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Soup in Houston

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Tis the season. Are there any places in Houston like the soup guy who became famous because of Seinfeld (can't think of the real guy's name right now)? Places with a good selection of great soups, everyday, in a casual dining atmosphere?

I know of Central Market, Whole Foods, the Kroger Signature store on Buffalo Speedway, all have soup bars with at least 3 or 4 selections. Cafe Express has only 3 or 4 soups on the menu I think.

I know of the Vietnamese places (but go ahead and mention any good ones you know of) but I'm thinking of things like Navy Bean Soup, etc. I don't remember how big a selection they had everyday but Butera's had an awesome Navy Bean Soup. I miss Butera's.

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  1. La Madeliene has a couple every day, in addition to their tomato-basil. Treebeards always has a nice gumbo and chili everyday, if you count them in the soup category. Triple A diner on Airline, just inside Loop 610 (by the Farmers Mkt) has an excellent chicken and dumplings on Thurs and Sat.

    1 Reply
    1. re: Fracocious

      Thanks for the recs. There's not La Madeleine near me and I never think of them but I do like their tomato basil. Having never lived or worked downtown, I've never eaten at Treebeard's; I should make a special effort probably. Chicken and dumplings sounds very good.

      Here are some others I've found in my quest: Brown Bag Deli has a soup de jour, as does Spec's Whse Deli downtown; Krafts'men Baking has a soup and sandwich combo on their online menu but not soup per se though I think I've heard of their soups. I've been meaning to try that place but haven't yet.

      Shade on 19th in the Heights has a trio of soups on their menu daily, evidently. The only one I've had is the chili, a very mild, hamburger grind concoction that wasn't memorable enough to go back for.

    2. I am new to Houston; I'm moving here for a job transfer. I've only been in Houston for four days but I had some soup for dinner that knocked my socks off.

      I ordered a cup of crab bisque. It cost $4.50. It was served in one of those heavy, white diner mugs, so it's a generous portion. It looked like they filled the mug about half-way with nice chunks of crab meat, then ladled in the tasty bisque. The order included a scoop of steamed rice, and a piece of garlic toast.

      After a couple bites of this rich ambrosia, I cancelled my entree order. There's no way I could have eaten an entree after this!

      Bayou City Seafood 'n Pasta
      4730 Richmond Ave.
      (713) 621-6602
      (on the north side of Richmond in the strip mall one block east of I-610)

      2 Replies
      1. re: Dorothy

        Thank you so much Dorothy and welcome to Houston. I think I know where I'm going for lunch later today.

        Houston is so big and there are so many good places to eat, no one can know them all. I'm sure you'll find many more.

        1. re: Dorothy

          Try the gumbo. Just as delicious as the bisque, but a totally different flavor.

        2. I'm possibly moving to Houston soon - any good Vietnamese restaurants that serve good soups & fresh spring rolls. Thx.

          1 Reply
          1. re: ChefGirl412

            ChefGirl412 Houston is home to a large Vietnamese community. It is possibly our 3rd most used language - I was just at jury duty last week and both printed and video instructions in the jury assembly room are given in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.

            Little Saigon is an area just SW of Downtown in MidTown with many Vietnamese businesses; much of New Chinatown, on the far west side along Bellaire, west of Gessner and out past the Beltway, is actually Vietnamese.

            b4-u-eat.com, a local restaurant review site, lists 140 Vietnamese restaurants. My own experience is that the site probably has only about 50-70% of restaurants listed (maps and reviews).

            You'll be able to find many places to explore.


          2. oh i love soup too... here is how i satisfy my cravings:

            pho saigon on milam (downtown) for the best vietnamese pho noodle soup.

            doozo's dumplings in the park shops (downtown) has the best hot & soup soup i've ever tasted and their dumplings are incredible. open weekday lunches, cash only.

            i like the mexican soups at la mexicana on fairview in montrose. their sopa azteca (tortilla soup) is served with fresh cubed panela cheese, avocado, and a smoked chipotle chile on the side. during the cold months, they usually have an off menu soup available too. http://www.lamexicanarestaurant.com/

            pappadeaux for gumbo or bisque. mardi gras (fka floyd's cajun kitchen) off shepherd near washington also makes a great gumbo and bisque.

            turtle soup at brennan's.

            lastly, jason's deli always has a large and yummy variety of soups.