Backstreet Cafe
Restaurant · Neartown
1103 S Shepherd Dr, Houston, TX 77019
Highlights
New American menu, gourmet cocktails & a backyard patio.
New American menu, gourmet cocktails & a backyard patio.
"The longtime Montrose restaurant by James Beard Award–winning chef Hugo Ortega closed on January 2; housed in a 1930s home and first opened in 1983, it was known for its epic patio and a menu melding Southern, Cajun, Creole, Latin, and Asian flavors. Ortega’s personal arc at the operation—from dishwasher to executive chef and co-owner—is noted in coverage, and the Ortegas plan to rebuild a more modern rendition of the restaurant in place of their adjacent home: slated for the fall, the new version will take the form of a two-story brick building featuring two bars, two kitchens, four private spaces, a drive-up valet, and an outdoor patio surrounded by brick walls." - Brittany Britto Garley
"Put the Hugo Ortega touch on your Thanksgiving feast with apricot & mustard-glazed spiral ham ($125) and roasted turkey breast $120, butternut squash or wild mushroom soups by the half gallon, and a variety of sides that serve up to six ($33) or eight people ($48), including pan-charred Brussel sprouts, cornbread and andouille sausage stuffing, and more. Backstreet will also sell 9-inch pies and cakes, including its chocolate pecan pie ($38) and its signature Backstreet Fruitcake ($38). Orders must be placed by phone (713-521-2239) or online by Sunday, November 24, with pickups scheduled between 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, November 27." - Brittany Britto Garley
"If you wear your “I Voted” sticker on Election Day, you can get James Beard Award–winning chef Hugo Ortega’s signature Hugorita at this restaurant—one of several in his group offering the free margarita to sticker-wearers." - Brittany Britto Garley
"Backstreet Cafe takes outdoor dining seriously, given that the entire American restaurant is centered around a large brick patio with a giant fountain. It’s easy to feel like a professional relaxation quotient evaluator, lounging under a striped awning outside or beneath a giant bird painting inside. Especially when the view over the top of your sunglasses is a caramelized banana brioche french toast, glistening cioppino mussels, or a bottle of crisp wine and charcuterie at Happy Hour." - gianni greene, chelsea thomas
"Backstreet Cafe is a Houston institution known for its unique dining space inside a 1930s-era home, which includes a sunken courtyard. Helmed by chef Hugo Ortego, the cuisine reflects Houston’s many diverse flavors, with duck spring rolls, Texas red corn enchiladas served with corn pudding, and seafood beignets. The serene outdoor space, which showcases tables peppered across two levels surrounding a live oak tree, is also something to take in. On excellent weather days, the outdoor seating is highly sought after — luckily, the restaurant offers several tables on its front patio, too. Be sure to visit this location in what might be its last patio season. The restaurant plans to move to another location in River Oaks next year." - Brittany Britto Garley
