Sofia Rodriguez

Sofia Rodriguez

Southern & Latin

Houston, TX

3 Reviews
3 Restaurants

About Sofia Rodriguez

Sofia Rodriguez was raised in Houston's East End, where her grandmother's tamales were legendary on the block. She studied journalism at UT Austin before pivoting to food writing when her Yelp reviews started going viral.

Sofia brings warmth and honesty to every review. She believes the best meals tell a story, whether it's a $200 tasting menu or a $5 plate of tacos from a truck on Airline Drive. Her specialty is finding the intersection of Southern and Latin American cuisines — the Gulf Coast is her playground.

She's a fierce advocate for immigrant-owned restaurants and regularly highlights family businesses that don't get the press they deserve.

Reviews by Sofia Rodriguez

If Your Abuela Could Cook Like This, You'd Never Leave Home

★★★★★ 4.8

Abuela's Kitchen

Mexican Houston $ Jan 22, 2026

Walking into Abuela's Kitchen is like stepping into someone's home — because it basically is. Maria Gonzales converted her house's front rooms into a 20-seat restaurant, and everything from the plastic-covered tables to the telenovelas playing on the wall-mounted TV feels completely authentic. The ...

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Gulf Coast Glamour on Post Oak

★★★★☆ 4.3

Perla Coastal Cantina

Latin American Houston $$$ Jan 5, 2026

Perla brings the heat in every sense — the design is stunning, the cocktails are fiery, and the ceviche flight is a tour of Latin America's coastline in three perfect bites. Ecuadorian shrimp with aji amarillo, Peruvian bass with tiger's milk, and Mexican tostada with octopus. The grilled octopus e...

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Where Soul Food Meets Smoke

★★★★★ 4.5

Magnolia Smokehouse

Southern Houston $$ Dec 8, 2025

Magnolia Smokehouse is what happens when a pitmaster and a soul food grandmother join forces — and the result is magnificent. The smoked boudin is a revelation, stuffed with rice, pork, and liver, kissed with oak smoke until the casing crackles. The collard greens are slow-cooked with smoked turkey...

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