TEXAS
The 15 Best Restaurants in Beaumont, According to Someone Who Actually Eats Here
Buckskin Brewing Company
By Rebecca Thompson | April 13, 2025
When people ask what Beaumont is known for, I usually say oil, humidity, and boudin—not necessarily in that order. But in the last few years, something has shifted. When I come to town to visit the Beaumont side of my family, I’ve discovered new restaurants have opened, old ones have gotten better, and chefs who used to bolt for Houston or Austin are sticking around, doing interesting things with crawfish and curry leaves. I’ve spent many nights eating through this city—dodging hurricane-season mosquitoes and bad lighting—just to bring you this list, the best restaurants right now in Beaumont.
1. Sweet Basil Vietnamese Noodle House
4026 Dowlen Rd | Instagram
Chef/owner Calvin Pham’s Sweet Basil feels like a secret you want to protect. The dishes that truly make this place special: smoked wagyu brisket pho, Viet-Cajun-style crawfish boils, whole fish under a green papaya salad, and the iced coffee could resurrect you from the deepest of hangovers. Yes, it shares a strip mall with a Hobby Lobby, but the noodle bowls put out by this charming-on-the-inside spot make it just simply the best restaurants in Beaumont.
2. Buckstin Brewing Co.
6280 Phelan Blvd | Website | Instagram
Most local breweries serve chicken fingers and hope the IPA does the talking. Buckstin actually put effort into the menu. The pizza dough is fermented in-house, the green beans come crispy-fried with ranch, and the beer list reads like someone’s thesis on Texas malt. Bonus: It doesn’t feel like a frat house.
3. Tacos La Bamba
2005 Calder Ave | Website | Instagram
This is where I send people who think Tex-Mex is the same as Mexican food. Tacos La Bamba doesn’t mess around with its traditional Mexican dishes: lengua, tripa, al pastor, all served on warm corn tortillas with a side of “are you sure you’re ready for this?” The salsa verde hits like a threat, but the kind you come back for.
4. Chaba Thai Bistro
6434 Phelan Blvd | Website | Instagram
If the phrase “Texas Thai” makes you nervous, Chaba is here to reassure you. The green curry is hotter than you’d expect, the tom yum sings with lime, and the pad see ew is solid enough to make you briefly forget what strip mall you’re in.
5. Daddio’s Burger
4230 Calder Ave | Website | Instagram
You know a place takes its burgers seriously when they bother roasting hatch chiles and making garlic aioli in-house. Daddio’s does both. It’s fast-casual but with ambition, and the sweet potato fries aren’t just a throw-in—they’re crispy enough to make you reconsider your stance on sides.
6. Frankie’s Italian Grill
105 I-10 | Website | Instagram
Frankie’s feels like it should be in an early Scorsese movie, with red booths and a bar that smells like Chianti and sausage. The lasagna is the kind that comes out in molten brick form, and the seafood pasta doesn’t skimp on shrimp. Nobody’s reinventing anything here—and bless them for that.
7. Elsa’s Greek Grill
2604 Dowlen Rd | Website | Instagram
Elsa’s is your weekday lunch MVP—quick, fresh, and just chaotic enough to feel local. The gyros are overloaded (in a good way), the hummus tastes house-made, and they’ll let you sub a side Greek salad without rolling their eyes. Mediterranean, but with a Texas-sized portion.
8. Monica’s
6385 Calder Ave | Website | Instagram
If you’ve lived here long enough, you probably remember chef Monica Cobb’s restaurant as the healthy-ish spot in a city where dinner often means fried and covered in gravy. The new location ditches the traditional restaurant concept for an event space that opens up for wedding receptions, birthdays, and whatever special occasion you can use to explain why you’re coming back.
9. Carmela’s Mexican Restaurant
3925 Calder Ave | Website | Instagram
Carmela’s looks like the kind of place where you might find a good margarita and a laminated menu—and you will—but the food here is surprisingly legit. The housemade corn tortillas are soft and smoky, and the green chile enchiladas land with a pleasant burn that builds instead of slaps. Come on a Sunday and you’ll be surrounded by families who’ve been coming here since back when Carmela herself still ran the register.
10. Riverside Grille
290 Crockett St | Website | Instagram
With its golden chandelier, tufted leather banquettes, and tall columns, the Riverside Grille feels like a special night out. But you’re mostly here for the fried shrimp, the tangy-sweet-glazed ribs, and the feeling that this is one of the last true mostly locals joints in downtown.
11. Rao’s Bakery
2596 Calder Ave | Website | Instagram
Technically a bakery, but Rao’s functions more like Beaumont’s unofficial city hall. You’ll find politicians and preachers nursing cappuccinos while eyeing the cannoli. The king cake’s worth a detour during Mardi Gras, but the real move is a hefty slice of pepperoni-piled pizza that you’ll try and fail not to eat before you get back to the car.
12. The Grill at Calder
6680 Calder Ave | Instagram
The Grill wants to be your anniversary dinner spot—and, if you live here, it probably already is. The menu leans on lobster bisque and filet mignon, and the décor is the Beaumont version of fancy: dim lights, black napkins, a lot of granite. No surprises, but that’s the point.
13. J Wilson’s
4190 Gladys Ave | Website | Instagram
Every comfort food place wants to be your cure for a tough day. J Wilson’s just happens to do it better, with whiskey flights, shrimp and grits, and a griddle-fried cinnamon roll the size of a steering wheel. Come early or find yourself waiting behind a hefty crowd of people who know better.
14. Taz Indian Cuisine
5868 Eastex Fwy | Website | Instagram
At Taz, you’re joining the line at the lunch buffet next to refinery workers in reflective vests, business people dressed up for their office jobs. That’s how you know it’s good, and Indian-American families who know this is the real deal. The tikka masala is rich without being gloopy, the dosa actually crackles when it hits the table, and the buffet—when running—is the best under-$15 meal in Beaumont.
15. Tia Juanita’s Fish Camp
5555 Calder Ave | Website | Instagram
This mini chain is the kind of place where you can hear the zydeco band before you find parking. Tia Juanita’s is loud, fun, and totally unapologetic about its Cajun-Mex crossover menu. The crawfish quesadilla and grilled gator plate are mainstays, and the micheladas could power a pontoon boat.
Rebecca Thompson has held many jobs: daily newspaper scribe; middle-school math teacher; and mom of a troublemaking tomboy. She’s searched her home state of Texas for the best brisket and tacos and will spend days debating the merits of combining the two.
