Taste Bar and Kitchen in Houston, Texas- The perfect place for authentic drinks!

“Taste Bar + Kitchen offers globally inspired comfort foods & craft cocktails in an energetic, casual dining environment. The concept was inspired by Chef Don Bowie and his international travels, resulting in the fusion of ethnic flavors with a menu of southern staples.”

A spread of some of Taste’s signature dishes including Chicken and Waffles and Shrimp n’ Grits.

One Saturday afternoon my father and I decided to hit the city of Houston and get ourselves some lunch. I searched “black-owned restaurants” on google and the number one hit was “Taste Bar and Kitchen.” Shrimp N’ Grits, southern fried chicken and waffles, candied yams, collard greens, and “elevated mac n cheese” made my eyes water before my mouth did and it was decided. 

This restaurant is located in the Midtown of the Houston Texas area. They have a parking valet and it’s pretty cheap, but you can also park on the side roads around the restaurant. When you walk in the first thing you see is the huge patio with copious seating and the smell of char-grilled lamb filling the patio air. Inside you are greeted by the hostess who will probably tell you there is an obscene wait time, especially if you’re going on the weekends, so get there early., but don’t be concerned because they have two large waiting areas outside. The environment is nice, not too loud with slamming music! All your favorite black jams from way back then to now.  Must’ve been a Spotify playlist. Don’t forget to check mine out right here. There are beautiful paintings of iconic black figures interwoven with televisions playing sports lining the downstairs dining area walls and you get a front-row seat to the garnish and handoff station of the kitchen. When you go upstairs, the environment switches up from the hustle and bustle of restauranteering to an intimate dimly lit date night. 

There are booths lining the side wall, high-top tables, low-top tables, as well as a bar with far more seating, and a performance stage! Completely set up with instruments, lights, and a mic. They use the stage for live band performances on weekend nights (Thursday – Sunday). The upstairs bar is where my dad and I managed to finesse ourselves. We nestled in the high-top chairs and toppled over the menu to continue our journey.

I used to love watching Food Network and other cooking shows that came on basic television like Julia Child and Company, or anything Gordon Ramsey. I remember in an episode of Hell’s Kitchen he said to never trust a restaurant with too many items on the menu (I’m talking to you Bheese Bake Bactory). The reason is that too many options mean too many ingredients. No one kitchen can keep up with all of those necessities and keep it fresh every day. Thus the quality of the food declines. Taste has a perfectly sized and consolidated menu. Just enough options with the knowledge that this is a soul food cuisine experience. If you were looking for pasta for dinner, this ain’t it. 

I usually get the same thing when I go to any kind of soul food or southern cuisine spot: fried chicken, mac and cheese, and collard greens. 9 times out of 10 you can’t go wrong with a SIMPLE black classic dish like that. But the sound of “elevated grits” took me though I don’t even like grits. So I ordered my usual mint mojito and the fried catfish n’ grits and a side of french fries. My dad ordered his usual long island ice tea and the “Taste of Soul” which was a fried chicken dish with smothered rice, collard greens, and candied yams. The food was really like that.

I cleaned my entire, very large. Definitely a “take some home” amount; unless you’re like me and once you get to a certain point it’s all or nothing and you always choose all. I tried my dad’s collard greens and WOW. The smoked turkey and seasoning! The greens still had a sturdiness to them that you like to see in fresh greens. Had a nice light slick feel from the oil so it’s not soggy. It was delicious. Same for the candied yams. The yams were the highlight of the night! So buttery, so solid, and candied to sweet perfection. Absolute 10 out of 10. The drinks were tasty as well! They have an adventurous drink list, but I stuck with my usual and two shots of something that my dad and his new friend from Chicago he JUST met at the bar decided to order. After we finished eating we wrapped up the rest of my dad’s food, hung out for a second, and then left. Drunk, full, and immensely satisfied!