas a hundred years ago and the result is a mouth-watering mix of fantastic places to try.
Ease of opening a restaurant
Houston is a little unusual in local planning rules in that it has a no-zoning policy. This means that there’s freedom to open a restaurant pretty much anywhere, so there’s no need to travel to a particular part of the city to eat out as there will be a varied choice on your doorstep or just a few feet away from your hotel room.
The freeway
Compared to many cities in the USA, the freeway of Houston is excellent and offers fantastic accessibility in and around the center. Aside from problems during rush hour, the city is only 15 minutes or so away for anyone in the suburbs so it’s quick and simple to just hop in the car or on a bus and enjoy a night out without the stress of knowing there will be a traffic jam to contend with in either or both directions.
Low cost of living
Comparatively speaking, Houston has a very low cost of living. This means that any excess salary is available for entertainment and it’s now become the norm for it to be channeled into dining out. Labor costs are lower in restaurants than locations such as San Francisco or New York for example and in turn this means that food can be offered at a lower price.
Large numbers of residents
There are over six million people in the rail metro area of Houston. It’s a huge conurbation to feed and combined with the lack of hoops to jump through to open a restaurant, it means that there’s plenty of choice available. This has also created a competitive market; why would a family keep visiting a mediocre restaurant when there are plenty of fantastic ones within a few minutes’ drive?
Eating out then in Houston is a myriad of positive elements which combine to make a great experience at any time of the day or night. Whether it’s shrimp, fried fish or grilled meat and salsa, you’ll never go short of a menu full of flavor – and all at a great price.