Houston - Three Houston area restaurants are listed on "Yelp's Top 100 restaurants of 2023" list.
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This is the 10th anniversary of Yelp’s Top 100 US Restaurants list, and they revealed this year’s most popular and highly rated restaurants, according to Yelp users.
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Vietwich, Crumbville, and burger-chan were the restaurants featured on the list.
#15 Vietwich, Stafford, Texas
Owner Viet Tran crafts banh mi (Vietnamese sandwiches) at a strip mall storefront southwest of Houston. His dedication to the dish has led to hundreds of 5-star reviews for his casual, counter-order restaurant, along with regular appearances on Yelp’s Top 100 Texas Restaurants list.
Viet’s culinary journey started with a 2009 YouTube show called "Tran Can Cook," in which he demonstrated Vietnamese recipes he learned from his mother; later, he competed on a TV show called "America’s Next Great Restaurant." He began Vietwich as a part-time operation in a small gas station with a borrowed kitchen. As word of mouth grew, he was finally able to open a full restaurant in 2019.
Viet works to create the perfect balance of ingredients—the proper smear of pate, the perfect tang of pickled carrots, the ideal amount of marinated meat, and even the right distribution of cilantro and jalapeño. "Overall, the combination of these specifically prepared ingredients and flavors make our banh mi stand out," he says. "That, plus the heart and soul from my mom’s cooking."
Popular dishes: There are 7 sandwiches on the small menu, and Yelpers say "you can taste the attention to detail and quality." Choose from 3 classic banh mi varieties (pork, beef, or chicken); pork meatball; The Dac Viet (a cold-cut combo); Enoki Tofu (fried tofu with a veggie-oyster sauce and enoki mushrooms); and The TKO (thit kho) with caramelized pork belly.
#16 Crumbville, Houston, Texas
Ella Russell’s Crumbville, in Houston’s Third Ward neighborhood, is more than just a bakery—it’s a community hub where everyone is welcome to pull up a chair and chat over cookies and cupcakes. Fun names and flavors, like Peachy Cob-a-licious (a play on a peach cobbler), Key-Loco, and Mayniac Munch, are conversation pieces all on their own. So are the cookies named after artists Nicki Minaj and Chance the Rapper. "I get inspired by pop culture," Ella says.
Her Stuffedcups (moist cupcakes filled with cheesecake, cookies, and other treats) are rich, satisfying, and wildly popular. Yelpers also rave about the vegan chocolate chip, ginger snap, and Vanilla Oreo cookies, which "taste just as good" as non-vegan versions.
Popular dishes: The neon-pink Cookie Minaj (strawberry-oatmeal with white chocolate chips); chocolate-chip cookies that are "the perfect amount of soft, chewy, and so flavorful"; and Stuffedcups are constant Yelper faves.
#47 burger-chan, Houston, Texas
At this build-your-own burger joint, you’ll be faced with a lot of options starting with the bun (locally sourced brioche and sourdough are popular choices). Next, pick your patty size, ranging from a two-ounce smashed patty to a gigantic, almost-pound triple-decker. Then, choose a topper: Classic cheddar cheese and bacon are safe bets, or unique Asian-inspired options like kimchi relish, seared Spam, or "must try" scallion aioli have Yelpers "excited." The sambal mayo topper with fermented shrimp paste gives "the burger a nice umami flavor," according to Yelp Elite Clynton M. "Burgers are typically fast food, but we are not fast food," says Diane Feng, who owns the eatery with her chef-husband, Willet.
Fan feedback led the Fengs to expand their menu from just burgers to offerings like sandwiches stuffed with falafel or chicken glazed in a house-made tomato butter sauce. Of those hankering for a burger, "about 80% of people build their own," explains Diane, who heads up the front of the house. The other 20 percent opt for one of the creations dreamt up by Chef Willet. That could be the "perfectly seasoned and juicy" Mushroom Swiss or the onion-string-covered BBQ burger.
Popular dishes: Aside from standout burgers, don’t sleep on the fried fish sandwich, which Yelpers "couldn’t stop" ordering with scallion aioli on sweet sourdough. The sides are just as unique as the burger toppings here, including taro root chips "sliced Lay’s-classic thin—crispy with a little kick," says Yelp Elite Lyn N. Or indulge in the Korean-inspired "fried to perfection" Spam-Chi fries, topped with seared cubes of Spam as well as spicy kimchi, scallion aioli, and green onion.
For Yelp's Top 100 Restaurants of 2023 full list, click here.