Taste of the Town brings together 40-plus restaurants in The Woodlands area

The annual Taste of the Town event was held Jan. 25 at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center, featuring samples of food from more than 40 local restaurants. The event is held by The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce with Visit The Woodlands as the presenting sponsor.

Judges as well as attendees choose several "best of" awards throughout the night. According to the chamber, this year's winners are:

• People’s choice: Back Table Kitchen and Bar
• Best appetizer: Tommy Bahama Restaurant and Bar
• Best entree: Avenida Brazil Churrascaria Steakhouse
• Best dessert: Joyful Boba and Fresh Juice

Chef Beatriz Martines of Xalisco Cocina Mexicana on Lake Woodlands Drive said the event was the first Taste of the Town in which her restaurant, which opened in February 2023, has participated.

"I was invited to participate," she said at the event. "It's a great opportunity to let people know we are in the area; we hope to get more customers."

Locally owned restaurants offered samples, but other types of businesses also participated in the event. Tommy Bahama Home, which opened in 2021, took part to help spread awareness of the location at Market Street, design consultant Kelly Krumrey said. Other attendees included everything from financial services to Two Tones Dueling Piano Bar, which recently opened in Oak Ridge North and provided entertainment at the event.

Also of note

Some vendors also come from outside of The Woodlands. Speedsportz Racing Park from New Caney returned to the event and offered beverages to guests.

"It's a huge community presence to allow everyone to get to know our name, since we're not directly in The Woodlands," said Jesi Garza, who specializes in sales and events for the racing park.

The event was the 38th annual Taste of the Town, which last year attracted about 2,200 guests and was projected to serve a potential 3,000 this year.