Late Night Food in Houston: 24-Hour Diners, Tacos and 3 a.m. Eats

Houston doesn't stop eating when the bars wind down. Some of the city's most loved kitchens do their best business after midnight, and a few never lock the door at all. The 24-hour diner on the Gulf Freeway was the very first restaurant the Pappas family ever opened, back in 1967, and it still hasn't closed for the night.

This is our shortlist for late night food in Houston: 24-hour diners, after-bar tacos and burgers, a Vietnamese institution that keeps Midtown fed until 3 a.m., and a Chinatown izakaya that grills skewers until 2. It's organized by part of town, so you can find the closest open kitchen fast.

The quick list

• Never closes: Dot Coffee Shop and Katz's (Montrose and the Heights), both open 24 hours.
• Latest weekend kitchen: The Burger Joint and BB's Tex-Orleans, both until 4 a.m. on their latest nights.
• After the Midtown bars: Mai's (weekends until 3 a.m.) and Spicy Girl (until 3:30 a.m. most nights).
• Downtown slice: Frank's Pizza, until 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
• Chinatown after dark: Toukei Izakaya for yakitori and takoyaki until 2 a.m. on weekends.
• Tacos after last call: Velvet Taco on Washington Avenue and Cantina Barba on North Main.

How we chose

We picked places with a real kitchen open after midnight on at least some nights, food worth going out of your way for, and a clear reason to be on the list: a 24-hour door, a classic Houston story, or a dish you'll crave at 1 a.m. Every spot here was checked against its own official website in October 2026, and the hours below come from those sites.

Late-night hours change more than any other kind, and kitchens often stop taking orders before the posted closing time. Treat every schedule as "typically" and check the restaurant's site before you head out, especially on holidays.

Montrose and the Heights

Katz's

Montrose, 616 Westheimer Rd, and the Heights, 2200 N Shepherd Dr · New York-style deli · open 24 hours

Katz's slogan says it all: "Katz's Never Kloses." According to the restaurant, it got so busy it simply stayed open around the clock, and the saying stuck. The Montrose and Heights locations both list 24-hour service.

What to order: a Reuben on grilled rye with your choice of corned beef, pastrami or turkey, or the Three Stooges, which stacks all three.

I didn't know that: Katz's started on Austin's Sixth Street in 1979. Its first Houston location opened on Westheimer near Montrose Boulevard in 2000.

Best for: a proper sit-down meal at 4 a.m., any night of the week.

BB's Tex-Orleans

Montrose, 515 Westheimer Rd · Cajun and Tex-Orleans · until 3 or 4 a.m.

BB's Montrose is a late-night standby for gumbo, po'boys, étouffée and boiled seafood. The Montrose location typically stays open until 3 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday and until 4 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. Other BB's locations keep different hours, so check before you drive.

Insider tip: BB's says it closes only three times a year: Thanksgiving Day (pickups only until noon), Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Best for: a po'boy after a night out on Westheimer. For the crawfish side of the menu, see our Houston crawfish guide.

The Burger Joint

Montrose, 2703 Montrose Blvd, and the Heights, 2002 N Shepherd Dr · burgers · until 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday

When the craving is specifically a burger and fries, this is the one. The Montrose and Heights restaurants are typically open until midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. The Memorial location on Gessner keeps the same schedule.

Best for: the latest burger in the Loop on a weekend. Pair it with our Montrose restaurant guide for an earlier dinner.

Midtown and downtown

Mai's Restaurant

Midtown, 3403 Milam St · Vietnamese · until 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday

Mai's is a Houston institution. The restaurant was founded in 1978 by a Vietnamese family raising eight children, and the same family still runs it, now into its third generation. An accidental fire destroyed the restaurant in 2010; the family rebuilt it, and it's still a late-night anchor of Midtown.

Hours to know: Mai's is typically open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and closed on Sunday. In other words, the famous late night is now a weekend thing.

What to order: the menu runs to hundreds of dishes. Go with a big group and share. For more, see our best Vietnamese restaurants in Houston.

Spicy Girl

Midtown, 917 Winbern St · Chinese and Sichuan · until 3:30 a.m. most nights

Spicy Girl keeps the latest weeknight hours on this list. It's typically open from 11 a.m. until 3:30 a.m. on Monday and Wednesday through Sunday. Tuesday is the exception, when it closes at 9 p.m.

What to order: dumplings, Sichuan boiled fish or the three-flavor pepper chicken. There's boba tea too, for the designated driver.

Best for: something with real heat after the Midtown bars. See our Midtown restaurant guide.

Frank's Pizza

Downtown, 417 Travis St · pizza by the slice · until 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday

Frank's sits in downtown's Historic District and sells whole pies and slices along with wings and burgers. It's typically open until 1 a.m. on Thursday and until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, with earlier closing times the rest of the week.

Best for: a slice in hand on the walk back to the car. More options in our downtown restaurant guide.

North, east and Washington Avenue

Cantina Barba

Near Northside, 3701 N Main St · cantina · until 2 a.m. nightly, 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday

Cantina Barba bills itself as "100% Bullshit-Free" and keeps some of the longest hours in town: typically 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday. That means you can close the night and come back for breakfast without changing your plans.

Best for: a late bite near the Heights and Woodland Heights without fighting Washington Avenue traffic.

Velvet Taco (Washington Ave)

Washington Avenue, 4819 Washington Ave · tacos · until 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday

Velvet Taco is a chain, but the Washington Avenue location is a genuine after-bar move: typically open until 11 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, midnight on Thursday, and 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. The menu leans creative, with a rotating weekly special it calls the WTF ("weekly taco feature").

Best for: tacos within walking distance of the Washington Avenue bars.

The Moon Tower Inn

East End, 3004 Canal St · wild-game hot dogs · until midnight, 1 a.m. weekends

Not a 3 a.m. spot, but the best reason to eat late in the East End. The Moon Tower Inn is a backyard-style beer garden with a menu of wild-game dogs, from venison with red wine and blueberries to duck with foie gras. It's typically open until midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and the kitchen closes 30 minutes before the posted time.

Best for: a group that wants beer, a picnic table and something you can't get anywhere else at 11:30 p.m. For more nearby, see our EaDo restaurant guide.

Chinatown

Toukei Izakaya

Chinatown, 9630 Clarewood Dr · Japanese izakaya · until 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday

Toukei is built for the late crowd. It opens at 5 p.m. and typically stays open until 1 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday and on Sunday, and until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. It's closed on Mondays.

What to order: a run of yakitori (wasabi chicken thigh, chicken meatballs with tare, ribeye), takoyaki, and karaage, then a yakitori rice bowl to finish.

Insider tip: Chinatown along Bellaire Boulevard has many more restaurants that keep late hours, but most don't publish them on a website, so we didn't list them here. If you're exploring, call ahead or check a restaurant's own social pages. Our Bellaire and Chinatown restaurant guide is the place to start.

Southeast Houston: the 24-hour classic

Dot Coffee Shop

Southeast Houston, 7006 I-45 South at Woodridge · diner · open 24 hours, 7 days a week

If one place on this list deserves a pilgrimage, it's Dot. The retro diner has been serving since 1967, it was the first of the many restaurants the Pappas family opened, and its website sums up the policy in two words: "Always open."

What to order: chicken fried steak, pancakes, and a slice of pecan pie. Breakfast is served around the clock.

Best for: a 3 a.m. breakfast on the way to or from Hobby Airport. Flying out early? See our hotels near Hobby Airport.

Save this: Houston late-night cheat sheet

Screenshot this before you go out.

1. Any night, any hour: Dot Coffee Shop (I-45 South) or Katz's (Montrose, the Heights).
2. Friday or Saturday until 4 a.m.: The Burger Joint (Montrose, Heights, Memorial) or BB's Tex-Orleans (Montrose).
3. Weeknights until 3 or later: BB's Montrose (until 3 a.m.) or Spicy Girl in Midtown (until 3:30 a.m., except Tuesday).
4. Weekend Midtown: Mai's, until 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday (closed Sunday).
5. Downtown on a weekend: Frank's Pizza, until 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
6. Chinatown skewers: Toukei, until 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday (closed Monday).
7. Know the gaps: Mai's is dark on Sunday, Toukei on Monday, and Spicy Girl closes early on Tuesday.

The Westheimer walk

On a weekend night in Montrose you can hit three of these within a short stretch: Katz's at 616 Westheimer, BB's at 515 Westheimer, and The Burger Joint on Montrose Boulevard. Start the night with our Houston nightlife guide, finish it at whichever kitchen has the shortest line, and get a ride home. More about the neighborhood is on our Montrose area page.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What restaurants in Houston are open 24 hours?

Dot Coffee Shop on I-45 South is open 24 hours, 7 days a week, and Katz's lists 24-hour service at its Montrose (616 Westheimer) and Heights (2200 N Shepherd) locations. Check the official sites before you go.

Where can I eat after 2 a.m. in Houston?

BB's Tex-Orleans in Montrose typically serves until 3 or 4 a.m., Spicy Girl in Midtown until 3:30 a.m. most nights, and The Burger Joint until 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Is Mai's in Midtown still open late?

Yes, on weekends. Mai's official site lists 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and closed on Sunday.

What's open late in Houston's Chinatown?

Toukei Izakaya on Clarewood Drive typically serves yakitori and izakaya plates until 1 a.m. most nights and 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and is closed Mondays. Many Bellaire Boulevard restaurants keep late hours but don't publish them online, so call ahead.

Where can I get pizza late at night downtown?

Frank's Pizza at 417 Travis St typically stays open until 1 a.m. on Thursday and 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, selling whole pies and slices.