Photo: Sunira Moses
The best restaurants in Southeast Texas run from brisket boudin on Calder Avenue in Beaumont to charbroiled Gulf oysters on the Neches River in Port Neches, pho on Gulfway Drive in Port Arthur and shrimp and grits on Division Street in Orange. These 19 picks cover Beaumont, Bevil Oaks, Nederland, Port Neches, Port Arthur and Orange, listed in no particular order.
Texas barbecue shares the map with Vietnamese noodle soups, Cajun gravies, Gulf seafood, Thai curry, street tacos and plate lunches of beef tips over rice. Seafood gumbo comes by the gallon in Nederland. Pecan pie comes homemade in Orange.
Best Restaurants in Southeast Texas: Quick Picks
| Craving | Restaurant | City |
|---|---|---|
| Barbecue | 1701 Barbecue | Beaumont |
| Seafood | The Schooner | Nederland |
| Vietnamese | Mama Kim's Vietnamese Cuisine | Nederland |
| Cajun | Vautrot's Cajun Cuisine | Bevil Oaks |
| Date night | JW's Patio | Beaumont |
| Burgers | Daddio's Burger | Beaumont |
| Plate lunch | Richard's Cafe | Beaumont |
| Dinner on the river | Neches River Wheelhouse | Port Neches |
| Italian | Tuscany Italian Restaurant | Port Arthur |
| Lunch and pie | Old Orange Cafe | Orange |
Best Restaurants in Beaumont
Beaumont's nine picks run from Man Candy pork belly on Gladys Avenue to Thai curry on Phelan Boulevard and street tacos on Calder Avenue. Fill the rest of the day with the 15 best things to do in Beaumont TX.
1. J. Wilson's
Photo: J. Wilson's
J. Wilson's on Gladys Avenue serves brunch, lunch and dinner. The Oyster Nachos put cornmeal-crusted Gulf oysters on corn tortillas with Fresno chiles, pesto aioli and corn salsa. Man Candy is the kitchen's slow-smoked pork belly, tossed in habanero jelly.
The burgers are house-ground, and the Chef Burger comes with smoked gouda and Man Candy on top. Steaks, Gulf shrimp and crab fill out the menu, with a full bar pouring alongside.
The Bottom Line: Start with the Oyster Nachos and a skillet of Man Candy.
Action Item: 4190 Gladys Ave, Beaumont. Tue to Thu 11 AM to 10 PM, Fri 11 AM to 11 PM, Sat 10 AM to 11 PM, Sun 10 AM to 9 PM, closed Mon. Call (409) 899-8686 or see the menus at jwilsons.com.
2. JW's Patio
Photo: JW's Patio
JW's Patio on Phelan Boulevard calls its cooking Southern meets Italian mixed with Tex-Mex. Birria Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers and Birria Tacos share the menu with Crispy Eggplant and Artichokes, Baked Stuffed Shrimp and Southwest Shrimp & Grits.
The Lamb-burg-ini, the Buddha Bowl, the King Tut Bowl and the Patio Hummus Plate fill out the rest. Cocktails come from a full bar, brunch runs on weekends, and there's a patio.
The Bottom Line: Book a table for dinner and ask for the patio.
Action Item: 6420 Phelan Blvd, Beaumont. Mon 11 AM to 9 PM, Tue to Thu 11 AM to 10 PM, Fri 11 AM to 11 PM, Sat 10 AM to 11 PM, Sun 10 AM to 3 PM. Reserve at jwspatio.com or call (409) 225-5958.
3. 1701 Barbecue
Photo: 1701 Barbecue
1701 Barbecue on Calder Avenue smokes Texas brisket, pork spare ribs, turkey and pulled pork, then turns Southeast Texas with its house-made sausage and boudin. Brisket boudin sits beside jalapeno cheddar sausage, green onion and pepper jack pork sausage and Cajun andouille.
Sides include dirty rice, pit beans, pepper jack macaroni and cheese and sweet jalapeno relish potato salad. The Bayou Bomb stuffs a jalapeno with barbecue and cream cheese, wraps it in bacon and finishes it with Cajun seasoning.
The Bottom Line: Plan a weekday lunch around the brisket boudin.
Action Item: 1701 Calder Ave, Beaumont. Tue to Fri 11 AM to 2 PM. Order ahead from the 1701 Barbecue menu or call (409) 554-8009.
4. Richard's Cafe
Photo: Clancy Ratliff, CC BY-SA 2.0
Richard's Cafe on Magnolia Street serves soul food from a cafeteria-style line. Beef tips over rice leads, with smothered pork chops, oxtails and turkey wings beside it.
Sides run to cabbage, candied yams, cornbread dressing, macaroni and cheese and cornbread, and there's gumbo on the line too.
The Bottom Line: Beef tips over rice, candied yams and cabbage.
Action Item: 1087 Magnolia St, Beaumont. Call (409) 835-7063 for the day's hours.
5. Sweet Basil Vietnamese Noodle House
Sweet Basil on Dowlen Road mixes Vietnamese standards with a few house originals. The Hot Mess Fries pile rib-eye, sweet soy sauce, spicy aioli and scallions on fries, and rib-eye sliders sit on the same menu.
Shaken beef comes with garlic, scallions and onions. Pork and shrimp noodle bowls, fresh spring rolls and caramelized Gulf shrimp in a clay pot round out the kitchen.
The Bottom Line: Split the Hot Mess Fries, then order a noodle bowl.
Action Item: 4026 Dowlen Rd, Beaumont. Mon to Thu 11 AM to 3 PM and 5 to 9 PM, Fri 11 AM to 3 PM and 5 to 9:30 PM, Sat 11 AM to 9:30 PM, Sun 11 AM to 5 PM. Call (409) 347-7594.
6. Chaba Thai Bistro
Photo: Karl Thomas Moore, CC BY-SA 4.0
Chaba Thai Bistro on Phelan Boulevard keeps the Thai classics front and center: Chaba Pad Thai, Chaba Pad Kee Mao, Pad See Ew and fried rice.
The curry list runs red, green, panang and pineapple. Spicy eggplant, Pad Cashew Nut and garlic and black pepper stir-fries fill out the entrees.
The Bottom Line: Order the Pad Kee Mao and a panang curry.
Action Item: 6434 Phelan Blvd, Beaumont. Call (409) 866-3388 for hours.
7. Tacos La Bamba
Photo: Sarah Stierch, CC BY 4.0
Tacos La Bamba on Calder Avenue fills its tacos with asada, carnitas, pastor, barbacoa and chicken.
Burritos, tortas, quesadillas and chile relleno share the menu. Breakfast brings breakfast tacos, breakfast burritos, huevos rancheros, migas and chilaquiles.
The Bottom Line: Order three tacos with three different fillings.
Action Item: 2005 Calder Ave, Beaumont. Call (409) 838-6222 for hours.
8. Daddio's Burger
Photo: Daddio's Burger
Daddio's Burger has served Beaumont since 2013. The burgers use Nolan Ryan beef, the fries are hand-cut, and the shakes are Blue Bell.
The original sits on Calder Avenue, and a second Daddio's runs on Memorial Boulevard in Port Arthur on the same hours.
The Bottom Line: Burger, hand-cut fries, Blue Bell shake.
Action Item: 4230 Calder Ave, Beaumont, (409) 898-1977, and 8745 Memorial Blvd, Suite 100, Port Arthur, (409) 999-3000. Both open daily 10:30 AM to 9 PM. Menu at daddiosburger.com.
9. Floyds Seafood
Photo: Floyds Seafood
Floyds Seafood on I-10 South serves seafood gumbo and a Texas Gulf shrimp platter, and the Cajun side of the menu runs deep. Chef's Oyster Nachos pair fried oysters with serrano sauce, Cajun sour cream and pico de gallo.
Floyds Bar Trash combines shrimp, crab meat and crawfish in lemon butter. Etouffee comes with shrimp or crawfish, and the seafood courtbouillon brings shrimp, crab, crawfish and catfish together in a mix of gumbo and Creole sauce.
The Bottom Line: Bar Trash and a bowl of seafood gumbo.
Action Item: 2290 I-10 South, Beaumont. Sun to Thu 11 AM to 9 PM, Fri and Sat 11 AM to 10 PM. Call (409) 842-0686 or see the Floyds Beaumont page.
Cajun Food Just Outside Beaumont
10. Vautrot's Cajun Cuisine
Photo: Vautrot's Cajun Cuisine
Vautrot's Cajun Cuisine sits on Highway 105 in Bevil Oaks, just outside Beaumont. Shrimp gumbo, fried catfish, fried shrimp and seafood platters lead the menu, with boudin balls to start and poboys filled with shrimp, catfish or crawfish.
Plate lunches rotate by the day: beef tips over rice on Tuesday, a fried pork chop on Wednesday, chicken and dumplings on Thursday and catfish courtbouillon on Friday.
The Bottom Line: Fried catfish and shrimp gumbo, or Thursday's chicken and dumplings.
Action Item: 13353 Highway 105, Bevil Oaks. Tue to Sat 11 AM to 2 PM and 5 to 9 PM, closed Sun and Mon. Call (409) 753-2015 or visit vautrotscajuncuisine.com.
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Best Restaurants in Mid-County
Nederland and Port Neches bring pho, fried seafood platters and a dining lawn on the Neches River.
11. Mama Kim's Vietnamese Cuisine
Photo: Mama Kim's Vietnamese Cuisine
Mama Kim's Vietnamese Cuisine on Memorial Freeway in Nederland opens its menu with pho and soups, including pho thit nuong with chargrilled pork. Salt and pepper wings are a featured item.
Bun thit nuong cha gio puts chargrilled pork and an egg roll over vermicelli. Hand-rolled cha gio and fresh spring rolls cover the appetizers, and The Ultimate Mashup crosses a spring roll with an egg roll.
The Bottom Line: Pho thit nuong and an order of salt and pepper wings.
Action Item: 209 S Memorial Fwy, Nederland. Mon to Fri 10 AM to 8 PM, Sat 11 AM to 4 PM, closed Sun. Order at mamakimscuisine.com or call (409) 729-8899.
12. Pho Neches
Photo: Guilhem Vellut, CC BY 2.0
Pho Neches on Nall Street in Port Neches builds its menu around pho, rice plates, vermicelli and fried rice. Com bo luc lac, or shaken beef, leads the rice plates, alongside charbroiled pork, pork chop and chicken.
Bun thit nuong puts charbroiled pork over vermicelli, with an egg roll in the combination version. Pho and bun bo Hue cover the soups.
The Bottom Line: A bowl of pho for you, shaken beef for the table.
Action Item: 2370 Nall St, Port Neches. Call (409) 344-4054 for hours.
13. Neches River Wheelhouse
Photo: Neches River Wheelhouse
Neches River Wheelhouse sits on Lee Avenue in Port Neches, on the bank of the Neches River, where ships and barges pass the tables. Seafood nachos come piled with shrimp and crawfish, and Bayou Boudin comes fried or loose.
Gulf oysters are charbroiled with spinach, bacon and cheese or with Parmesan garlic butter. The Cow Bayou Burger puts fried crawfish tails and pistolette sauce on a half-pound patty. Crab cakes, jumbo Gulf shrimp, pistolettes and shrimp cocktail round it out.
The Bottom Line: Charbroiled oysters and a Cow Bayou Burger at a table by the river.
Action Item: 720 Lee Ave, Port Neches. Mon to Thu 11 AM to 9:30 PM, Fri 11 AM to 10:30 PM, Sat 10 AM to 10:30 PM, Sun 10 AM to 9:30 PM, with brunch Sat and Sun 10 AM to 2 PM. Call (409) 853-1249 or visit nechesriverwheelhouse.com.
14. The Schooner Restaurant
Photo: The Schooner Restaurant
The Schooner on Highway 69 in Nederland is celebrating 79 years, and the menu stays on seafood. Gulf oysters, crawfish bisque, seafood gumbo, stuffed flounder and crab fingers anchor it. Red snapper comes grilled, blackened, fried, Greek or stuffed.
The Fisherman's Seafood Platter puts fried shrimp, catfish, stuffed deviled crab and hushpuppies on one plate. Seafood gumbo also sells by the gallon.
The Bottom Line: Take home a gallon of gumbo.
Action Item: 1507 S Hwy 69, Nederland. Mon 11 AM to 8:30 PM, Tue and Wed 11 AM to 9 PM, Thu 11 AM to 9:30 PM, Fri and Sat 11 AM to 10 PM, closed Sun. Call (409) 722-2323 or visit theschoonerrestaurant.com.
Best Restaurants in Port Arthur
Port Arthur brings Vietnamese noodle soups on Jefferson and Gulfway Drives and a full Italian menu on FM 365. Stay for the afternoon with 15 things to do in Port Arthur TX.
15. Vien Dong Restaurant
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Photo: Vinnie Cartabiano, CC BY 2.0
Vien Dong on Jefferson Drive in Port Arthur is known for bun bo Hue, the spicy lemongrass beef noodle soup from central Vietnam, and banh mi thap cam, the combination banh mi.
Pho and spring rolls fill out the order.
The Bottom Line: Bun bo Hue now, a banh mi for later.
Action Item: 2523 Jefferson Dr, Port Arthur. Call (409) 962-8000 for hours.
16. Uyen's Restaurant
Photo: You Le
Uyen's on Gulfway Drive in Port Arthur covers pho, bun, rice plates and clear noodle soups. Pho dac biet is the combination bowl, and com bo luc lac brings shaken beef over rice.
Bun tom thit nuong cha gio combines shrimp, grilled pork, an egg roll and vermicelli in one bowl. Fresh spring rolls and grilled pork rolls lead the appetizers.
The Bottom Line: Pho dac biet with a side of spring rolls.
Action Item: 3708 Gulfway Dr, Port Arthur. Call (409) 982-5191 for hours.
17. Tuscany Italian Restaurant
Photo: Tuscany Italian Restaurant
Tuscany Italian Restaurant on FM 365 in Port Arthur runs a full Italian menu. Lasagna, chicken parmigiana and chicken fettuccine Alfredo are the most-ordered dishes, with chicken Marsala, baked ziti, tortellini Alfredo and shrimp ravioli behind them.
Linguine frutti de mare tosses salmon, scallops, mussels, clams and shrimp in white wine and marinara. Pizzas, calzones and stromboli cover the casual side, and tiramisu, cannoli and Italian cream cake close out dinner.
The Bottom Line: Lasagna, then tiramisu.
Action Item: 3600 FM 365, Port Arthur. Tue to Thu 11 AM to 9 PM, Fri and Sat 11 AM to 9:30 PM, Sun 11 AM to 8:30 PM, closed Mon. Lunch specials Tue to Fri 11 AM to 3 PM. Order at tuscanyitalianportarthur.com or call (409) 724-1881.
Best Restaurants in Orange
Orange brings Gulf Coast lunch plates on Division Street and brisket on Strickland Drive. See more of the city with the 11 best things to do in Orange TX.
18. Old Orange Cafe
Photo: Jim Moriarty
Old Orange Cafe & Catering Co on Division Street packs Gulf Coast cooking into a lunch menu. Cajun smothered catfish comes over rice, topped with shrimp creole. Shrimp and grits sets a grit cake under the same lightly spiced shrimp creole.
There's a lump blue crab cake, Cajun grilled jumbo Gulf shrimp and Shrimp Diablo, with queso blanco and jalapeno inside bacon-wrapped shrimp. Burgers and sandwiches fill out the menu, and the homemade pies run to buttermilk, chocolate chess, coconut chess and pecan.
The Bottom Line: Save room for pie.
Action Item: 914 W Division St, Orange. Mon to Fri 11 AM to 2 PM, Sun 10 AM to 2 PM. See the Old Orange Cafe lunch menu or call (409) 883-2233.
19. Pinehurst BBQ
Photo: Luis Santoyo
Pinehurst BBQ on Strickland Drive in Orange keeps brisket at the center: by the half pound, as a dinner plate or sliced on a sandwich. Chopped BBQ sandwiches, chopped beef and BBQ baked potatoes share the menu.
Pork ribs, baby back ribs, link sausage and BBQ chicken fill out the meats, with beans and potato salad on the side and banana pudding to finish.
The Bottom Line: Brisket plate, then banana pudding.
Action Item: 100 Strickland Dr, Orange. Call (409) 886-2223 for hours.
More Southeast Texas Food Guides
More Southeast Texas food guides are on the way.
Quick Action List
- Weekday barbecue lunch: 1701 Barbecue, 1701 Calder Ave, Beaumont, Tue to Fri 11 AM to 2 PM.
- Weekend brunch: J. Wilson's and JW's Patio in Beaumont open at 10 AM Saturday and Sunday. Neches River Wheelhouse in Port Neches serves brunch Sat and Sun 10 AM to 2 PM.
- Sunday lunch in Orange: Old Orange Cafe, 914 W Division St, 10 AM to 2 PM.
- Gumbo to go: The Schooner in Nederland sells seafood gumbo by the gallon. Call (409) 722-2323.
- Burgers any day: Daddio's Burger, daily 10:30 AM to 9 PM on Calder Avenue in Beaumont and Memorial Boulevard in Port Arthur.
- After dinner: find a show, a festival or a market on the What's Up SETX events calendar, or browse things to do in Southeast Texas.
Food Corner picks, new openings and weekend events across the Golden Triangle, twice a week. Free.
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Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Restaurants in Southeast Texas
What are the best restaurants in Southeast Texas?
Strong picks among the best restaurants in Southeast Texas include J. Wilson's, 1701 Barbecue and Floyds Seafood in Beaumont, Vautrot's Cajun Cuisine in Bevil Oaks, Mama Kim's and The Schooner in Nederland, Neches River Wheelhouse in Port Neches, Uyen's and Tuscany in Port Arthur, and Old Orange Cafe and Pinehurst BBQ in Orange. Together they cover barbecue, Gulf seafood, Cajun, Vietnamese, Italian and Southern plate lunches.
What food is Southeast Texas known for?
Southeast Texas cooking pulls from the Gulf Coast, Louisiana and Texas: seafood gumbo, crawfish, Gulf shrimp and oysters, fried catfish, boudin and brisket. The Schooner in Nederland sells seafood gumbo by the gallon, and Floyds Seafood in Beaumont serves crawfish etouffee and seafood courtbouillon. Vietnamese restaurants in Beaumont, Nederland, Port Neches and Port Arthur add pho, bun bo Hue and shaken beef.
What are the best restaurants in Beaumont, Texas?
Beaumont picks include J. Wilson's for Oyster Nachos, JW's Patio for a dinner reservation with a patio and cocktails, 1701 Barbecue for brisket boudin, Richard's Cafe for beef tips over rice, Sweet Basil for Vietnamese, Chaba Thai Bistro for curry, Tacos La Bamba for street tacos, Daddio's Burger for Nolan Ryan beef burgers and Floyds Seafood for Gulf Coast seafood.
Where can you find good Cajun food in Southeast Texas?
Vautrot's Cajun Cuisine in Bevil Oaks serves shrimp gumbo, fried catfish, boudin balls and poboys. Floyds Seafood in Beaumont covers crawfish etouffee, seafood courtbouillon and Bar Trash with shrimp, crab and crawfish in lemon butter. Neches River Wheelhouse in Port Neches adds Bayou Boudin, charbroiled Gulf oysters and a burger topped with fried crawfish tails, and The Schooner in Nederland serves crawfish bisque.
Where can you find Vietnamese food in Southeast Texas?
In Beaumont, Sweet Basil Vietnamese Noodle House on Dowlen Road serves noodle bowls, shaken beef and Hot Mess Fries. Mama Kim's in Nederland serves pho thit nuong and salt and pepper wings. Pho Neches in Port Neches has shaken beef rice plates, and Vien Dong and Uyen's in Port Arthur serve bun bo Hue, banh mi and pho dac biet.