Most of my international trips were part of my work trips, when I arranged to reach couple days earlier than the agenda or stayed back a few days after the work was over so that I could enjoy the highlights of what the city / town has to offer. Twice, I took side trips to San Francisco and Chicago. Sometimes, however, the workdays themselves offered opportunities to do a bit of exploring. Such was the case when I was in Houston for work for 2 whole weeks.
2 Weeks in Pearland
During the 2-week stint at my company headquarters in Houston, I stayed in Pearland – a city just outside of Houston, Texas. Pearland has a total area of 47.5 square miles and a population of 91,252.
My hotel was in the heart of Pearland City near Pearland Town Center. Every evening, after work, I would roam around the City Center, venturing into shops, gazing into the various boutique displays and when the time came for dinner, hopped into one of the many eateries scattered around Pearland. On the weekends, I had time to explore some more, go into the little side streets and taking in the feel of suburban township.
Top 5 Eateries
The fortnight, including weekends, saw me have my meal in a variety of restaurants and trying out different dishes every other day. Thus, I compiled this list of the 5 best places to eat in Pearland, Texas.
- Fish City Grill – This was my number one go-to place. A fish-based restaurant, this serves up a diverse menu ranging from familiar dishes to some exotic and unique ones. You have got to try their oyster tacos and shrimp & grits! Alongside, they serve a pink lemonade which is so tasty and is a lifesaver in the scorching summer days. All of this at very reasonable prices.
- LongHorn Steakhouse – You can’t visit Texas and not eat at a steakhouse. It is a must do! In Pearland, LongHorn is a classy restaurant with a subdued décor which serves mouthwateringly delicious steaks. This one is a little heavier on the pocket.
- BJ’s – BJ’s is a sports bar and brewery with a wide range of food choices from pork ribs to steak to pizza to chicken wings and their very own award-winning handcrafted beers. The décor is large TVs telecasting sports and the atmosphere is casual bonhomie.
- Bonchon – It’s the Korean version of KFC! I dare to say, even better than KFC. Fried chicken – wings, drumsticks, strips – and hot, sticky, sweet sauces to go along with them. Served with different types of sides, it’s there to satisfy your chicken craving.
- La Madeleine French Bakery & Café – Right near the main highway lies this gem of a French café. It has sandwiches, salads, breakfast and brunch items and ofcourse coffee. But its bakery items are to die for – tarts, crème brulee, eclairs etc. Delish!
Top 5 Shopping Stops
In my wanderings around Pearland, I also did quite a bit of window shopping. Oftentimes this would result in me succumbing to temptation and buying something or the other. Anyhow, I still had time to browse through a lot of shops, so here’s my list of 5 best places to shop in Pearland.
- Bath & Body Works – I absolutely loved this store. The smells and colors were fascinating. Most times they have lucrative offers like buy 2 get 1 or reduced prices in general. Shower gels, lotions, hand creams – these are my jam! Their aromatherapy range is just mindblowing.
- Rue 21 – This is a cute little shop which sells clothes and accessories. I especially loved their range of perfumes, got myself some. They also have cute tops at very reasonable prices.
- Dillard’s – This is a department chain store which has good sale and offers. While there were quite a bit of pricey branded stuff, I was able to spot a cool offer on Clinique products which made my day.
- Macy’s – This is another department store for clothing and accessories having a wide variety of collections and you will have a fun time browsing and maybe buy a dress or two!
- Walmart – To Americans this may sound too banal, but I absolutely adore Walmart. You can get anything under the sun at cheap prices and can browse for hours to find your perfect thing. I have bought cosmetics, comfy pajamas, stationary, kitchen items and whatnot from there. So do step in and wander.
Notable Mentions
Some other stores worth a mention. If you are so inclined, don’t forget to visit these stores.
- Barnes & Noble – This is a famous bookstore complete with a seating section for reading and a café. The store also sells book-themed magnets, bookmarks, bag pins, stationary and some really cool and funky stuff. Visit this one for the books and the bookmarks. You’ll love it!
- Chick-fil-A – I hadn’t heard of this until I visited Houston. It’s a better, tastier version of KFC, I can personally vouch for that. Pearland has a branch, so be sure to get a quick takeaway and enjoy the crunchy chicken with yummy dips.
- Charming Charlie – Last but not the least, Charming Charlie is an utterly adorable and bohemian shop for accessories like bags, jewellery, hats, scarves, shoes etc. The décor is charming and the collection is wonderful. I shopped quite a bit from here and I loved everything! Unfortunately, I think it’s closed now (as per Google) but I thought it’s worth a shout-out.
So there’s my list of places to eat and shop in Pearland, Texas. If in town, do not forget to check out these places and let me know if you found this helpful.
This post was written as part of Blogchatter Half Marathon.
Wonderful ☺️
The pictures and the stories come alive. The bath store seems fascinating. I love good smells, and always have a weakness for anything smelling real good, shower gels, soaps, body wash, deos, body sprays, after shaves……the food looks great, and the bookstore too…..
These places looks so good and perfect to visit!!
The places mentioned do look worth visiting and food looks delicious.
Such tempting food pictures, especially the ones at Bonchon!
I’ve heard of Chick-fil-A but I didn’t know what they served.
A medley of very many craving foods items and body care. A version of the Cactus Blossoms Body lotion we get here, a highlight in my shopping list.