By Jim Ayres Opened as a fried chicken outlet in Guatemala in 1971, Pollo Campero offers excellent, well-priced favorites from all over Latin America — right here in Houston. Ten locations, in fact! And from the day I first walked into the one on Washington Avenue near Shepherd, I was hooked.  According to the Pollo

By Jim Ayres As I peer out the picture window lined in the splendor of giant banana leaves, I’m filled with the joy of a great day! The sun is out, birds are singing, bells are ringing and I’m in a jolly fine mood. Maybe it’s because I’m nibbling on another one of Le Colonial’s

A new ‘star’ in town By Jim Ayres Maybe it should be called Roostar’s Greatest Hits. Sure, they have Vietnamese dishes. But the menu also has favorites from all over Asia. Think Thai Chicken Coconut Soup and Bento boxes in the Japanese style. And garlic bread, just because they can, and it’s the best damn

By Jim Ayres   It’s been an oddly rainy summer so far, but that hasn’t stopped me from getting out and about — slowly but surely. And getting delivery when work gets overwhelming.   I’ve found a new bungalow  It’s a simple design with room for hundreds! And all it costs me is the price of a

Acme Oyster House opens in Montrose By Jim Ayres We finally got a table on Wednesday, May 12, a month and two days after Acme Oyster House opened in Montrose. We’d tried twice before, but massive crowds meant three- and two-hour waits, respectively. In fact, according to Eater.com, “Acme Oyster House… was so overrun with

By Jim Ayres  When my friend Bill suggested we have dinner at Maison Pucha, I jumped at the chance. Even though I wasn’t sure what Maison Pucha was.  I learned that Maison Pucha is the house of the three brothers Pucha, who began their culinary adventure in Deleg, Ecuador. At Maison Pucha, classic French dishes

By Jim Ayres Once upon a time in Shady Acres, where 18th and 19th streets fork away, there sat a forlorn, decaying Chinese restaurant. Who knows if the food was any good? Who remembers what it was named? I never tried it and no one I know had either. After the restaurant sat closed for

By Jim Ayres Want a steak dinner tonight? Without spending a fortune? Breakaway from the Outback/Saltgrass rut and try two higher-quality alternatives without big spending Mastro’s-level cash. Jacket and tie not required! I’ve written about Perry’s on these pages before. But that was a dine-in experience focused on their famous Pork Chop. And the newest

By Jim Ayres Last year, Dak & Bop brought Korean fried chicken (dak) and rice (bop) to Timbergrove. Driving by recently, in the mood for something different, I thought I’d give it a whirl. It’s in an old pizza parlor, Hut or Inn, not sure which. So, anything could have been inside those tinted windows.

By Jim Ayres It seems Tilman Fertitta has his hand in everything these days. But I’m particularly happy about his latest project. A collaboration between King Ranch and the Fertitta family, King Ranch Texas Kitchen opened in November 2020 in the space formerly occupied by Willie G’s (which has gone uptown to the Post Oak