Mai's Restaurant • 1979

Houston's first Vietnamese restaurant started in 1978 when refugees Phin and Phac Nguyen transformed their Midtown pool hall into a late-night sanctuary for pho, Bo Luc Lac, and Vietnamese egg rolls. Named after their daughter Mai—meaning 'golden flower'—the family business survived a devastating fire in 2010 and now thrives under third-generation owner Anna Pham, still serving until 3 a.m. on weekends.