Restaurants in Cinco Ranch

Roll by Bistro Catron for dinner, further fueling your mealtime momentum with mussels sautéed in pesto butter and white wine ($9) or fried shrimp with a citrus cocktail sauce ($8). Terrain-based taste buds can take aim on the chicken parmesan with angel hair pasta ($13) or a bountiful brick of lasagna ($11) with both ground Angus beef and Italian sausage, while Ishmaels can reacquaint themselves with the eats of the oceans by noshing on the blackened salmon ($17), laid out on a bed of asparagus and saffron risotto. Specialty dishes include an Italian onion Salisbury steak ($12) flung upon whipped potatoes and haystack onion straws, as well as fried tilapia ($13), served with fries and corn fritters. Bistro Catron also serves up brunch, with offerings such as the usual benedicts ($9) and chicken and waffle buddy-cop duos ($8).

Ray’s Gourmet Country’s culinary team is so dedicated to building a seasonal menu from the produce and meats raised near the Fulshear restaurant that Inside Rose-Rich Magazine noted, “There are no can openers at Ray’s, with everything being delivered fresh from the local markets.” If the hunt for dinner leads you here, you'll be rewarded with crispy buttermilk calamari, seared foie gras, and main courses such as chicken-fried ostrich, rosemary grilled pork chop, and crispy juniper duck confit. Desserts include pumpkin cheesecake with house blackberry marmalade and light cinnamon beignets with baked apples and Calvados ice cream. Ray's rolls out a brunch buffet every Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and schedules live jazz and complimentary wine tastings on Thursday nights.

Bistro 829's chefs create modern variations of familiar, homestyle staples by incorporating an assortment of regional and international flavors. Corn grits lend a distinctive Southern twist to the sesame-crusted yellowfin tuna entree, and the signature chicken-fried prime rib comes coated with cream gravy with a uniquely Southwestern-style blend of bacon and poblano peppers. Bartenders spend their evenings mixing specialty cocktails and uncorking bottles of wine to complement entrees and make sure they're prepared in case their crush wants to play spin the bottle.

Beyond the eclectically inspired menu, the dining room embraces a more casual elegance with its décor. Crisp cloths cover the tables, animal-print fabrics adorn the seats, and the walls remain blank to accentuate abstract paintings of jazz ensembles that circle the room.

The aroma of fresh cilantro mingles with slow-cooked pork, grilled tequila-lime chicken, and sautéed tilapia as it wafts through the archways of the spacious dining area and onto a covered outdoor patio lined with rustic wooden tables. Severs deliver Mexican mainstays, such as burrito locos smothered with chili con queso, alongside inventive dishes, such as seafood enchiladas with fresh shrimp and crab smothered in a white-wine cream sauce and served with a side of cilantro-lime rice. Behind the dark-wood bar adorned with flat-screen TVs, servers shake up margaritas with fresh pineapple and coconut to the tune of live music performances and Latin beats on weekly salsa nights.

Tacos y Tortas Adrian tempts appetites with an array of hearty tacos, authentic Mexican tortas, and savory entrees teeming with fresh ingredients. Order up a refreshing canned or bottled soft drink to whet thirsts while you and your fellow diner pore over an epicurean smorgasbord of more than 47 entrees, featuring tacos overflowing with carne asada and tortas—a Latin sandwich served on a soft, hot roll—stuffed with mouth-watering milanesa or eye-watering jalapeños. Zesty flavors emanate from the menu of platos, from which patrons can order tasty fish fillet flanked by rice and garnished with lettuce, or a symphonic quartet of flautas, which swaddles seasoned meat into flutes of crispy tortillas.

Trios transports diners to another world, not only through their cuisine—which includes Mexican staples such as pork-filled tamales, chimichangas, and chile relleno—but through their atmosphere. Guests first encounter a fish tank where bright yellow tangs dart through the water, then walk past arched doorways and ornate blue columns to one of several distinct dining rooms. Dark wooden furniture adds a noble touch to the wine room, while vintage vases lend a rustic comfort to the small room. Outside on the patio, Christmas lights twinkle, and a multitiered fountain provides a place to bathe after meals.