Diners' Choice: Contemporary American restaurants in Houston

OpenTable

Updated September 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Contemporary American cuisine in Houston? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favorites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

The Union Kitchen (Ella Blvd)

4.8

4.8 (607)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Heights / Washington

About the restaurant

The Union Kitchen serves Global Cuisine with Southern Hospitality.
The Union Kitchen features a unique menu served in a casual atmosphere. Our lunch menu focuses on sandwiches, wraps, entree salads and some of the best burgers in Houston. At dinner, steaks, chops, chicken dishes and seafood take center stage. We have a unique hand selected wine list that complements our cuisine perfectly.

Top review

Virginia

Dined on Aug 23, 2024

A fun place to celebrate a birthday dinner with family and friends with great food and great service!

Vino & Vinyl

4.8

4.8 (479)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Sugar Land

About the restaurant

Vino & Vinyl is a chef-driven restaurant/supper club, with hand-selected small-production wines, a short craft beer list, music played on vinyl records, and the paintings of local artists on the walls.

Our Happy Hour consists of eight different small-bite food options (like the Chef's Fried Rissoto with tomato sauce, or the Pork Belly Bites with a bourbon glaze!), and a dollar off of all of our wines by the glass.

But dinner is where it's at. Be sure to check out our menu online for all the current offerings! Also, the Chef will offer a feature now and then, so make sure you ask your server upon arrival!

For the music, we play a wide variety of old and new... all on vinyl records!

Top review

Libby

Dined 4 days ago

What a wonderful experience. The music was perfect. The wine was amazing. The food was the best I’ve ever had.

Roost Houston

4.8

4.8 (515)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Montrose

About the restaurant

Nominated by Food and Wine Magazine as best chef southwest and 4 time winner of the Houston Iron Fork competition, Roost is slowly standing in a class of its own. With accolades like winner of the Food Networks Beat Bobby Flay and competing on Guy's Grocery Games, local Chef Kevin Naderi loves developing global flavors and serving his hometown.
Roost’s 50-seat space is cozy and unpretentious, amid walls paneled with old shutters and Edison-like light fixtures. Roost’s rustic and diverse menu is revised every five weeks, inspired by local availability of farm-fresh seasonal ingredients and flavors of the world, including the American South, Asia, and from the Middle East, taking advantage of Chef Naderi’s Persian heritage.
With over 13 years of serving Houston, we are proud to be a delicious option for our incredible city, and we truly looking forward to giving you a casual- fine dining experience.

Top review

John

Dined on Aug 27, 2024

Still the best food in the neighborhood. Like the seasonal menu change. Great value and great staff.

Masraff's

4.9

4.9 (3901)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Westside

About the restaurant

Masraffs, long recognized as a premier restaurant in Houston, offers affordable elegance, attentive service, impeccably prepared and exquisitely fresh American cuisine created with the best ingredients from around the world.

Top review

James

Dined 3 days ago

This is one of the best restaurant gems we are grateful to have in Houston and they have been around for decades. . Mr. Masraff takes great pride in his restaurant and it shows from all his staff. We come here regularly to celebrate any special family gathering or simply just wanting to enjoy a great fine dining meal without all being too pretentious. We love Masraff’s! Bravo!!!

Discover more

Popular dish

Chilean Seabass

Popular dish

Garlic Seared Calamari

Popular dish

14 oz Bone-In Filet Mignon

Relish Restaurant and Bar

4.8

4.8 (1008)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

River Oaks

About the restaurant

Relish Restaurant & Bar is a neighborhood eatery serving up classic American food with Mediterranean influences. At Relish, we aim to create an environment where absolute guest satisfaction is our highest priority. Through a shared commitment to excellence, we are dedicated to the uncompromising quality of our food, service, and people, while taking exceptional care of our guests and staff. We simply believe food should be uncomplicated, delicious and something to be relished!

Top review

susanvip

Dined 4 days ago

Relish is always great. Great service and food. My family loves going there.

Discover more

Popular dish

Apple Salad

The Union Kitchen (Memorial Dr)

4.8

4.8 (1985)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Westside

About the restaurant

The Union Kitchen features a unique menu served in a casual atmosphere. Our lunch menu focuses on sandwiches, wraps, entree salads and some of the best burgers in Houston. At dinner, steaks, chops, chicken dishes and seafood take center stage. We have a unique hand selected wine list that complements our cuisine perfectly.

Top review

sharonbvip

Dined 5 days ago

Delicious every bit and their fudge brownie / w de pepper ice cream awesome!

Discover more

Whiskey Cake - The Woodlands

4.7

4.7 (1899)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

The Woodlands

About the restaurant

We’re serving up tasty farm-to-kitchen dishes & cocktails out of our from-scratch-only kitchen and bar. Microwave? Never heard of it. We use slow-cooking methods on our live-wood grill, smoker, and spit because food just tastes better that way.
We believe that local is a place as much as it is a way of eating. Everything on our menu is infused with and inspired by the local ingredients available each season. All of this goodness is served to you as you kick your feet up in our rocking chairs, dine at a fancy table, or relax out on our porch.

Top review

AngelaP

Dined on Sep 6, 2024

Food is always amazing. They always take great care of my food allergies . Managers and wait staff are top notch and always double and triple check to make sure everything is perfect! Whiskey collection and cocktails are top notch and plentiful in variety choices! One of my favorites in the whole area! Shout out to chef Arthur, And Managers Mike, Todd, and Brandon just to name of few of the amazing upper management staff who always check that my food is perfect and no cross contamination with my allergies !❤️😎

Discover more

George's Bistro & Bar

4.6

4.6 (268)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

W. University / Med Center

About the restaurant

George's Bistro and Bar pushes the envelope of elevated continental cuisine. Taking its influences from our team members’ culinary roots, George's Bistro and Bar blends traditional and innovative techniques to create unique offerings using local ingredients in all of its dishes. We are grounded in hospitality with our staff’s commitment to providing you with a memorable experience each time you walk through our door.
We’re excited to bring something new to our community and can’t wait to share our unique recipes. We can't wait to serve you!

Top review

Ken

Dined on Sep 7, 2024

This was our first visit to George’s Bistro and it won’t be our last. Service and food were excellent. We enjoyed well prepared seafood. The steamed mussels were so good with a super delicious tomato-based sauce.

Hearsay on the Green

4.7

4.7 (1328)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Downtown

About the restaurant

Hearsay’s tradition continues with our On The Green location, serving distinctive American cuisine in an elegant antique setting. Located near Downtown Houston and Discovery Green Park, our venue offers a unique dining experience close to a 12-acre park, lake, and interactive fountain, with a variety of free activities for everyone.

Top review

Richard

Dined 5 days ago

We’ve dined here several times and attended happy hour several times. The service is always great. My favorite dish is the Crab Crusted Redfish

Discover more

Popular dish

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp & Grits

4.6

4.6 (869)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

W. University / Med Center

About the restaurant

Like everything at Hotel ZaZa, the dining room and nightlife space are designed to entice your every sense. Hotel Zaza dares you to lose yourself in the intoxicating aromas, layered flavors and unexpected touches of the “see and be scene” Monarch Restaurant & Lounge. So come, play, revel, and experience dining and entertainment in the Houston area that’s a world apart.

Top review

Roy

Dined on Aug 23, 2024

It was or 27th Anniversary and we returned to the very place where it all began on the same day. Everyone was attentative, especially Corey who was A+++

Explore Diners' Choice best of Houston

Explore more Diners' Choice lists