Times are tough for many people right now. Workers — including parents with kids — are having to work from home or figure out a viable child care situation if they can’t. Grocery store shelves are emptying before the close of the day, and many of us are as nervous about what the future holds. Some Houston restaurant owners — many of which have formalized or stepped up extra sanitation and safety procedures — know that customers need a break. That’s not to mention, at a time when people are hesitant to go out, restaurant owners still need and want to serve them. Here are some that are providing extra incentives for ordering to-go or dining in.

Are you a restaurant or bar owner running a special? Email us the details.

Gr8 Plate Hospitality — Union Kitchen (multiple locations) and Jax Grill at 6510 South Rice and 1613 Shepherd: Kids eat free and owner Paul Miller’s restaurants with the purchase of an adult entree from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition, guests who present an unused rodeo or concert ticket can get 10 percent off their checks. Specifically at The Union Kitchen, unused rodeo drink tickets score $1 off cocktails.

Harold’s Restaurant & Tap Room, 350 West 19th: Families take note: through the end of March, kids 12 and under can dine with their accompanying adults for free. Don’t want to go out? Delivery from Harold’s is also available via Uber, DoorDash and Favor — but doesn’t include the free kids’ meals.

Hungry’s, 2356 Rice and Hungry’s Memorial, 14714 Memorial: These restaurants have dropped the cost of the Family Feast for Four from $60 to an “economically sensitive” price of $45. These meals come with a meaty entrée choice, such as beef and chicken kabob, Southern Fried Chicken or Mama’s Meatloaf and two side choices, including mashed potatoes with Poblano Cream Sauce or Brussels sprouts.

Last Concert Café,1403 Nance: Present a cancelled ticket for the rodeo or any event and get a free cup of queso and chips or a quesadilla. That said, concerts at this venue are still set to go on through next week. Tickets are $10. Visit the website or Facebook page for the performance schedule.

Orleans Seafood Kitchen, 20940 Katy Freeway, Katy: For the rest of March, this Creole and Cajun seafood restaurant in Katy is offering 10-percent discounts both on all to-go orders called directly in to the restaurant as well as those with unused Houston rodeo or carnival tickets. The discount is good for food (not alcohol) and tickets can be presented to the cashier upon checkout. To-go orders can be called in at (281) 646-0700.

Peli Peli (four locations) and Peli Peli Kitchen, 9090 Katy Freeway: All of these innovative South African restaurants are giving customers half off all wine and beer purchased by the bottle. There is no limitation on the type of wine, beer or the brand. Beers include selections from Saint Arnold Brewing Company, No Label Brewing Co, and Karbach Brewing Co., all normally $5 each. This is also a great opportunity to explore South Africa’s wines, such as Tormentoso “Bush Vine” Pinotage (normally $29), Stellenbosch Hills Sauvignon Blanc (normally $29) or Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay (normally $79). Note that this special only applies to wine and beer sold by the the bottle and does not include wine by the glass, cocktails or spirits. Visit at lunchtime and also take advantage of the $25 executive lunch special. 

Rainbow Lodge, 2011 Ella: The restaurant has implemented a safe and swift to-go process — and is giving customers a $20 gift card reward for using it. Check out the menu online, call (713) 861-8666 to place your order and pay, then pull through the valet parking driveway. A staff member will not only bring out your order and the $20 gift card. Third-party delivery is also available via UberEats, DoorDash and GrubHub — but doesn’t come with the gift card reward.

Sticky’s Chicken, 2311 Edwards: Present any canceled event ticket for a 10-percent discount.

Underbelly Hospitality — UB Preserv, Georgia James, The Hay Merchant, One Fifth: Chef Chris Shepherd’s restaurants are taking the edge off the disappointment of all the cancelled events by giving diners ten percent off their meals. To claim the discount, guests just need to present a ticket for a cancelled event that was scheduled through March 31, whether it be for the rodeo, a ballet performance, concert or something else. Note that the discount is on food, not booze.

Voodoo Doughnuts, 3715 Washington: This Sunday (March 15, 2020), folks with a Houston Rodeo ticket stub can redeem them at the new Voodoo Doughnuts at Washington and Waugh. Each ticket holder will receive a free limited-time Rodeo Doughnut. This creation is a chocolate cake doughnut dipped in vanilla frosting and topped with a blue star, red sprinkles and chocolate chips. Voodoo says they will try to have one for each person with a ticket but they suggest it’s best to get there early.

Disclosure: Rainbow Lodge is a wonderful Houston Food Finder sponsor that helps bring you the news we provide. We could use a few more like it to continue our coverage through what’s likely to be several “interesting” weeks ahead. Email us to find out how. Readers can support our work and get rewarded via our Patreon page or simply make a flat-amount dollar amount contribution at GoFundMe. 

Phaedra Cook

Phaedra Cook has written about Houston’s restaurant and bar scene since 2010. She was a regular contributor to My Table magazine (now closed) and was the lead restaurant critic for the Houston Press for two years, eventually being promoted to food editor. Cook founded Houston Food Finder in November 2016 and has been its editor and publisher ever since.