Houston World Cup 2026: Where to Eat, Drink & Watch the Matches Like a Local

Seven matches. NRG Stadium. Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands. Half a million visitors. We have lived here for over a decade and we are going to tell you, with absolutely zero diplomacy, exactly where to eat.

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Houston Is About to Have the Best Summer in Its History

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From June 14 to July 4, 2026, NRG Stadium — officially "Houston Stadium" during the tournament — hosts seven matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Three top-ten teams play here. Half a million visitors are about to find out what we have been quietly enjoying for years: Houston is one of the great food cities in America. Possibly THE great food city in America. We will let you decide. We have a guess.

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We are Sweet Paris. We started here in 2013. We have eight Houston-area locations from City Centre to Sugar Land to The Woodlands. We have spent over a decade feeding Houstonians, their kids, their visiting in-laws, and their hungover Sunday selves. This is our hometown. We have opinions. Here they are.

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The Houston Match Schedule at NRG Stadium

All seven matches kick off at NRG Stadium in the Texas Medical Center / South Loop area. Times shown in Central Time.

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•      Sunday, June 14 — 12:00 PM CT: Germany vs. Curaçao (Group F opener)

•      Wednesday, June 17 — 12:00 PM CT: Portugal vs. DR Congo (Group E)

•      Saturday, June 20 — 12:00 PM CT: Netherlands vs. Sweden (Group F)

•      Tuesday, June 23 — 12:00 PM CT: Portugal vs. Uzbekistan (Group E)

•      Friday, June 26 — 7:00 PM CT: Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia (Group H)

•      Monday, June 29 — 12:00 PM CT: Round of 32 (matchup TBD)

•      Saturday, July 4 — 12:00 PM CT: Round of 16 (matchup TBD)

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Note: Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal plays in Houston twice. If you go to one match, this is the answer.

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Where to Eat in Houston — A Short, Strongly-Held Shortlist

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Below is the list of places we would send our own friends to. Skip everything else. (We are mostly kidding. But also: not entirely.)

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Best Steakhouse— Pappas Bros. Steakhouse on Westheimer

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We will die on this hill: Pappas Bros. Steakhouse on Westheimer is the best steakhouse in the world. Not in Houston. Not in Texas. In the world. Michelin Recommended. Wine Spectator Grand Award every year since 2010 (over 6,000 wines). Master Sommelier on the floor. Dry-aged in-house. The bone-in ribeye is the answer. The wedge salad has earned its reputation. The service is from a different industry. If you are flying into Houston for one swing-for-the-fences dinner, this is it. End of discussion.

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Best Barbeque— Pinkerton’s Barbecue

We are currently obsessed with Pinkerton’s. Their brisket is genuinely rude — rude because once you have had it, the comparison ruins you for other brisket. Michelin Bib Gourmand. Texas Monthly Top 50, three cycles running. Grant Pinkerton learned by doing and is now one of the best pitmasters in the state. Get the beef rib (it sells out before midday — go early), the brisket, the St. Louis-style ribs. Do not be reasonable about portion sizes.

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Best Tex-Mex — El Tiempo Cantina (or Los Tios in West University)

Tex-Mex was invented in Houston. Sorry, San Antonio. Two correct answers depending on your vibe:

El Tiempo Cantina, multiple locations, is the upscale Tex-Mex classic — fajitas, enchiladas, frozen margaritas, the room. The local power-lunch move.

Los Tios in West University is the neighborhood institution that has been around since the 1970s. Order the cheese enchiladas. Order chips and salsa twice. Watch generations of Houstonians eat the exact meal their parents ate. This is Houston in its purest form.

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Best Mexican — Hugo’s

Important distinction: Tex-Mex and Mexican are not the same cuisine. Hugo Ortega’s Hugo’s on Westheimer is interior Mexican — the food he grew up eating in Puebla. James Beard award. Order the cochinita pibil. Order the mole. Order the table-side guacamole because the show is half the point. Reservations essential, and by "essential" we mean: book before you get on the plane.

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Best Sushi — Uchi

Uchi on Westheimer is the move. Tyson Cole’s Japanese, originally from Austin, but the Houston outpost is just as serious. The hot rock dish is iconic. The yellowtail with jalapeño. The hama chili. Sit at the bar if you can get a seat. If you cannot, sit anywhere they will put you.

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Best Chinese — Maison Chinoise

Maison Chinoise on West Gray in the River Oaks Shopping Center is what is happening in Houston right now. Chef Jordan He came from Wing Lei at Wynn Las Vegas, which was the first Chinese restaurant in North America to earn a Michelin star. Peking duck. Wagyu and truffle fried rice. Pork soup dumplings with lobster essence. The space is moody and beautiful. The cocktails are taken seriously in the right way. This is fine-dining Chinese in a city that finally has a fine-dining Chinese answer. Reservations essential during the World Cup window.

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The bes Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert, Lunch & Dinner. The best everything else! — Sweet Paris

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OK. Here it comes. The pitch. We are Sweet Paris and we are going to be completely, unembarrassedly, ridiculously enthusiastic about ourselves right now. You have been warned.

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Sweet Paris. Eight Houston-area locations. Open from 8 AM through dinner. French crêpes that are, hand on heart, the best in Texas. Croffles (the croissant-waffle hybrid that is quietly the best new pastry to hit Houston in years). Savory crêpes for lunch and dinner. A full bar with the best frozen mimosas in the city. Espresso pulled by people who actually understand espresso. And a kids’ menu that means you can bring your children somewhere with a real menu and not just chicken fingers.

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We are not going to pretend we are cool about this. Sweet Paris is, hand on heart, where we would take a visiting friend who said "where should I eat before the match?" or "where should I eat after the match?" or "where should I eat for breakfast tomorrow?" or "where can I get something sweet and unique in Houston?"

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The answer to all four is Sweet Paris. Pre-game brunch at Rice Village or Highland Village (both 8–10 miles from NRG). Post-match dessert at any of the eight. Hangover brunch the next morning. Repeat.

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And the dessert — wait. We have a whole section about Le Champion below. Save room.

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Where to Watch the Matches if You Do Not Have Tickets

Match tickets to Houston games are largely sold out and resale is brutal. Do not lose sleep over it. Houston has multiple options that are arguably more fun than sitting in a 95-degree stadium parking lot at noon.

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The official Houston Fan Festival at Discovery Green

Free, downtown, giant screens, food vendors, live music, the actual atmosphere of a World Cup without the $400 ticket. If you have kids and want them to feel the tournament, this is the move.

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Sports bars where the crowd actually understands soccer

Pitch 25 in EaDo is the dedicated soccer bar — Dynamo supporters, multiple screens, the crowd knows the offside rule. Lucky’s Pub on Caroline for louder, beer-heavier energy. Christian’s Tailgate for casual American pub.

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Family-friendly watch parties (a.k.a. us, look, we warned you)

Honest situation: most Houston sports bars are not great places for kids. Loud, crowded, fryer smoke, no real food beyond wings and burgers. Every Sweet Paris Houston location is running the match-day promo (more below), has a full kids’ menu, and is an actual sit-down restaurant rather than a bar with food. Our City Centre, Cinco Ranch, Bridgeland, and Sugar Land Town Square locations have particularly good group seating. Reserve a table for big knockout matches — we will fill up.

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Sweet Paris Houston Locations Mapped to NRG Stadium

Eight Sweet Paris locations across the greater Houston area. Driving times below are off-peak; add 15–30 minutes for game-day traffic into the South Loop.

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•      Rice Village (2420 Rice Blvd, Houston 77005): Closest to NRG Stadium — about 8 miles, 15-minute drive. Best for pre-game brunch.

•      Highland Village (2701 Drexel Dr, Houston 77027): Roughly 10 miles from NRG, in the Galleria area. Easy parking, big patio.

•      City Centre (797 Sorella Ct, Houston 77024): On the west side near I-10 and the Beltway. Best for fans driving in from Katy or Memorial.

•      Cinco Ranch (23501 Cinco Ranch Blvd, Katy 77494): Far west. Best if you are staying near Katy.

•      Town Square (15911 City Walk, Sugar Land 77479): Southwest, off US-59. Great for fans staying in Sugar Land or Missouri City.

•      Bridgeland (20240 Summit Point Crossing, Cypress 77433): Northwest. Best for fans staying in Cypress or Tomball.

•      Market Street (9595 Six Pines Dr, The Woodlands 77380): Far north. Best for fans staying in The Woodlands or Spring.

•      Baybrook Mall (700 Baybrook Mall, Friendswood 77546): Southeast. Closest of the southern locations to NRG via 288 and the Beltway.

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The $2 Game-Day Beverage Promo

Here is the deal in plain English. During every World Cup match played in Houston (all seven of them), and during every match featuring the USA or France no matter where it is played, every Sweet Paris Houston location offers the following for $2:

•      French Riviera Cocktails

•      Mimosas

•      Frozen Mimosas (with our branded soccer-ball umbrella, available starting June 8)

•      Beer

•      Select wine offerings

SMS alerts go out the morning of every promo day. The fastest way to get them is to join the Sweet Paris rewards program through the app.

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Le Champion: The World Cup Crêpe (And Yes, We Are Going to Brag)

We made a crêpe for this tournament. It is called Le Champion. We are not going to be cool about it.

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Le Champion is a chocolate crêpe filled with Nutella mousse and drizzled with dulce de leche in a soccer-net pattern. It is finished with whipped cream, dark chocolate shavings, powdered sugar, and a — we are completely serious — actual edible gold chocolate soccer ball on top.

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It is the most photographed dessert we have put on a menu in years. It is, in our extremely-not-humble opinion, the best dessert in Houston during the World Cup window. We will defend this. We have receipts.

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Available June 1 through July 31 at all eight Houston locations.

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Also on the menu: the Creamy Pepper Jack Chicken savory crêpe. Seasoned chicken, sautéed vegetables, mozzarella, pepper jack cheese sauce, served with a Dijon-tossed spring mix salad. The grown-up pre-game lunch. Order it with a frozen mimosa and watch the noon kickoff like a civilized person.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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How many World Cup matches are being played in Houston?

Seven matches at NRG Stadium (officially "Houston Stadium" during the tournament) between June 14 and July 4, 2026. Five group-stage matches, one Round of 32 (June 29), and one Round of 16 (July 4).

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Where is NRG Stadium and how do I get there?

NRG Stadium is at 1 NRG Pkwy, Houston, TX 77054, in the Texas Medical Center area. It is served by the METRORail Red Line (Stadium Park/Astrodome station) and has on-site parking, though rideshare is strongly recommended on match days.

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What are the best restaurants in Houston for World Cup visitors?

For the best steakhouse in the world (we are biased and serious), Pappas Bros. Steakhouse on Westheimer. For barbecue, Pinkerton’s (Michelin Bib Gourmand). For Tex-Mex, El Tiempo Cantina or Los Tios in West University. For interior Mexican, Hugo’s. For sushi, Uchi. For modern Chinese, Maison Chinoise. For breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, and dessert: our eight Sweet Paris Houston locations.

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Where can I watch the World Cup in Houston with kids?

Family-friendly watch options include the official Houston Fan Festival at Discovery Green (free, outdoor, downtown) and Sweet Paris Houston locations, which offer a full kids’ menu and a $2 game-day beverage promotion for adults during every Houston match and every USA / France match.

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Is Sweet Paris running any World Cup specials in Houston?

Yes. During every World Cup match played in Houston, and every match featuring the USA or France, all eight Sweet Paris Houston locations offer $2 French Riviera Cocktails, Mimosas, Frozen Mimosas, beer, and select wines. The Le Champion seasonal crêpe (chocolate crêpe with Nutella mousse, dulce de leche, and an edible gold soccer ball) is available June 1 through July 31.

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What time do the Houston World Cup matches start?

Six of the seven Houston matches kick off at 12:00 PM Central Time. One match — Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia on Friday, June 26 — is a 7:00 PM CT evening kickoff.

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See You at the Stadium. Or at Brunch. Or Both.

Houston has spent a decade quietly building itself into one of America’s great food cities. The World Cup is about to put that on global display. Whether you are flying in for a single match or watching every minute from a brunch table, we would love to feed you.

Order Online | Find a Houston Location | Join Rewards for $2 Game-Day Alerts

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Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café — Eight locations across greater Houston, serving breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, and very strong frozen mimosas.

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