Latin Restaurant Weeks is back, bringing two weeks of specials from restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, and bars across Houston.
The eighth annual event runs September 11 through 25, overlapping with the start of Hispanic Heritage Month and spotlighting Houston’s wide-ranging Latin culinary scene. Participating businesses will offer everything from longtime family recipes to new dishes and limited-time specials created specifically for the event.
“One of the things that makes Latin Restaurant Weeks different is that we give each restaurant the creative freedom to decide what makes the most sense for their business,” said Karinn Chavarria-Luckett, co-founder of Latin Restaurant Weeks. “For some, that might be a family recipe that has been passed down for generations. For others, it might be a new dish they have been wanting to test, a limited-time special, or a chance to put their chef’s point of view front and center. We want the experience to be meaningful for the restaurant and exciting for the diner.”
This year’s lineup stretches across Greater Houston and includes both longtime participants and restaurants making their Latin Restaurant Weeks debut. The Original Ninfa’s, including its Navigation and Uptown locations, returns alongside Casa do Brasil, Comfort Foodies, Fonda Santa Rosa, La Fisheria, Latin Bites, Mi Pueblito Restaurant, Space City Birria, and Sweets by Belen Dessert Boutique, among others.
Newcomers include Casa Ema, El Kourmet, Exilio Latin Flair, La Fogata Latin Fusion, Pinball Pizzeria, Tortas el Enmascarado, and Yuma.
The additions also reflect the increasingly broad definition of Latin dining in Houston. Newly opened Yuma draws from both Brazilian and Cuban traditions for its sandwiches, while La Fogata Latin Fusion blends pan-Latin flavors with Texas influences. Casa Ema, meanwhile, looks to indigenous and ancestral ingredients and techniques.
Exilio Latin Flair brings another notable name to the lineup. The contemporary Latin restaurant, which recently opened in the Harlow District, is led by James Beard Award winner and Nuevo Latino cuisine pioneer Douglas Rodriguez. Known for helping reshape how Latin American cuisine is experienced in the U.S., Rodriguez has led acclaimed restaurants across the country, including most recently Nikos in Durham, North Carolina, which earned a recommendation in the 2025 Michelin Guide.
While some participating restaurants are using the two-week event to showcase new ideas, others are putting generations-old recipes front and center.
“Every single thing in my case is something I am proud of, from the tres leches to the alfajores to the empanadas,” said Belen Bailey, owner of Sweets by Belen Dessert Boutique. “I put my heart into these recipes because they are the desserts I grew up with. These two weeks give me a chance to hand them to people who have never had Peruvian sweets before, and watching that first bite never gets old.”
Latin Restaurant Weeks was also created as a way to drive business to participating restaurants, particularly independently owned establishments that may not have large marketing budgets. Restaurants determine their own specials and how they want to participate rather than following a single prix-fixe format.
Founded in 2019 by Chavarria-Luckett and Warren Luckett, Latin Restaurant Weeks has since grown into a national platform promoting Hispanic-owned culinary businesses through marketing, community engagement, and increased visibility. In addition to Houston, the organization has expanded to Miami, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and New York City. Through a partnership with Feed the Soul Foundation, it also connects underrepresented food entrepreneurs with business resources, scholarships, and emergency funding.
For Houston diners, supporting that mission is as simple as deciding where to eat next. Restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, and bars are participating across Greater Houston, with options for dining in and takeout. Participating locations and individual menus are available at LatinRestaurantWeeks.com.
With two weeks to explore the lineup, the challenge may be fitting it all in.
