Caracol Houston

Caracol in Houston's Galleria

In the heart of Houston's Galleria, Caracol brings a glitzy, glamorous spin on Mexican coastal cuisine to the dining room. Restaurateurs Tracy Vaught and Hugo Ortega have paired the couple's culinary prowess with a gleaming, upscale eatery that features the best of Mexico's 16 coastal states in a bright, arty space that's inspired by their own beach home. Caracol Houston

Authentic Coastal Mexican dishes, award-winning wine & spirits, and outstanding service await you at Caracol. You'll find delicious appetizers, soups, and salads for lunch or dinner, as well as a tempting dessert menu.

Start with a shrimp broth that looks modest in the sleek amuse-bouches of this age, but sings with an unapologetic note of sea, its long-simmered shells tempered with tomato and red chile. Then reel in dishes like scallop ceviche with mango and papaya or Spanish octopus salad.

There's plenty of seafood to choose from, as well, with whole catches from the wood oven and grill and roasted lobster tails on the side. But the real star is the oyster bar, where Gulf and appellation oysters are served raw or wood-roasted with chipotle butter and a spritz of charred lime.

Other cool crudos on the menu include an intriguing tuna ceviche, brimming with ginger and habanero and flecked with a macadamia nut. But our favorite is the eponymous conch (caracol) ceviche, which is delicately plated and studded with pineapple, red jalapeno, red onion, and cilantro. It's a great, refreshing meal to share with a cocktail in the crisp, refreshing dining room, whose cheerful Charlie Harper paintings of fanciful fish make it feel like you're escaping a tropical resort.

For drinks, you can't go wrong with a fruity margarita or refreshing mojito. The booze selection includes a wide variety of wines and cocktails, as well as some of Houston's finest tequilas and mezcals.

A dazzling Mexican-themed brunch buffet is available each Sunday. You'll find antojitos, marinated vegetable salads, enchiladas, cocteles, and ceviches along with rotating egg dishes and more.

The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, with daily happy hour from 5-7 pm. It also has four private rooms that can accommodate parties of all sizes. Whether you're celebrating a birthday, anniversary, wedding reception or rehearsal dinner, corporate event, or holiday party, Caracol has it all covered.