Backstreet Café

Inside a charming '30s-era house in Houston’s Montrose neighborhood is the Backstreet Café. The intimate dining room spans two floors, but the real draw for this restaurant is the New Orleans-style patio. Set amongst lush shrubbery and vine-covered arbors, the tree-shaded patio is a favorite of guests looking to enjoy the weather. Executive chef Hugo Ortega serves up a menu of New American cuisine with signature dishes like pecan-crusted chicken and the hulking, aptly-named meatloaf tower. The restaurant is especially popular for its weekend brunch specialties, which include brioche French toast stuffed with bananas and the ever-popular shrimp and stone ground cheese grits.