Sleep on Houston at your own peril.
Black Houston offers something for everyone, with well-known places to get the best food, entertainment, culture, spirituality and nature fixes that you’re seeking.
Still, those Houston spots you may not have heard of just yet may offer the biggest bang for your buck, like these five underappreciated Houston-area Black gems.
Fresh Houwse Grocery
5039 Reed Rd., Houston, TX 77033
(713) 419-9976
www.blackfarmerbox.com/fresh-houwse-grocery
Fresh Houwse Grocery is a Black-owned grocer located in the heart of Sunnyside that offers organic fruits, vegetables and much more, all produced by Black farmers, ranchers and entrepreneurs. It’s the love child of Jeremy Peaches and Ivy Walls, both forces to be reckoned with. The two entrepreneur-activists, who have thriving businesses outside of the grocery store, joined forces under the banner of their mutual love for their community and passion for fresh foods grown by Black farmers. Enter Fresh Houwse Grocery, the pair’s vehicle of resistance from the food desert reality that undermines the holistic health of Peaches’ and Walls’ beloved Sunnyside.
Sunshine’s Vegetarian Deli and Health Food Store
3102 Old Spanish Trail (OST), Houston, TX 77054
(713) 643-2884
For you vegans in the building, y’all already know the deal. Sunshine’s has a burger for you… and some garlic kale… and some vegan nachos, etc. And the food is loved not only by vegans, but folk who just like good food. Period. Using as much organically grown and local produce as possible, Sunshine’s has been creating deliciously innovative meals and unique vegetarian recipes for over 30 years! And throughout this spot’s existence, from its original home on MLK Blvd to where it resides now on OST and its second location on Lockwood, Sunshine’s has been a favorite spot for Houston’s progressive crowd.
Alief Neighborhood Center
11903 Bellaire Blvd., Houston, TX 77072
(281) 564-8130
alief@houstontx.gov
In January 2023, the City of Houston celebrated the grand opening of the new Alief Neighborhood Center with a community open house. And though the event was very well attended, this neighborhood center still ranks as a hidden gem. The Defender covered an event at the center in June and discovered the center is so much more than a brick-and-mortar structure. It is literally the heartbeat of Alief. The structure itself sits on acreage, offering residents every kind of family-friendly activity possible. On any given weekday morning, afternoon or early evening, the Alief Neighborhood Center is bustling with positive, uplifting activities that, combined, create an energy that is nothing short of amazing.
CLASS Bookstore
3803 Sampson, Suite C, Houston, TX 77004
(346) 471-4957
If the phrase “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog” were a physical business, it would be Houston’s own CLASS Bookstore. What began as an online movement and offering transformed a few years ago into a physical shop located in the shadows of both Texas Southern University and Jack Yates High School. And CLASS Bookstore wasted no time. It came out swinging immediately. Not only is CLASS’s vibe conscious, progressive, uplifting and unapologetically us, the store’s programming is second-to-none. CLASS has hosted, organized and sponsored events featuring the likes of Dr. Daniel Black, the author and college educator who went viral for his delivery of one of the most iconic graduation speeches in “the history of ever.”
CLASS also hosted author talks with former presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke and the most popular and on fire author who is on the verge of becoming a household name—P. Djeli Clark. And CLASS is host to countless other community-healing-centered activities, including spoken word events and ongoing Community Healing Circles. Owned and operated by the husband and wife dynamic duo of David and Dara Landry, CLASS Bookstore is the epitome of an underappreciated Houston gem.
La Maison in Midtown
2800 Brazos St, Houston, TX 77006
(713) 529-3600
Talk about an under-appreciated gem. La Maison in Midtown is a Black women-owned bed & breakfast that is a must-experience spot where you can escape from the city… literally in the heart of the city. This urban bed and breakfast is owned and founded by Houston attorney Genora Boykins and her business partner, Sharon Owens, the epitome of brilliant, boss women. Via La Maison in Midtown, this duo offers visitors a peaceful, relaxing environment within walking distance of some of Houston’s finest restaurants and most lively entertainment venues. This three-story haven, built in 2010, offers seven luxurious guest rooms, each with its unique décor, private bath and amenities. The privacy, the bomb breakfast, the living and chilling spaces, all add up to a must-experience spot, whether you’re visiting Houston or are a longtime native of the Bayou City.
