Best Restaurants in Tomball, TX: Old Town, BBQ and German Roots

In Tomball, the brisket comes with a side of truffles. That's not a figure of speech: the town's Michelin-recognized barbecue joint also makes its own bean-to-bar chocolate, inside what it says is the oldest known residential home in Tomball. Add a chicken-fried steak recipe that's been drawing Houstonians up Highway 249 since the 1950s and a brewpub pouring German-style lagers on Market Street, and you have a small town that eats far above its size.

This guide to Tomball restaurants starts in Old Town, where you can park once and walk to lunch, a pint and dessert, then heads out along Highway 249 and FM 2920 for the country cafes and smokehouses locals actually drive to. If you're planning the rest of the day, pair it with our things to do in Tomball guide.

The quick list

• The one to drive up for: Tejas Chocolate + Barbecue, brisket and handmade chocolate under one roof.
• The chicken-fried steak pilgrimage: Goodson's Cafe, serving it since 1950.
• Brunch with a cocktail: Graze on North Elm Street.
• A biscuit breakfast: Pine Street Eats & Sweets.
• German-style beer with your burger: Fire Ant Brewing in Old Town, or Paradigm Brewing's bier garten.
• Dinner and a show: Main Street Crossing, an intimate concert venue that serves food.
• Barbecue for breakfast: Harris County Smokehouse.

How we chose

We picked places that give you a reason to come to Tomball rather than a chain you could find anywhere: a signature dish, a long local history, a great building or a strong sense of place. Each restaurant had to be confirmed as operating on its own official website in October 2026, with a current Tomball address. We leaned toward Old Town Tomball, the walkable grid around Main, Market and Elm streets, because that's where a visit is most fun.

Hours change, and several of these places close one day a week or only serve breakfast and lunch. Treat every schedule below as "typically" and check the restaurant's site before you go.

Old Town Tomball: park once, eat twice

Tejas Chocolate + Barbecue

Old Town, 200 N. Elm St. · barbecue and craft chocolate · open daily

Tejas began in 2015 as a bean-to-bar chocolate maker and grew into what it calls a nationally recognized barbecue joint, so you get smoked meats and handmade truffles in the same order. Its founders restored a historic house that Tejas describes as the oldest known residential home in Tomball, and they call it the Craftory. Tejas lists a 2025 MICHELIN Guide Texas Bib Gourmand among its accolades.

Order: brisket, plus the Chile Relleno sausage, and the Brisket & Blues sandwich if you want blue cheese with your smoke. Finish with the chocolate bread pudding or a few truffles to go; flavors run from Pecan Praline to seasonal creations.

Insider tip: breakfast tacos are typically served Thursday to Sunday mornings, from 8 to 11 a.m., which is the easiest way to beat the lunch line.

Graze

Old Town, 208 N. Elm St. · international comfort food and cocktails · closed Mondays

A few doors from Tejas, Graze is the Old Town pick for a date night or a long brunch. The menu calls itself international comfort food, and the bar takes its cocktails seriously, with riffs on classics and aged whiskies. Weekend brunch typically runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Order: the blackened shrimp with grits at brunch or lunch, or the Monte Cristo with berry preserves. The restaurant recommends reservations.

Best for: taking out-of-town guests somewhere with a little polish.

Pine Street Eats & Sweets

Old Town, 107 N. Pine St. · breakfast and lunch · typically 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily

This family-owned spot calls its style "Cabin Cuisine": homemade biscuits and gravy, golden waffles, cheesy hash browns, stacked sandwiches and its own signature jams. It also makes a selection of homemade sweets, so plan on taking something home.

Best for: a big breakfast before the shops open, or a Saturday stop after the farmers market.

Every-Bellies

Old Town, 106 Market St. · loaded baked potatoes · typically Monday to Saturday

Every-Bellies does one thing with gusto: baked potatoes loaded with toppings, plus burgers, barbecue and loaded fries. It's quick and filling, and you can order ahead online for pickup.

Best for: a casual lunch between boutiques on Market Street.

Market Street Cafe

Old Town, 302 Market St. · comfort food · closed Wednesdays

A cozy grill with exposed brick, rustic decor and plenty of patio seating, this is the place for a classic sit-down lunch in Old Town. The menu is comfort fare, and the dishes regulars rave about on its site are the chicken-fried steak, the burgers and the meatloaf.

Best for: a long lunch on the patio. Note the restaurant typically closes mid-afternoon early in the week.

Fire Ant Brewing

Old Town, 308 Market St. · brewpub · closed Tuesdays

Here's where Tomball's German roots show up in a glass. Fire Ant's founder started on five-gallon batches over an open flame before building a Signature Series of German-style beers, and the tap list includes a Kölsch, a German pilsner, a bock and the Telgte Altbier. The kitchen does chef-driven pub food: half-pound burgers, Kung Pao Brussels sprouts, house chicharrones and a warm challah bread pudding the staff swears by.

Order: a pimento cheeseburger and the Fire Ant Bock.

Main Street Crossing

Old Town, 111 W. Main St. · live music with food and drinks

Main Street Crossing is an intimate concert venue, not a restaurant, but it serves food and drinks during shows, and it's the best way to turn an Old Town dinner into a night out. It bills itself as a spot for up-close concerts, and it's run as a nonprofit.

Insider tip: check the calendar before you plan the day, and book the show first, then build dinner around it.

Along Highway 249 and FM 2920

Goodson's Cafe

Highway 249, 27931 State Highway 249 · Southern home cooking · since 1950

Goodson's is the Tomball institution. Its story starts in 1950, when Ella Goodson went to work at a small cafe near Tomball; four years later she bought it, just as an oil boom filled the place with field workers. Her chicken-fried steak became the reason Houstonians made the drive, and the restaurant says it was proclaimed "The Best Chicken Fried Steak in Texas" by the TV program "The Eyes of Texas."

Order: the chicken-fried steak, small or large, with cream gravy and the famous yeast rolls. Fried green tomatoes to start. The cafe takes reservations, which is worth doing on weekends.

Old Tomball BBQ

Highway 249, 30042 Texas 249 · family-owned barbecue · since 2014

Old Tomball BBQ is a family-owned, Texas-style smokehouse that does dine-in, takeout and catering. It's a straightforward plate of brisket, sausage, ribs and chicken without the Old Town crowds.

Best for: a barbecue fix on the drive up or back on 249.

Harris County Smokehouse

FM 2920, 14243 FM 2920 · barbecue all day, including breakfast

The twist here is that breakfast is served all day, and it includes barbecue: think brisket and eggs or a biscuit sandwich. The smokehouse says every brisket spends all night in the smoker and every egg is cracked fresh, and it serves breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. There's cold beer and wine, too.

Best for: brisket before noon. If that's your kind of morning, see our best breakfast in Houston guide for more.

Mel's Country Cafe

Stanolind Road, 24814 Stanolind Rd. · country comfort food

Mel's has been in the Weirich family since the beginning. The original building went up in 1977 as Mary's Fried Chicken, built by Charles Weirich Sr. for his wife Mary, using ingredients from local farms. Today it's a family-friendly country cafe that also takes reservations and online orders.

Order: the dishes regulars name most on its site: the chicken-fried steak, the Mel burger and the fried catfish.

Paradigm Brewing Company

Tomball, 2130 S. Persimmon Lane · brewery, restaurant and bier garten · open daily

Paradigm is a full-service restaurant and brewery with indoor dining, a covered patio and a bier garten on 5 acres, with bags and disc golf to keep everyone busy. The brewmaster, nicknamed "Professor Pils," gives educational brewery tours on request.

Best for: families and big groups who want room to spread out. For more taprooms, see our best breweries in Houston.

Levure Bakery & Patisserie

Kuykendahl Road, 26400 Kuykendahl Rd., Suite A160 · French bakery and cafe

Levure is a French bakery serving breakfast and lunch, coffee, pastries and bread, with seasonal dishes built on organic and locally grown ingredients. The menu changes often.

Best for: a croissant and coffee on the way to a morning in Old Town.

Did you know? Tomball's German side

German families began settling this area around 1840, according to the Tomball German Festivals, long before the railroad arrived and the town took its name from Thomas Henry Ball, who helped bring the line through. That heritage is why you'll find a Kölsch at Fire Ant, a bier garten at Paradigm and a "Willkommen" on the website of Tomball Social Haus, the Fannin Street cocktail bar that makes a good nightcap.

The best time to taste it is during the Tomball German Festival, typically held the last weekend in March, or the German Christmas Market in December. The organizers say the whole thing began with one oompah band on a flatbed trailer. They list admission and parking as free; check the official site for this year's dates.

Save this: a one-day Tomball food route

1. Breakfast: biscuits at Pine Street Eats & Sweets, or barbecue breakfast at Harris County Smokehouse if you're coming in on FM 2920.
2. Morning: walk Main and Market streets. On Saturday mornings, the Tomball Farmers Market sets up in Old Town.
3. Lunch: brisket at Tejas Chocolate + Barbecue. Buy truffles for later.
4. Afternoon: a German-style beer and shared snacks at Fire Ant Brewing.
5. Dinner: Graze for cocktails and dinner, or Goodson's for chicken-fried steak on the way home.
6. Night: a show at Main Street Crossing.

Never drive after drinking; bring a designated driver or use a rideshare.

Before you go: a quick checklist

• Check hours the day you go. Graze is typically closed Mondays, Fire Ant Tuesdays and Market Street Cafe Wednesdays.
• Pine Street Eats typically closes at 2 p.m., so go early.
• Book ahead at Goodson's and Graze on weekends.
• Short on time at Tejas? It takes to-go orders through its website.
• Old Town is small: park once and walk between Elm, Main and Market streets.

More near Tomball

Thinking of moving up 249? Read living in Tomball and browse the Tomball area page. For more suburban food, see the best restaurants in Cypress, Spring and The Woodlands. Barbecue fans should also read our best BBQ in Houston guide.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is Tomball, TX known for food-wise?

Barbecue and country cooking. Tejas Chocolate + Barbecue in Old Town pairs brisket with bean-to-bar chocolate, and Goodson's Cafe has served chicken-fried steak since 1950.

Where should I eat in Old Town Tomball?

Tejas Chocolate + Barbecue and Graze on North Elm Street, Pine Street Eats & Sweets for breakfast, and Every-Bellies, Market Street Cafe and Fire Ant Brewing on Market Street are all within walking distance.

Where can I get chicken-fried steak in Tomball?

Goodson's Cafe on Highway 249 is the classic, serving it since 1950. Mel's Country Cafe on Stanolind Road and Market Street Cafe in Old Town also serve it.

Are there breweries in Tomball?

Yes. Fire Ant Brewing is a brewpub on Market Street in Old Town with German-style beers, and Paradigm Brewing Company on South Persimmon Lane has a restaurant and a bier garten on 5 acres.

Why does Tomball have a German heritage?

German families began settling the area around 1840, according to the Tomball German Festivals. The town celebrates with a German festival, typically the last weekend in March, and a German Christmas Market in December.

Is Tejas Chocolate + Barbecue open every day?

Its website says it is open seven days a week, with breakfast tacos typically Thursday to Sunday mornings. Hours vary by day, so check before you go.