Seven One Three: A Guide to Houston — %Seven One Three: A Guide to Houston —Seven One Three: A Guide to Houston

This US city has been ranked so high on my list. I had such a great time that I almost kicked myself for not visiting sooner. I flew to Houston from NYC for $214 round trip and stayed for five days and four nights. For this particular blog, other than hotels I decided to only focus on Black owned businesses here. Of course there are countless to choose from so I could only get to but so many. Here is all you need to know:

Where to Stay:

Like any other US city, you want to be in a central area so you’re able to enjoy every thing. However, Houston is a big city! So be mindful of where you choose to stay since most things to do and places to go are in the uptown or downtown areas. I stayed in the uptown area at the Hyatt Regency Galleria. The location was perfect and no more than 15 minutes driving from every where we went. Not to mention it’s directly across the street from the Galleria mall. The hotel was very clean, the staff were very nice and helpful. I would recommend staying here if you plan to visit Houston. Total cost for four nights: $935

Some other options for places to stay:

Hotel Derek (Galleria)
Omni Houston Hotel (Uptown)
Club Quarters Houston (Downtown)
The Lancaster Hotel (Downtown)

Getting Around:

I made a mistake of renting a car in Houston. A rental for four days came to $357 which isn’t too bad but many places charge a fee to park your car. Around $10-$20 per place which can add up. Not to mention hotels charge a daily parking fee up to $30. Street parking is pretty hard to find so in hindsight I would’ve rather just used Uber. The few times we did use Uber it was pretty cheap (compared to NYC) and removed the hassle to look for parking so I would recommend using Uber if you visit Houston.

When to Visit:

Houston weather is pretty warm year round. Beware that in the summer months (June-August), it’s HOT. i visited in August and it was extremely hot and humid. Texas heat is no joke! The city begins to cool down around November and they experience “winter” around January - March where temps can drop to about 60 degrees. Keep this in mind when planning your visit

Where to Eat (Black Owned):

Lost and Found: I came here for brunch on a Saturday and waited for about 20 minutes in line. There are no reservations unless you’re a party of 10 or more. Then there will be a $500 deposit that goes towards your final bill. I didn’t love my grits but I did like the fried salmon as well as the sweet potato pancakes and the jalapeño corn bread was a hit. I’ve heard it’s better to come here for dinner so give it a try if you have time.
The Breakfast Klub: The best breakfast I’ve had in a very long time and my favorite restaurant in Houston. Lines can get long so I would recommend coming in on a Monday or Tuesday afternoon. Be mindful as they close at 2pm and there are no reservations. This is far from a fancy restaurant but it has every thing you need and the food was amazing. We each loved our food so you can’t go wrong with anything here.
Taste Bar: We came here for what was supposed to be brunch but ended up being dinner because we got there around 5:30pm. There are no reservations but I was able to add myself to the waitlist via the open table app which was pretty helpful because of its real time updates of your place in line. We had the shrimp & grits, catfish & grits. Mac & cheese and chicken and waffles. The white sangria was also very refreshing.
Trill Tacos: I never thought I’d come across a Black owned taco restaurant. Especially one that has all of its options named after some of the city’s hip hop icons. We took a drive to Missouri City which was only about 25 minutes from Houston and grabbed some tacos and drinks before heading to the airport. Some of our favorite tacos were Thee Stallion, The Truth and Sweet Jones. Don’t forget to try to nachos with queso as well as have an Astro world to drink .
Turkey Leg Hut: A Houston staple that I unfortunately did not get a chance to make it to because the line was too long. But everyone I know who lives here told me it’s a must try.
Chapman & Kirby (Not Black owned): This place isn’t Black owned but I stopped in on a Sunday and couldn’t get a table because it was so packed. The food looked good and it came highly recommended by some Houston locals so it deserves an honorary mention.

Night Life (Black Owned):

Grooves : I popped in this night club randomly on a Friday night. It’s a large indoor area with good drinks. I didn’t enjoy the food I had but it was also late at night before the kitchen closed. I saw photos of the food during the day and it looked much more appetizing. Overall the music and the vibe was it. There was also no cover charge however this may change depending on if an event is happening.
Kamp: Came here on a Saturday night and had a great time. Most fun I’ve had in a while. There was no cover charge and the drinks were great (I had a frozen cherry lime). We also had the trash can nachos which I enjoyed. Try to get here around 9-10pm for a table. There are options for indoor and outdoor seating. I think outdoor was a bit more lively. Keep in mind this is a club atmosphere.
Prospect Park: Not many places are open in Houston on Monday’s so I ended up here because it was one of the few that actually were. It was a pretty good time for a Monday night. It was more of a laid back vibe than a turn up vibe so keep this mind if you plan to visit on a Monday.

Photo Spots:

Of course a trip is not complete without photos for Instagram. In the midst of eating and drinking your life away, make sure you stop at some of these places for photo ops:

Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park
Houston is Inspired Wall
Houston Graffiti Building
Eleanor Tinsley Park

Shopping at the Galleria: As mall and luxury lover, I was very impressed by the famous Galleria. I might’ve gotten lucky since I went on a Tuesday afternoon but the place was so clean and practically empty. All of my favorite stores like Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, were all here. Not to mention I stumbled upon a pair of Bottega Veneta shoes that I have been searching for since January. Major Win! I would recommend a visit to this mall only if you’re a shopper like myself.

Houston is a city that will definitely see me over and over again. The southern hospitality was definitely real and much appreciated. Make sure you add Houston to your list!