Houston residents are all too familiar with the rhythms of the Bayou City: the muggy summers, the crowded highways, the breadth of cuisines available as far as the eye can see. But one nation’s visitors during the 2026 FIFA World Cup shone a whole new light on Texas’ biggest city in recent days.
Houston Stadium will host a Round of 32 match between Brazil and Japan at Noon CT on Monday, and the weekend featured a collection of Japanese visitors sharing their impressions of Houston on social media. The impressions were as delightful as one would expect, with a handful of surprises for longtime Houston residents.
A feast fit for Texas
Japanese fans, as expected, reveled in the wealth of food options available in Houston, and many were amazed by the Texas-sized portions. Some spent their day getting a feast’s worth at H-E-B. Others dove into a classic American burger at Burger Joint, while one gave crawfish a try at BBs Tex-Orleans Cooking. Houston’s food scene drew nearly universal rave reviews, confirming a point of pride in Houston that dates back decades.
“Tackling crawfish for the first time in my life at “BB’s Tex-Orleans” in Houston, America,” one visitor wrote on X. “It had a slightly bitter edge compared to shrimp, but once I doused it in garlic butter, it was insanely delicious. And since it was my first visit, they even threw in some dessert for free. It was a bit overly sweet, but it totally screamed “This is America!” and was the best…