"Treebeard’s has been serving Southern comfort food in Houston since 1978. The iconic Market Square location shuttered in 2020, but three Downtown locations and the Bunker Hill restaurant remain. Along with beloved dishes like red beans and rice, etouffee, and jambalaya, find two different kinds of gumbo: Chicken and sausage gumbo, and seafood gumbo. The seafood gumbo is amped up with the addition of scallops and catfish." - Minh T. Truong
"Treebeards is doing a pickup-only Thanksgiving meal that feeds 12-16 people. The kit from this Southern-style restaurant includes turkey breast that requires four hours of cooking, but the rest of the sides come ready to eat. And after all of the mashed potatoes and cornbread dressing, you can get a slice of the pumpkin pie and pecan pie that comes with the meal." - gianni greene, julie takahashi
"If entertaining a large party, Treebeards’ Thanksgiving Meal Pickup, Heat, and Serve package is a steal. The meal serves 12 to 16 people for $300, with boneless turkey breast, mashed potatoes and brown gravy, cornbread dressing, cranberry jelly, broccoli and carrots, French bread, and pumpkin and pecan pies. Orders can be placed by calling 713-228-8228, and all meals must be picked up on or before Wednesday, November 27. Treebeards is closed on Thanksgiving day." - Brittany Britto Garley
"When you find yourself Downtown for lunch or in the Memorial area, Treebeards is the place for gumbo. This has a hefty roux-to-seafood-and-vegetable ratio, and the deep flavor of shrimp and the "holy trinity" comes through in every spoonful. This Houston institution does gumbo as well as any spot on this list. Get some during your next leisurely midday meal." - gianni greene, chelsea thomas, julie takahashi
"Treebeards has been churning out Southern comfort plates for more than four decades, and despite its expansion with multiple locations across the city, the menu remains affordable. Good ol’ standbys like red beans and rice with link sausage and shrimp etouffee start at just $5.50, while the chicken fried chicken platter with two sides provides a hearty meal for $10. Save room for buttercake, a sweet deal at $4." - Sean Hekmat, Megha McSwain, Eater Staff