The Best Value Restaurants in Texas for 2025

Austin

Mercado Sin Nombre
Cuisine: Mexican 

Mercardo sin Nombre means "nameless market," but this place in East Austin shouldn't be overlooked. Their name is intentional, choosing to focus on the farmers and growers instead of trumpeting themselves. Walk down an alley decked out with cafe lights and wires strung with flowers to order at their window.
The tightly focused menu is an exploration of heirloom Mexican corn and specialty coffee. Pastries are a highlight; a masa twinkie is an upscale riff made with blue masa, filled with chocolate and fermented chili ganache and piped campfire fluff on top. Their biscuit, which takes 100 hours to make, may be ordered toasted with espresso butter and smoky tangy green tomato jam or prepared as a breakfast sandwich. Masa pancakes, burritos and a few specials are also on offer.

Parish Barbecue
Cuisine: Barbecue 

Holden Fulco, who spent time at Franklin, Interstellar and other well-known places, is the force behind this barbecue spot in a stationary trailer that's located behind Batch Craft Beer & Kolaches. It's a simple set-up outdoors with picnic tables, and there are plenty of seats indoors too.
Discover a bit of Creole on this central Texas-style barbecue menu, where spice rubs are enhanced with Cajun spices, Tabasco works its way into glazes and meat offerings include the usual suspects like tender brisket alongside ham, pulled duck, and a snappy boudin. Like any good barbecue spot worth its salt, the sides are especially tempting, with everything from pimento mac & cheese topped with crumbled Zapp's potato chips; crawfish cornbread stuffing; and Creole tomato salad.

Houston

Annam
Cuisine: Vietnamese Contemporary

This Vietnamese-inspired restaurant in Houston’s Autry Park is elegant without ever feeling over the top. The dining room is bright and airy, with lots of white, soft cream and beige tones, cozy booths and large tables.

This is an elevated but approachable menu threaded with French influences. The portions lean large, making it an ideal place to bring a date or a group of friends. A salad of Thai mango and chilled shrimp is a refreshing start before savory dishes like shaking filet mignon or pan-fried branzino. Served whole over a bed of vegetables, it's served with a classic nước chấm sauce for a kick of sweet, sour and spicy flavor.

ChòpnBlọk
Cuisine: African 

Growing up in Houston as the child of Nigerian immigrants, Chef/owner Ope Amosu always wanted to showcase Nigerian and West African cuisine. Enter ChòpnBlọk, a small stand inside of The Post. It's casual but stylish, showcasing traditional African decor complemented by books and vinyls.
Jollof rice, coconut curry and rice bowls steal the spotlight, and whether it's rice with peanut stew, jollof jambalaya or rice with stewed plantains, West African flavors are at the forefront. The golden bowl is a delicious blend of smoky jollof jambalaya, motherland curry, yaji vegetables and stewed plantains with chicken or shrimp. Polo club suya, or grilled beef skewers dusted with yaji peanut pepper spice, are tender, nutty and spicy. Don't sleep on the plantain bread in crème anglaise.

da Gama Canteen
Cuisine: Indian 

Portuguese and Indian flavors live in harmony at da Gama Canteen, located in Houston Heights. Named after the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, this restaurant from Chefs Shiva and Rick Di Virgilio draws inspiration from the Portuguese Indian territories of Goa, East Africa and Portugal. Expect a tapas-style menu displaying a fascinating fusion of the two cultures with bold and vibrant flavors. Must-orders include chana masala, or braised chickpeas and potatoes served with basmati rice, and beef mishkaki, an East African-style marinated beef tenderloin with fried yuca, kachumber and raita. A piping hot pastel de nata with flaky shell and rich, creamy custard is the perfect send-off.

Maximo
Cuisine: Mexican

With burnt orange banquettes, handsome tile floors and a covered patio that looks out across West University, this cozy charmer is more than just a watering hole for refreshing margaritas and chilled lagers. The finely curated menu is packed with delicious ideas inspired by both Texan and Mexican traditions. Tortillas are nixtamalized and pressed in-house so start with a mushroom taco loaded with tempura-fried mushrooms and a sunflower seed chili crisp. Other hits include roasted oysters with green garlic butter, grilled cucumbers with charred jalapeño yogurt, and a superb smoked pork chop buried under a spicy peanut macha. Not in the mood to choose? The restaurant offers a friendly tasting menu that’s agreeably priced.

Papalo Taqueria
Cuisine: Mexican 

Hiding in a food hall in the heart of downtown Houston, this unassuming, counter-service taqueria means business. Chef-owners Stephanie Velasquez and Nicolas Vera work wonders with the little space they have and offer some of the city’s most gratifying tacos. Tortillas are made on-site and griddled all day long. Chicharrón with pumpkin seed vinaigrette is an absolute stunner. Pork shoulder braised in tomatillo salsa is as hearty as the veggie-forward confit carrot dressed in a nutty pepita salsa.

San Antonio

Mezquite
Cuisine: Mexican

In a city brimming with Mexican restaurants, Mezquite zigs while others zag. Don't expect the typical Tex-Mex here. Instead, this restaurant in Pullman Market with a sun-bleached, desert-inspired decor spotlights hyper-regional Sonoran cooking. The menu begins with seafood and ceviche along with a section devoted to tortilla y más. Offering an array of spreads like cebolla asada with grilled onion, chili toreado and black garlic accompanied by paper-thin flour tortillas. Pick a protein, perhaps the free-range chicken with pipian rojo, which comes with a flurry of sides sized for sharing. Rich flan is the ultimate ending.

The Complete List of Bib Gourmands in Texas 2025

Austin

Cuantos Tacos
Cuisine: Mexican 

Dai Due
Cuisine: American

Distant Relatives
Cuisine: Barbecue

Emmer & Rye
Cuisine: American

Franklin Barbecue
Cuisine: Barbecue

Kemuri Tatsu-ya
Cuisine: Izakaya 

KG BBQ
Cuisine: Barbecue

La Santa Barbacha
Cuisine: Mexican 

Mercado Sin Nombre
Cuisine: Mexican 

Micklethwait Craft Meats
Cuisine: Barbecue

Nixta Taqueria
Cuisine: Mexican 

Odd Duck
Cuisine: American 

Parish Barbecue
Cuisine: Barbecue 

Ramen del Barrio
Cuisine: Fusion 

Veracruz Fonda & Bar
Cuisine: Mexican 

Bellaire

Dallas

Gemma
Cuisine: American 

Lucia
Cuisine: Italian 

Một Hai Ba
Cuisine: Fusion 

Ngon Vietnamese Kitchen
Cuisine: Vietnamese 

nonna
Cuisine: Italian 

Fort Worth 

Houston

Casaema
Cuisine: Mexican 

ChòpnBlọk
Cuisine: African 

da Gama Canteen
Cuisine: Indian 

Killen's
Cuisine: American 

Mala Sichuan Bistro
Cuisine: Chinese 

Maximo
Cuisine: Mexican

Nam Giao
Cuisine: Vietnamese 

Nancy's Hustle
Cuisine: Contemporary 

nobie's
Cuisine: American 

Papalo Taqueria
Cuisine: Mexican 

Pinkerton's Barbecue
Cuisine: Barbecue 

Rosie Cannonball
Cuisine: Contemporary 

Street to Kitchen
Cuisine: Thai 

The Pit Room
Cuisine: Barbecue 

Theodore Rex
Cuisine: Contemporary 

Truth BBQ
Cuisine: Barbecue 

Lockhart

Pearland

San Antonio

Ladino
Cuisine: Mediterranean Cuisine 

Mezquite
Cuisine: Mexican 

Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery
Cuisine: American 

The Jerk Shack
Cuisine: Jamaican 

Seguin

Spring

Rosemeyer Bar-B-Q
Cuisine: Barbecue 

Tomball

Hero image: Carla Gomez / Maximo
Thumb image: Julie Soefer / Papalo Taqueria