Southern hospitality gains new meaning on a trip to Houston – with vibrant restaurants and lots of cool culture.

You can’t come to Texas without having barbecue,’ says Leonard Botello IV, as if he’s stating a fact. Leonard is the pitmaster here at Truth BBQ in Houston, where a line for lunch orders is winding out the door. We’re sat at a broad wooden table, with cups of sweet tea so big you could chuck a nickel in and make a wish. Leonard sidles up as two meat-laden trays are set down in front of us, and talks us through it all like a proud parent. There’s the melty, peppery brisket, which was started at 6am this morning, three kinds of juicy sausage links, and thick slices of tender smoked turkey. There’s also an impressive supporting cast of pickles, slaws, macaroni cheese, potato salads and, my favourite, the charred sprouts.

If I’m honest, this is exactly how I’d pictured Texas. Well, maybe not the sprouts. Leonard explains that the humidity and elevation is what makes this state a renowned meat-cooking nirvana, and he’s clearly a man devoted. He started in 2015 at a roadside shack in Brenham, a city close to Austin, before opening this second, bigger spot in the boutique-filled Houston Heights area. He designed the pits here himself, teaches classes on the weekend, and likens every day to a science project – with different woods, meats and the weather impacting the cook. After tucking into all his hard work, it’s a slow afternoon that follows.

Leonard is one of several food obsessives I’ll meet in a city where mealtimes really seem to matter. But it’s not all barbecue and burgers. In fact, Houston’s food is brilliantly diverse. Some people claim this is the most multicultural city in the United States, while it’s the fourth most populous. It has particularly big Asian, Latino and African communities, who have helped shape a culinary scene with over 10,000 eateries. What’s more, the city is also something of a cultural hotspot, from its Nasa connections to an enviable art scene. I was eager to get stuck in.

TEXAN TASTES

We’re staying at The Laura Hotel, a sleek five-star building with a rooftop pool that looks across Houston’s Downtown – useful when you’re hitting 30 degrees in autumn, as we are. The city has an urban sprawl, so you’ll need to hire a car or rely on Ubers to explore, but the hotel makes a good starting point for reaching interesting neighbourhoods – and restaurants.

A big part of this short trip is to get a real flavour of Houston. It’s a place where you can visit a Cambodian bakery for breakfast, spend your afternoon exploring the Chinese supermarkets in an Asiatown that spans six square miles, and be in a Peruvian-Japanese fusion restaurant for dinner – which is how we spend one day. There are also places that pull some of the city’s creative chefs together, like POST. This modern cultural hub is set up in the city’s historic Downtown post office, with flexible art spaces, a panoramic rooftop park, and a food court modelled on the neo-noir markets of Blade Runner filled with indie traders. The jollof jambalaya I get from West African stall ChopnBlock is a solid five out of five.

That community spirit underpins a lot of the food businesses here – and you really feel it at Lucille’s. Chris Williams had the vision here for heightened Southern cuisine, with a few global twists taken from his travels in Europe. Oh, and a little family inspiration. ‘If someone has a problem with the dishes, take it up with my great grandmother,’ he laughs, pointing to her picture on the wall as we browse the menu. Lucille Smith was a pioneering Texan chef in the early 1900s, and two recipes – the chilli biscuits and hot rolls – are hers. I also go for the slow-fried chicken with collard greens and honey spiced gravy. It’s a meal that feels good for the soul.

Chris obviously loves his neighbourhood. During the pandemic, he founded a non-profit that has handed out more than half a million meals to frontline workers and vulnerable Houstonians. And once we’re done picking over a tangy lemon pie, he takes us to the Rado Cafe, the nearby deli-café combo he runs, which stocks items from local businesses, and a gallery next-door promotes artists from the area.

ONE SMALL STEP

Houston is also home to some real cultural highs. Lucille’s sits in the city’s leafy museum district, so afterwards we head for the galleries. The Museum of Fine Arts is the headline act here, with almost 70,000 pieces on display across three buildings – from Native American ceremonial dolls to futuristic light tunnels.

The place that gets under my skin, though, is the Rothko Chapel. This non-denominational chapel, opened in 1971, sits on a suburban street, and inside 14 murals by Mark Rothko cover the walls. The painter was known for his vibrant abstract work, but these are all black. There’s a tension as we enter, with people sat silently, staring at the dark hues. We join in, and after what I think is about 10 minutes (checking my phone feels wrong), the murals seem to ripple. We’re told others have seen colours and faces.

Our dive into Houston’s history takes us, of course, to the Nasa Johnson Space Center. ‘Houston’, you’ll be reminded, was the first word spoken on the moon, and this site about 40 minutes south-east of the city centre is the home of mission control and astronaut training. The expansive visitor’s centre is a fast-track pass to feeling like a big kid – as we gaze into the exhausts of a 363-foot-tall Saturn V rocket, gawp at moon rocks and clamber around a replica shuttle.

The best bit? The recreation of the mission control room from the moon landing. Opened in 2019, the space has been faithfully restored to how it was on that Sunday afternoon here when Buzz, Neil and Michael hit terra firma. Everything is authentic. The stocky grey-beige computer consoles, the notepads – even the coats on the rack are the ones left behind by the technicians that day. We watch as it all sparks to life and scenes from the mission play out. It’s a thrilling glimpse of how it must have felt.

Later that day we continue south to Galveston – a coastal city with pastel houses and a side of the state I knew nothing about. This was once the biggest city in Texas, until it was devastated by a storm in 1900. Our taxi driver delights in telling us it’s now one of the most haunted cities in America. The crowning stop on the ghost tours is the Grand Galvez hotel, renovated last year with a spectacular jazz-age look. We’re allowed a peek behind door 501 – the most haunted room and, naturally, the one visitors request the most.

Despite the spooky start, we learn that Galveston is something of a getaway resort for Texans. There’s 32 miles of shoreline, spectacular nature parks and a big birdwatching scene. There’s also the food. Seafood diners line the sea wall, along with offbeat stores. We meet Concetta Maceo, whose grandfather was an infamous bootlegger back in the depression (another side of Galveston’s history). She runs a family spice shop that supplies local cooks, which also doubles up as a charming café. We stop for muffuletta sandwiches, surrounded by trinkets and rows of seasoning jars. If I’m honest, it’s not exactly how I’d pictured Texas, but it will be now.

BEST BITES

CARACOL

Not far from the Galleria, the biggest mall in Texas, this restaurant is inspired by Mexico’s coastal regions. That means crispy fish tacos, wood-roasted Gulf oysters with chipotle butter, and tangy moles with tortilla chips.

KOFFETERIA

A Cambodian bakery set in the cool, warehousy east Downtown, where chef Van Kuch’s sticky rice and mango Danish will change everything you thought you knew about pastries.

PACHA NIKKEI

A Peruvian-Japanese fusion restaurant on the west side of Houston’s city centre. The deep-pink tuna ceviche and maki sushi rolls not only taste amazing, but look like works of art, too.