Top 10 Restaurants in EaDo (a.k.a. Old Chinatown, a.k.a. East Downtown)

By Katharine Shilcutt Mon., Jan. 21 2013 at 6:00 AM

Photo by Stephanie Meza

Huynh's pleasant dining room.

3. Huynh

Formerly Pho Huynh, Huynh is a family-run establishment that has been serving homestyle Vietnamese cuisine in the East End for over a decade. The warm, modern interior is much more elegant than the restaurant's nondescript strip-mall exterior suggests. Generous portions and a plethora of familiar Vietnamese dining options make this place a popular lunch and dinner destination, and it's widely regarded as one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in the city -- not just in EaDo My personal favorite meal at Huynh is the hu tiu xao do bien, or wide rice noodles that have been smoked and pan-fried before being topped with a medley of seafood and vegetables.

Photo by Troy Fields

Roast beef po-boy at The Cajun Stop.

2. The Cajun Stop

The Cajun Stop is as close to a real New Orleans po-boy shop as we've had in Houston since Original New Orleans Poor Boys on Main Street closed. Owner Lisa Carnley recently changed the name -- formerly Calliope's Po-Boy -- to reflect the fact that she -- a Cajun girl from Houma, Louisiana -- had decided to stop in Houston and make it her home after Katrina. If you find yourself craving a few pounds of plump crawfish or a roast beef po-boy with a generous application of gravy, the festive, friendly Cajun Stop is your best choice.

Photo by Troy Fields

Everything can come topped with a fried egg at Cafe TH.

1. Cafe TH

The old Thiem Hung Bakery was reimagined and reinvented by former patron Minh Nguyen, who bought the place -- recipes and all -- from its former owners in 2006 and proceeded to update the Vietnamese menu as well as the interior. The result is a vibrant, cozy neighborhood cafe that harkens back to the good old days of a bustling East End Chinatown and evokes a French bistro vibe at the same time (especially on Thursday and Friday nights, when Cafe TH serves a prix-fixe evening menu). In addition to its trademark banh mi, don't miss Cafe TH's dark, rich pho or the hearty beef soup served with French bread, banh mi bo kho. And vegetarians, take heart: Cafe TH offers plenty of vegetarian options, as well as vegan pho. Yes, vegan pho.

Check out our other Top 10 neighborhood lists:

Top 10 in Montrose
Top 10 in the Heights
Top 10 in Rice Village
Top 10 on Washington Avenue
Top 10 in the East End
Top 10 in the Galleria
Top 10 in Midtown
Top 10 in Memorial
Top 10 in Upper Kirby
Top 10 in Greenway Plaza
Top 10 in The Woodlands
Top 10 in Spring Branch
Top 10 in Little India
Top 10 in Far Northwest Houston
Top 10 in Chinatown

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We Recommend

ryansupak

Cafe TH: Many people I've talked to refer to it like it's the second coming, and the clientele and staff are hip-n-trendy people and everything, but the Pho there tasted like hot water with a little salt to me. I regularly have Pho at a dozen places in town (not to mention Galveston) that is much, much better. Did I just go on a really bad day?

If I'm missing something awesome I really do want to know...

ps - Agreed 110% on the rest of the list, especially Huynh and ESPECIALLY Cajun Stop.

tinyhands

According to the sign out front (today, 21 Jan '13), District 7 EaDo is open for dinner Wed-Fri. Website is out of date.

Erins_Voice moderator communitymanager

@tinyhands Thanks. I just gave them a call and updated their Voice Places listing - it should be showing up with the right hours shortly. (http://www.voiceplaces.com/district-7-grill-houston-2354373-l/)

rd713

2 Like

La Reynera has great tacos and you can get terrific cookies there two. Makes it twice as good as an aforementioned taco joint...

FLen

@rd713 It's located too far east to be in EaDo.. it's in Eastwood

albertkamkhagi

No Moon Tower Inn?

J.A.Justice topcommenter

@albertkamkhagi Moon Tower isn't within the boundaries outlined as EaDo.

RoscoeTanner

You missed one of top 3 Thai restaurants in Houston: Kanomwan.

ryansupak

@RoscoeTanner : Yeah, Kanomwan is in..."Greater Eastwood" I suppose? But mostly I replied to second your sentiment.

J.A.Justice topcommenter

@RoscoeTanner Actually: http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/2012/10/top_10_restaurants_in_the_east_1.php?page=3

Jalapeno

@RoscoeTanner what are the other two in your opinion?

johansen

@Jalapeno @RoscoeTanner Oh, you're not asking me, but allow my answer nonetheless: Vieng, V's, Fu Luk Su and possibly Thai Gourmet if you're feeling less jiggy.

Kylejack topcommenter

@RoscoeTannerNah, Kanomwan isn't in Eado. See the map here: http://www.eadohouston.com/

Kylejack topcommenter

It's true that there are only like 15 restaurants in Eado, but that's because Eado shouldn't even be a thing! It's too small an area to be defined as a region of the city, imo. Thanks for the list, though. Cafe TH reigns supreme!