Searching for someplace simple where you can score a stack of syrup-soaked buttermilk pancakes and a piping-hot cup of black coffee -- No frills, no fusions and no swarms of Insta-obsessed influencers? Slip into a booth or slide behind the counter at one of Houston’s longstanding diners.
Clearly, these long-standing locales get it right -- from simply scrumptious scratch-made biscuits to massive, meat-packed omelets, there’s something delicious at each of these iconic Houston institutions.
Recommended Videos
Listed chronologically by opening date, here’s a look at some of the iconic Houston diners that continue to dish out quality comfort food after decades in business.
RELATED: 31 Houston-area eateries that have stood the test of time
Avalon Diner (1938)
“Justly famous since 1938,” this Houston institution initially operated as a pharmacy the corner of Westheimer and Kirby. Shortly after opening, the Griner family assembled a tiny, 20-seat dining room at the back of the business. The soda fountain was a draw and Avalon Pharmacy soon became a popular neighborhood gathering place. In 1972, the drug store’s lead pharmacist Bill Morris bought the business and expanded it into a diner. Current owners Coy and Bambilynn Ramsey acquired the diner in 1992. In 1993, after 55 years at its original location, the drug store and diner moved one block east to its present location. The drug store portion of the business continued to operate until Morris retired in 2008. The restaurant concept now boasts four Houston-area locations.
Menu standouts include the chicken fried steak omelet, the waffle sandwich, the open-faced chili cheeseburger and the sweet potato fries served with marshmallow sauce. Oh, and don’t forget to indulge in something sweet -- After all, the floats, milkshakes and malts have been a Houston tradition for over 75 years. View the menu here.
Location: 2417 Westheimer Road, Houston
RELATED: Timeless burgers: 10 of Houston’s oldest burger joints you have to try
Tel-Wink Grill (1940)
Whether it’s a stack of pancakes or a patty melt you seek, old-school indulgence is a guarantee at this Gulfgate gem operated by Dmitri and Peggy Bokos. Menu favorites include chicken fried chicken, Belgium waffles, baby beef liver and onions, and the jalapeno sausage sandwich. The eatery has operated out of its current location since 1962. View the menu here.
Location: 4318 Telephone Road, Houston
RELATED: Houstonians say these local spots serve the best fried chicken
City Café (1952)
This iconic H-Town institution opened in 1952 and continues to operate at its original location near Hobby Airport. Diners, prepare to kick it back old school. Slump into a crinkly red booth or pull up to the counter and get ready to gorge on some decadent, scratch-made food. Menu standouts include grits, chicken fried steak, Texas-sized omelets and waffles. City Café is an old-fashioned establishment in more ways than one -- It does permit smoking . The diner is located in the city of South Houston, so it isn’t impacted by Houston’s city-wide ban on smoking in public places. View the menu here.
Location: 513 College Avenue, South Houston
RELATED: KPRC 2 Insiders tell us where to find the best jerky around
Dot Coffee Shop (1967)
This longstanding Houston stalwart not far from Gulfgate Shopping Center (Houston’s first mall) opened its doors back in 1967 -- and hasn’t closed them too often ever since. Open 24/7, the diner serves comfort food favorites like chicken fried steak, pot roast, burgers and, of course, home-style breakfast foods -- biscuits, omelets, pancakes . . .you name it. A word of advice: Visit on an empty stomach. The food is hearty and the helpings are huge. Oh, and as if we almost forgot, Dot Coffee Shop was the first of many restaurants opened by the Pappas family. View the menu here.
Location: 7006 I-45 S. at Woodridge Drive, Houston
RELATED: 5 of Houston’s oldest bakeries, dessert destinations
House of Pies (1967)
House of Pies -- opened in Houston 1967, it’s where breakfast food aficionados and Houstonians battling late night cravings go to score some solid diner food and glorious, glorious pie. The 24-hour diner and bakery, originally one of several franchise locations in a chain thought up by Al Lapin Jr. , the same entrepreneur behind IHOP, has been a Houston institution for decades. Morning, noon, or night, you can gorge on breakfast food and the other typical diner dishes like chopped steak, chicken fried steak and patty melts. OK, it goes without saying -- but, we’re going to say it anyway -- if, actually when, you visit House of Pies, you’ve got to order at least one slice of pie. It’s an unwritten law of the the universe and a tasty one at that. House of Pies reps a perpetually stocked dessert case packed with an assortment of pies including but definitely not limited to Texas Pecan, Bayou Goo, Bavarian Banana, French Blackbottom, Coconut Cream, Cherry, German Chocolate, Blueberry, Dutch Apple and more. View the menu here.
Location: 3112 Kirby Drive, Houston
RELATED: Get your chicken fried steak fix at one of these longstanding Houston-area eateries
In the words of FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, treat yourself:
-----
Whether it was a great meal or a special moment, share the fondest memories you’ve made at one of these longstanding Houston-area spots.