"Helmed by chef Lucas McKinney, who came to Houston from Biloxi, Mississippi, this Midtown restaurant is a celebration of Gulf Coast cuisine. Self-described “a little bit classy, and a little bit trashy,” Josephine’s offers an array of dishes that harness flavors of the South, starting with appetizers like smoked redfish dip, jambalaya arancini, and hushpuppies. Order biscuits for the table before digging into mains, from the more casual po’boys and muffulettas, to the standout jerk fish collars dripping in chili butter and heaping sides of red beans and rice, collard greens, and macaroni and cheese topped with fried chicken skins and a dash of hot honey. And with crawfish season upon us, Josephine’s is a sure-fire pitstop, offering flavorful seafood boils, served dry (Louisiana-style) or drenched in a Viet-Cajun wet sauce that’s a buttery combination of seasonings and lemon. The cocktail and non-alcoholic beverage selection here, which, of course, include bottles of Barq’s Root Beer (also from Mississippi), are also a hit." - Brittany Britto Garley
