Tainan Bistro

It was a pleasant experience eating here. The grilled steak and grilled squid were both delicious. Marinated cold beef was great. Service was great and gave me a sense of home. Would definitely go back again.

The best thing here is their oyster omelette 蚝煎/柯仔煎, which is very famous in Guangdong or Taiwan. Other bento boxes are also very delicious. The store has been open since 2016, when I was a student - very high value and friendly to students, we could spend less than 10$ for a full meal. You cannot find such a delicious fast food store anymore anywhere. We left Houston 2019 but I always missed their oyster pancake and today I brought my whole family back to this restaurant. I wish there is something similar in Austin!

Tainan bistro is a hidden gem! As a Taiwanese, this place totally reminds me of childhood. You cannot beat how affordable this place is. The quality resembles home cooked meals and truly was so delicious. Portion was great. I eat a lot and I left full. Definitely worth a visit for some authentic Taiwanese/Chinese food

Very delicious and affordable hole in the wall Taiwanese restaurant that sell different rice plates. The portions are huge and includes a bit of everything such as the meat, rice, veggies, pickled veggies, and an egg. I've had the popcorn chicken rice plate and the pork chop rice plate. I feel like the popcorn chicken used to have more flavor a while ago, but it seems to be less seasoned on my last couple visits. It's still very good however I would prefer how they seasoned it more back then. I would definitely come here for lunch especially if you want a quick budget meal that will fill you up! They also have a lunch bento option where you pick two meats and two vegetables if you're looking for more variety for your lunch plate.

OMG, after years of my Mom coming here to get delicious baozi to take home along with other great takeout foods, I thought that they were moving away from the one item we used to come on a regular basis to get. But today I discovered their Seafood chow mein and I was amazed by their fresh oysters and clams and that down-home Taiwanese cuisine taste with mushrooms and veggies... so umami, you can't stand it. The freshest oysters for peeps who love the traditional oyster omelet... They also still have plenty of delicious takeout like Taiwanese ground pork already cooked, so you just need fresh rice or noodles to complement it at home. They have a hot table format for those who like to see what they are eating and have it ASAP.

This is what we call high CP restaurant. Bento is only 7.5 cash but what you get is pretty good. Would recommend the braided pork hock, stir fried chayote and egg plant. Overall the amount is huge for the price. If you order the curry beef, it has a lot of meat in there. If you are hungry and want some good food, this is the place.

Kate X

This is a casual Taiwanese restaurant in Houston Chinatown. The food was cheap and delicious, but the environment was slightly dirty and old. We got the oyster pancake, fried chicken with squid tempura, beef noodle soup and lurou noodle - all were very good and filling. There was complementary soup as well - though it was mostly sesame oil in hot water with some bits of egg and tomatoes.

Phoebe S.

The food here is absolutely delicious and authentic! The fried chicken steak is a solid 10/10 — hands down the best Taiwanese-style chicken I’ve had in Texas so far. Highly recommend this place!

Anton S.

Good comfort food for great price! They have buffet style and menu dishes. Super friendly service. Highly recommend taiwanese popcorn chicken 盐酥鸡

Zoey Ma

The oyster pancake is a must get!! The food here is so authentic and delicious. They make the jiucai he zi themselves in house and they are so cheap only $5 for 2! The people who work here are also just so nice and friendly, I felt like I was with my family in Taiwan again.

Kevin Wang

Lovely, authentic Taiwanese cuisine The owner is so friendly and heartwarming. Portions are quite generous and the food tastes great while being extremely affordable. I’ve tried the salt and paper fried chicken nuggets and it’s always well-seasoned, freshly fried, and juicy. The pork bento box features massive portion sizes with two pork chops, numerous tender pieces of vegetables, and more. It’s a true hole-in-the-wall place so the atmosphere isn’t the most upscale. There’s plenty of seating, it’s clean, and there’s self-serve soup but it could use a makeover.

Janice Tsai

Upon entering the restaurant, we were immediately greeted by the friendly owner. There is a wide range of Taiwanese dishes that ranged from street foods to restaurant dishes. There’s a self-serving section with water, sauces, utensils and complimentary soup (egg drop with tomato; it tasted similar to what my mom made at home growing up). We ordered the stomach, oyster vermicelli noodle soup (豬肚蚵仔麵線）, braised pork rice (肉粽飯), tempura with fried chicken (甜不辣鹹酥雞) and the pork chop steak. The owner also incredibly generous and served us homemade Taiwanese sausage to try out. The flavours of all the dishes we ordered were authentic and reminded me of home. Portions were generous and pricing is affordable. Highly recommend this gem of a place. We will definitely visit again to try out other dishes!

Jamie Cheng

We’ve been visiting this place many times now—sometimes once a week. As a Taiwanese myself, I would say it’s truly a gem with lots of Taiwanese street food that is hard to find elsewhere. Overall, the taste is pretty authentic (of course, not comparing to the ones I had in Taiwan but comparing to other ones I’ve tried in the US cities). Our favorite has been their chicken/beef steak on a hot plate! The noodles and sauce are both pretty good—a hearty meal I would recommend to everyone :)

Daniel Reece

Tainan Bistro is hands down the best place for Taiwanese-style food in Houston! I’ve been coming here once a week, and it never disappoints. Their 3 Cup Chicken is absolutely phenomenal... perfectly cooked with incredible flavor. The dishes are always fresh, authentic, and satisfying. The staff is friendly, the service is quick, and the atmosphere is cozy. If you’re craving authentic Taiwanese cuisine, this is the spot. Highly recommend!

Yelper Lou MC

Tainan Bistro is my go-to place for reasonably priced lunch boxes and many delicious Taiwanese food. Great service and nice place to sit down to enjoy the meal. My recent discovery on the Teppanyaki is now my favorite. Oh 3 cup chicken tastes really good too.

Joshua Chen

The food made me miss home. The chicken was so juicy, and the eggs were excellent. It was true Taiwanese-style food, and my girlfriend and I had a very satisfying lunch.

Garrett Lo

Tainan bistro is a hidden gem! As a Taiwanese, this place totally reminds me of childhood. You cannot beat how affordable this place is. The quality resembles home cooked meals and truly was so delicious. Portion was great. I eat a lot and I left full. Definitely worth a visit for some authentic Taiwanese/Chinese food

Liangzi Ellis

It was a pleasant experience eating here. The grilled steak and grilled squid were both delicious. Marinated cold beef was great. Service was great and gave me a sense of home. Would definitely go back again.

Yingying Xu

The best thing here is their oyster omelette 蚝煎/柯仔煎, which is very famous in Guangdong or Taiwan. Other bento boxes are also very delicious. The store has been open since 2016, when I was a student - very high value and friendly to students, we could spend less than 10$ for a full meal. You cannot find such a delicious fast food store anymore anywhere. We left Houston 2019 but I always missed their oyster pancake and today I brought my whole family back to this restaurant. I wish there is something similar in Austin!

Chau Ha

Very delicious and affordable hole in the wall Taiwanese restaurant that sell different rice plates. The portions are huge and includes a bit of everything such as the meat, rice, veggies, pickled veggies, and an egg. I've had the popcorn chicken rice plate and the pork chop rice plate. I feel like the popcorn chicken used to have more flavor a while ago, but it seems to be less seasoned on my last couple visits. It's still very good however I would prefer how they seasoned it more back then. I would definitely come here for lunch especially if you want a quick budget meal that will fill you up! They also have a lunch bento option where you pick two meats and two vegetables if you're looking for more variety for your lunch plate.

Faye Ku

OMG, after years of my Mom coming here to get delicious baozi to take home along with other great takeout foods, I thought that they were moving away from the one item we used to come on a regular basis to get. But today I discovered their Seafood chow mein and I was amazed by their fresh oysters and clams and that down-home Taiwanese cuisine taste with mushrooms and veggies... so umami, you can't stand it. The freshest oysters for peeps who love the traditional oyster omelet... They also still have plenty of delicious takeout like Taiwanese ground pork already cooked, so you just need fresh rice or noodles to complement it at home. They have a hot table format for those who like to see what they are eating and have it ASAP.

Baron

This is what we call high CP restaurant. Bento is only 7.5 cash but what you get is pretty good. Would recommend the braided pork hock, stir fried chayote and egg plant. Overall the amount is huge for the price. If you order the curry beef, it has a lot of meat in there. If you are hungry and want some good food, this is the place.

Best bang for your bucks on their lunch box at 8 bucks flat, tax included! Free soup when dining in. Cheaper than Yellow River and they not stingy on the portion too like YR.

charles Lou

Best bang for your bucks on their lunch box at 8 bucks flat, tax included! Free soup when dining in. Cheaper than Yellow River and they not stingy on the portion too like YR.

Small shop but surprisingly has large selection of Taiwanese and Chinese dishes. I think it is worthwhile to check it up if you are craving for Taiwanese food. Unfortunately, it requires some major interior improvements to make this place a better experience.

This is a place to go when you feel homesick. Owner has always been friendly and warm, with a smiling face. Bento with 2 veggies and 2 meats has good flavors and portions, filling for an adult male. Sizzling steak tastes like back home. Steak could be a bit more tender and black pepper sauce was a bit too spicy for my personal taste. But like I indicated previously, you go there for the sense of home. I am a repeat patron.

The owner is super friendly, the portions are generous, the menu is incredibly diverse, and the place is filled with authentic Taiwanese flavors.

Man Xue

Small shop but surprisingly has large selection of Taiwanese and Chinese dishes. I think it is worthwhile to check it up if you are craving for Taiwanese food. Unfortunately, it requires some major interior improvements to make this place a better experience.

Steven Hung

The owner is super friendly, the portions are generous, the menu is incredibly diverse, and the place is filled with authentic Taiwanese flavors.

H. C.

This is a place to go when you feel homesick. Owner has always been friendly and warm, with a smiling face. Bento with 2 veggies and 2 meats has good flavors and portions, filling for an adult male. Sizzling steak tastes like back home. Steak could be a bit more tender and black pepper sauce was a bit too spicy for my personal taste. But like I indicated previously, you go there for the sense of home. I am a repeat patron.