Top 12 Food & Drink Events in Houston This Month: January 2024

Dine on delicious dishes and enjoy our picks for the top food and drink events taking place around Houston in January 2024.

Start the New Year with a return-to-life brunch at one of Houston’s most treasured Mexican brunch buffets; partake in the annual tradition of pairing chili and craft beer down by the shore; and find out exactly what makes Houston bbq so special as you enjoy all of the culinary offerings Houston has to offer this January.

Top 12 Food & Drink Events in Houston This Month: January 2024

• Vuelve a la Vida Brunch Buffet at Hugo’s | New Year’s Day, Monday, January 1 – Montrose stunner Hugo’s is known for its decadent Mexican Sunday brunch buffet, and as luck would have it, you can enjoy it on New Year’s Day, too. Return to life with Mexican classics like chilaquiles, migas, huevos a la Mexicana, tostadas, chile rellenos, ceviches and more alongside hangover-curing cocktails. $45; $15 per child. 11am to 3pm.
• BBQ Cooking Class at Feges BBQ Spring Branch | Sunday, January 7 – Running monthly through from January to June, Feges BBQ’s experiential pitmaster classes take guests through every element of the art of smoke. Classes are held at the Spring Branch location and include a bbq taco breakfast, coffee and a Feges BBQ lunch spread, plus a swag bag with a slicing knife, custom apron, Feges rubs and sauces, and more. $485. 8am to 2pm.
• Taste of the Championship at Union Station at Minute Maid Park | Sunday, January 7 – This premium dining experience and fundraising event runs on the eve of the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship (this year, held at NRG Stadium on Monday, January 8), offering foodies and fans the opportunity to indulge in gourmet food and drink prepared by local chefs. All proceeds benefit the CFP Foundation’s Extra Yard for Teachers platform. $350; VIP available for $500. 5pm. 
• Yaga’s Chili Quest & Beer Fest at the Strand in Galveston | Saturday, January 13 – The 15th Annual Chili Quest & Beer Fest is back in Galveston’s Historic Downtown Strand District. Visitors can stroll the merchants beginning at 10am; eat their weight in chili samples from the best cook-off teams starting at noon, and enjoy beer tasting starting at 1pm. $13 for chili tasting tickets; $35 for beer tasting tickets, including 24 2-oz. samples and 4 spirit samples. 10am to 6pm.

• Raclette Party on the Patio at Montrose Cheeses & Wine | Saturday, January 13 – Montrose Cheese & Wine is kicking off the new year with its après-ski style Raclette Party on the Patio. Guests can oooh and ahhhh as a full wheel of cheese gets scraped onto their plates, which include potatoes with caramelized onions, cornichons and baguette slices. 1pm to 5pm (or until sold out).
• Hop Topic World’s Annual Chili Cook-Off at Equal Parts Brewing | Sunday, January 14 – Chili and beer go hand in hand, as proven by this annual chili cook-off at Equal Parts brewery in Second Ward. General admission includes unlimited chili samples, a swag bag for early bird ticket-holders, and a token for voting. $18. Noon to 4pm (judging begins at 3pm).
• Houston BBQ Throwdown 2024 at Saint Arnold Beer Hall | Sunday, January 14 – The Houston Barbecue Festival and Saint Arnold Brewing Company are once again teaming up for the 7th annual Houston BBQ Throwdown, where 14 of Houston’s best barbecue restaurants compete to dream up “the next great barbecue dish” to represent Houston’s smoke scene. Tickets, which sell out each year, are $75; VIP available for $130. 1pm to 4pm.
• Chefs for Paws at the C. Baldwin Hotel | Sunday, January 14 – Annual fundraising dinner Chefs for Paws is back to celebrate another year of saving furry lives. Guests can enjoy a seated, multi-course dinner from some of Houston’s top chefs and restaurants—including Alyssa Dole of Hope Farms, Andre Garza of The Chelsea, Eakkapan Ngammuang and Aphassorn Predawan of MaKiin, Top Chef’s Sasha Grumman, and more with all proceeds benefiting Rescued Pets Movement. $250. 5pm to 9pm.

• 8th Annual Hops n’ Hot Sauce Festival at Humble Civic Center | Saturday, January 20 – Hot sauce enthusiasts can taste the fire at the 8th annual festival, featuring fresh craft beer, unlimited samples of hot sauces, salsas, seasonings, and more, food truck eats, and fun events like the Hot Pepper Eating Contest and Spicy Food Eating Challenge. $10; free for ages 12 and under. 11am to 5pm.
• Vegan BrewFest Houston at Eureka Heights Brewing Co. | Saturday, January 20 | No Cover – This family-friendly festival will celebrate vegan fare with an array of plant-based eats, fun games and vibes, and tasting of Eureka Heights brews. Noon to 6pm.
• 2nd Annual Game & Ranch Dinner at Rainbow Lodge | Thursday, January 25 – The iconic lodge restaurant’s second annual Game & Ranch Dinner begins with an Angel’s Envy bourbon and rye tasting reception, with passed game tastes and live Texas-style tunes, at 6pm, followed by a seated four-course wild game and game bird dinner at 6:45pm. Reception begins at 6pm; dinner at 6:45pm. Tickets are limited to 50 guests; $215 per person (on sale Friday, January 5). 6pm.
• Taste of the Town at the Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center | Thursday, January 25 – This foodie festival brings together 40 of the area’s finest restaurants, caterers, bakeries, delis, and beverage companies for a sampling extravaganza. $45 in advance; $50 at the door, includes two alcoholic drink tickets and unlimited food samples, water and soft drinks. 5pm to 9pm.

Don’t Miss Out on Tomorrow’s Fun!