Houston Restaurant Weeks 2026: Black owned guide

Houston Restaurant Weeks (HRW) is back through Sept. 7, giving diners 38 days to eat well and do good, and for many restaurants, the citywide fundraiser is a lifeline during the industry’s toughest stretch in years.

Now in its 23rd year, HRW expects more than 350 participating restaurants across Greater Houston, from the Galleria to Galveston. Diners pay a fixed price for a prix fixe brunch, lunch, or dinner menu, with a built-in donation to the Houston Food Bank on every meal sold. Since its founding in 2003, the event has raised more than $23 million and generated the equivalent of 70 million meals for food-insecure Houstonians.

Among this year’s roster are Cocody Restaurant and Bar in River Oaks and Astor’s Table in Katy, two Black-owned restaurants using the promotion to introduce new diners to their kitchens while supporting a cause close to home. For Defender readers looking to direct their dining dollars toward Black-owned businesses, the 38-day window offers built-in visibility for the support.

Cocody Restaurant & Bar

Cocody Restaurant & Bar was founded in 2023 by Edwin and Edith Bosso. It is named for the upscale Abidjan neighborhood in the Ivory Coast, where the couple grew up. The 7,000-square-foot restaurant in the River Oaks Shopping Center blends French technique with global influences from Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

This is Cocody’s third year at HRW, and the Bossos said the event has become a much-anticipated moment to reconnect with regulars and meet new guests.

“It’s always an opportunity to reconnect with our customers,” said Edith. “And to discover a new one, and the opportunity for the restaurant to introduce our culinary world.”

Edwin said HRW’s August timing couldn’t be better. July is typically a challenging time for restaurants, as Houstonians travel and school lets out. “It is typically the lowest month revenue-wise in the industry,” he said. “So the timing of restaurant week is perfect … it’s kind of a rebirth every year.”

Black-owned restaurants face severe systemic and economic hurdles, driven primarily by limited access to capital, inequitable loan approvals, and rising operating costs. Nationally, over 40% of independent restaurants struggle with profitability, but minority-owned establishments face steeper barriers to survival.

The Bossos’ favorites span all three courses of Cocody’s HRW menu. Edwin points to the Provençal octopus and shrimp ceviche and the crispy trout fillet, prepared Grenobloise style, calling the trout “a traditional preparation that he’s made and revisited for the Houston palate.” 

Edith favors the chicken profiterole lollies and short rib ravioli. On dessert, the couple suggests the Black Forest Dome, Edwin’s reworked take on the classic German cake. 

Being a Black-owned restaurant in River Oaks hasn’t changed their approach to hospitality.

“The guest is a guest,” Edwin said. “They want to be welcome. They want to be treated well. They want to feel at home.”

Astor’s Table

HRW has meant even more to Astor’s Table owner and executive chef, Casey Castro, this year. Castro was born in Angola and raised in South Africa. He moved to Houston more than two decades ago after plans to sponsor his immigration to Atlanta fell through. He arrived in Texas with $75 to his name.

What began as a small coffee shop evolved into Astor’s Table after customers kept asking for the African dishes Castro learned from his mother and grandmother. This year marks roughly his eighth year participating in HRW, and Castro estimates the restaurant has donated more than $70,000 to the Houston Food Bank through the event over the years.

“It is not about the money,” Castro said. “It’s about doing something for the greater good.”

HRW had a positive impact on his business over the years. Weekend revenue, which typically runs $3,000 to $4,000, has jumped severalfold during HRW, and his waitstaff can earn thousands more in tips each week.

“If there is a restaurant out there that is Black-owned, and they are struggling … use Restaurant Week,” Castro said. “It gives you more than what you expect.”

Being a Black-owned, fine-dining restaurant serving African and Latin cuisine in Katy comes with added hurdles, especially as restaurants nationwide have closed in a difficult economy this year. 

“The strategy for me is to lean into hospitality and consistency,” Castro said. “Instead of focusing on what holds us back as a people, we need to focus on how to move forward and create a memorable experience for our guests.”

HRW representatives told the Defender via email that restaurants choose how they are categorized on the event’s website, self-selecting by cuisine, neighborhood, meal type, and “vibe” tags such as date night or family-friendly. 

Participating restaurants commit to a $1,000 upfront donation per location and choose a dinner price point, $39 or $55, that determines how many meals their sales generate for the food bank, with an optional $25 brunch or lunch menu.

Visit houstonrestaurantweeks.com for more.

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SIDE BAR/ PRINT:
HRW Black Restaurant Guide:

1. Astor’s Table 

• Founder/Chef: Executive Chef Casey Castro 
• The Vibe: Elevated global-fusion cuisine that heavily spotlights the chef’s African heritage blended with South American and Latin elements. 
• HRW Offerings: Featuring both $25 Brunch/Lunch options and a $55 Three-Course Dinner. Notable menu items include South African-inspired curried beef Bunny Chow, slow-braised Oxtail Breakfast Tacos, and Jollof Fire Bombs. 
• Location: 1590 S Mason Rd, Katy, TX 

2. Caribbean Jerk Palace 

• Ownership: Black-owned, Chicago-founded expansion concept.
• The Vibe: Casual yet vibrantly authentic jerk and soul-infused Caribbean kitchen, making its debut as a first-time HRW participant this season.
• HRW Offerings: Serving a premium $55 multi-course dinner menu centered around traditional Jamaican cooking.
• Location: 3801 Emancipation Ave, Houston, TX 

3. Enish Nigerian Restaurant 

• Ownership: Black-owned global brand (voted one of the world’s most prominent Nigerian restaurant groups).
• The Vibe: Energetic, sleek upscale lounge atmosphere bringing authentic West African culture, specifically high-fidelity Nigerian staples, directly to the mainstream HRW crowd.
• HRW Offerings: Participating with specialized dinner selections tailored to introducing diners to traditional flavors.
• Location: 5406 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX

4. Juliet 

• Ownership: Black-owned by prominent Houston hospitality group The Alchemists (James Floyd).
• The Vibe: A speakeasy-style boutique steakhouse themed loosely around cinematic history, hidden behind a mock movie-theater concession stand.
• HRW Offerings: Participating with a $55 three-course dinner menu. Feature items include their highly praised Braised Bone-In Short Rib, Thai chili shrimp, and rum butter cake. 
• Location: 5857 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 

5. KISS Houston 

• Ownership: Co-owned by legendary multi-platinum producer Trevor Smith (Busta Rhymes) in partnership with The Alchemists hospitality group.
• The Vibe: High-energy entertainment restaurant and luxury lounge known for its premium sound tracking, neon lighting, and upscale Southern-influenced American fare.
• HRW Offerings: Multi-course dinner menu specials.
• Location: 2414 Washington Ave, Houston, TX

6. Lucille’s 

• Founder/Chef: Chef Chris Williams (James Beard Award finalist and founder of the non-profit Lucille’s 1913).
• The Vibe: A historic, widely celebrated cornerstone of Houston’s culinary landscape. It pays homage to the chef’s great-grandmother, Lucille B. Smith, serving heavily refined, globally inflected Southern heritage food.
• HRW Offerings: Dinner menu specials featuring classic culinary mainstays.
• Location: 5512 La Branch St, Houston, TX

7. Winsome Prime Houston 

• Ownership: Black-owned fine-dining establishment.
• The Vibe: A contemporary luxury steak, chop, and seafood bar tailored tightly toward upscale urban date nights.
• HRW Offerings: A premium $55 three-course dinner. Highlights include crab beignets, Cajun Seafood Pasta, and their signature Hawaiian Ribeye.
• Location: 5888 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX