Restaurants in Friendswood

Sounds of laughter and clinking glasses resound through the colorful walls of Madres Restaurant’s expansive dining room, where families and friends convene over authentic Mexican dishes morning and night. In the kitchen, chefs tend grills that sizzle with fresh steaks, seafood, and vegetables, whipping up specialties such as tender carne asada or creamy chicken poblano. Pots simmer with more than 10 varieties of meat, seafood, and vegetarian enchiladas.

Out in the dining room, dishes are joined by fruity margaritas and imported Mexican beers atop numerous tables and cushy booths. Warm lanterns and lush plants dangle from the ceilings, and ornamental Mexican artwork adorns the walls. Outside, an awning shades a front patio from the sun, rain, and falling anvils.

Known for its award-winning margaritas, Don Julio’s also wins guests over at several Texas locations with a variety of Mexican specialties, including guacamole made tableside. The chefs take pride in using fresh chicken, housemade chipotle sauce, seafood bought fresh at local Kemah markets, and a hearty amount of beans and avocado to flavor dishes. Entrees take their names from various Mexican cities, such as the Puerto Vallarta—a combination of enchiladas, tacos, tamales, and puffed chili con queso.

When the slow-roasted prime rib is cooked to tender perfection, a chef comes over, carves into it with a knife, and sends freshly loaded plates out into the dining room. That’s the way things have worked at Peppers Restaurant since it opened in 1995. The establishment's homemade take on hearty eats is evident in not only the hand-carved prime rib, but also the house-concocted sauces and seasonings, such as the chicken florentine’s white-wine-mushroom cream and the blackened redfish’s Cajun spices. The steakhouse revolves around USDA Choice cut steaks and deep-fried seafood, although the menu also features a worldly mix of pastas, enchiladas, burgers, and salads harvested from the rainforest.