Restaurants in Henderson, Texas
Listings checked against Texas Comptroller permit data · Updated October 2026
Restaurant Directory: Henderson
A directory of 53 restaurants, 14 food trucks, and 8 bars & nightlife spots, built from active Texas sales-tax permits, grouped by cuisine where the name makes it clear.
Barbecue (1)
- Bodacious Bar-B-Q ↗
Bodacious-franchise barbecue restaurant on US-79 in Henderson serving smoked meats plus its own Bodacious rub and sauce, with catering for large events.
Mexican & Tex-Mex (10)
- Don Felix's Mexican Restaurant
Family-run Mexican restaurant and cantina on US-79 N serving Tex-Mex plates, with beer, wine and mixed drinks.
- Taco Bell ↗ chain $
Taco Bell fast-food restaurant with drive-thru on Highway 79 South, operated by franchisee Southern Multifoods.
- Flora's Tamales
Local tamale shop on US-79 N in Henderson.
- Francisco's Mexican Restaurant
Locally owned Mexican restaurant on US-79 N serving Tex-Mex plates, nachos and mangonadas.
- Jalapeño Tree ↗ bar
Henderson location of the East Texas Jalapeño Tree chain, family-run since 1994, serving Tex-Mex plates and margaritas with drive-thru pickup and catering.
- Orta's Restaurant ↗
Family Mexican restaurant on Kilgore Drive serving Tex-Mex plates, with online ordering and beer and mixed drinks.
- Su Casita ↗
Salvadoran restaurant on the downtown square serving pupusas and other Salvadoran dishes, with a buffet on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
- Taqueria Anguiano $
Small taqueria on Worth Street serving tacos, tostadas and chile rellenos.
- Taqueria Juarez Mexican Restaurant $
Mexican restaurant and taqueria on East Main Street.
- Tortilleria Luna
Tortilleria on Jacksonville Drive selling fresh tortillas and Mexican food.
Burgers & American (8)
- Jucy's Hamburgers ↗
Henderson location of Jucy's Hamburgers, a Longview-born East Texas chain of burger drive-ins that also serves burritos and tacos.
- Truth Soul Food And Grill
Soul food and grill restaurant on South Main Street, opened in 2026.
- Cotton Patch Cafe ↗ $$
Texas chain restaurant serving scratch-made comfort food such as chicken-fried steak, in Henderson since 1995.
- DQ Grill & Chill ↗ chain $
Dairy Queen Grill & Chill on Highway 79 N serving burgers, chicken strips and Blizzard treats, operated by franchisee 3 Beall Foods.
- Herschel's Family Restaurant ↗
Family-style restaurant, part of a small East Texas group open more than 40 years, serving home-cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- McDonald's ↗ $
McDonald's fast-food restaurant on US-79 South serving burgers, fries and breakfast.
- Sonic ↗ chain $
Drive-in fast-food chain serving burgers, hot dogs, tots and slushes with carhop service. Henderson has two Sonic locations.
- Whataburger ↗ chain $
Texas burger chain (store #310, 'Hwy 79 & Peach') serving made-to-order burgers, chicken sandwiches and breakfast taquitos.
Chicken & Wings (3)
- Chicken Express ↗ chain $
Texas fried-chicken chain serving tenders, fried chicken, sides and sweet tea.
- Wingstop ↗ chain $
Chicken-wing chain serving classic and boneless wings in a range of flavors plus seasoned fries.
- Chick-fil-A ↗ chain $
Chicken-sandwich chain serving pressure-cooked chicken sandwiches, nuggets and waffle fries.
Seafood & Cajun (1)
- Tia Juanita's Fish Camp ↗ bar
Seafood and Tex-Mex fish-camp restaurant on US-79 N, operated by Beaumont-based Tia Fajita's Inc, with a full bar.
Pizza & Italian (4)
- Little Caesars ↗ $
Carryout pizza chain known for Hot-N-Ready pizzas and Crazy Bread.
- Pizza Hut ↗ chain $
Pizza chain offering delivery and carryout pan and stuffed-crust pizzas, wings and pasta.
- Sal's Italian Restaurant
Italian restaurant on US-79 N serving pizza, chicken parmesan and pasta dishes.
- Domino's ↗ chain $
Pizza delivery and carryout chain serving pizzas, wings and sandwiches.
Asian (3)
- Panda Express ↗ chain $
American-Chinese fast-casual chain known for orange chicken, chow mein and fried rice.
- Yamato Sushi Steak House ↗
Japanese restaurant serving sushi and hibachi grill dishes, with online ordering.
- China Palace Restaurant
Chinese restaurant on US-79 South serving American-Chinese dishes such as crab rangoon and lunch specials.
Breakfast & Diner (4)
- Country Cooking Cafe
Local home-style cafe on US-79 N.
- Henderson Cafe
Local cafe on Lone Star St serving breakfast (omelettes, pancakes), home-cooked plates and Mexican dishes.
- Henderson Star Cafe ↗ bar
Southern buffet restaurant known for homemade pies, open 364 days a year (closed Christmas Day), with a full bar.
- Denny's ↗ $$
24-hour Denny's diner on US-79 S serving breakfast all day plus burgers and dinner plates.
Sandwiches & Delis (2)
- Schlotzsky's ↗ chain $
Sandwich chain known for toasted sourdough-bun deli sandwiches, flatbread pizzas and Cinnabon treats.
- Subway ↗ chain $
Sandwich chain serving made-to-order subs, wraps and salads; two Henderson stores.
Coffee, Sweets & Bakery (16)
- Discovery Shop Juice Bar & More
Downtown juice bar on E Main St that opened in January 2026.
- Donut Express $
Local donut shop with two Henderson locations (US-79 S and SH-64 W).
- Enlighten Nutrition
Nutrition club on East Main Street serving nutrition shakes and teas.
- Hometown Nutrition ETX
Nutrition club on Richardson Drive serving nutrition shakes and teas.
- La Monita Michoacana $
Michoacán-style paletería and ice-cream shop on SH-64 W.
- Rusk County Coffee
Independent coffee shop on East Main Street in downtown Henderson.
- Sandra's Sno Ball Shop
Long-running shaved-ice and sno-ball stand on US-79 South in Henderson, operating since 1985.
- Scrumptious Cupcakes & Desserts $
Bakery on South Main Street selling cupcakes (mini and jumbo), brownies, cookies and custom cakes.
- 7 Brew ↗ $
7 Brew drive-thru coffee stand (store #000941) on Fair Park Drive, serving espresso drinks, energy drinks, teas and shakes.
- Sippy's ↗
Drive-thru coffee shop on US-79 North serving espresso drinks and specialty coffees.
- Starbucks ↗ chain $$
Starbucks coffeehouse (store #67577) on US-79 South, serving espresso drinks, brewed coffee and pastries.
- Strong Coffee House
Locally owned coffee house on US-79 North, open since 2003.
- Culpepper Country Store
Country store in the multi-vendor building at 110 E Main St downtown, holding a restaurant sales-tax permit alongside its retail business.
- Dunkin' ↗ chain $
Dunkin' coffee-and-donut shop on US-79 South that opened in spring 2026, serving coffee, espresso drinks, donuts and breakfast sandwiches.
- Restaurante y Panadería Dulce Hogar
Latin bakery and restaurant on South Main Street serving pan dulce and home-style dishes, opened in late 2025.
- Star Donuts & Croissant $
Donut shop on US-79 North selling donuts and croissants, in business since 2006.
Other (1)
- Henderson Country Club
Private country club on SH-43 East, operating since 1967, with a members' bar.
Food Trucks & Trailers (14)
- 3 Daughters Food Us Highway 79 E · permit since 2022
- Chevere Latin Food Gray St · permit since 2021
- Cosme Hernandez Cross Park · permit since 2009
- Crazy Cow Coffee County Road 4182 W · permit since 2025
- Dj Luna Taqueria Highland Dr · permit since 2026
- El Saborcito De Don Cosme Us Highway 79 S · permit since 2025
- Get Slushed Johnson Dr · permit since 2025
- Hairpin Catering County Road 456 S · permit since 2022
- Jimison's BBQ Elm St · permit since 2017
- Maria Guadalupe Garza County Road 497 S · permit since 2020
- Maria Y Duran County Road 2138 N · permit since 2022
- Marvy's Food County Road 272a · permit since 2022
- Roscoe's Peanut Brittle Fm 1716 E · permit since 2013
- Tacothatown McAllen St · permit since 2026
Bars, Pubs & Nightlife (8)
- Boomer's Tiki Bar Bar
Tiki-themed bar on US-79 N in Henderson.
- Sundowners Bar & Grill Bar & Grill
- VFW Post 8535 Bar members only
Veterans of Foreign Wars Rusk County Memorial Post 8535, a members' club with a bar on SH-64 West (moved from Whippoorwill Ave in 2022).
- Henderson Star Cafe Diner + full bar
Southern buffet restaurant known for homemade pies, open 364 days a year (closed Christmas Day), with a full bar.
- Jalapeño Tree Tex-Mex + full bar
Henderson location of the East Texas Jalapeño Tree chain, family-run since 1994, serving Tex-Mex plates and margaritas with drive-thru pickup and catering.
- Tia Juanita's Fish Camp Seafood + full bar
Seafood and Tex-Mex fish-camp restaurant on US-79 N, operated by Beaumont-based Tia Fajita's Inc, with a full bar.
- Henderson Country Club Country Club members only
Private country club on SH-43 East, operating since 1967, with a members' bar.
- Rusk County Memorial Post No. 8535 Veterans Of Foreign Wars Veterans Post members only
Sourced from the Texas Comptroller's active permit records. A spot that recently closed or changed hands may occasionally still appear — let us know and we'll fix it.
Source: Texas Comptroller — Active Sales Tax Permit Holders (NAICS 722)
Henderson, the Rusk County seat, eats like a classic East Texas town: barbecue, Tex-Mex and home cooking, plus sushi and Italian. Most restaurants line US-79, with a handful on the downtown square. Here's where to eat.
Barbecue and seafood
Bodacious Bar-B-Q at 1005 US-79 N is a franchise of the East Texas Bodacious chain. It smokes its meats on site, sells its own Bodacious rub and sauce, and caters large events.
For seafood, Tia Juanita's Fish Camp at 405 US-79 N is run by Beaumont-based Tia Fajita's Inc. and serves seafood and Tex-Mex with a full bar.
Home cooking and more
For Southern comfort food, the Henderson Star Cafe at 102 US-79 E runs a Southern buffet known for its homemade pies, with a full bar. Locals may remember it as The Star Cafe or The Rusty Star; the site has been feeding residents and travelers for more than 70 years, and it's open every day of the year except Christmas. Herschel's Family Restaurant on US-79 S, part of a small East Texas group open more than 40 years, serves home-cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Sal's Italian Restaurant serves pizza, chicken parmesan and pasta; Yamato Sushi Steak House is Henderson's sushi and hibachi spot; and the Tex-Mex bench runs from Don Felix's and Francisco's on US-79 N to Orta's on Kilgore Dr and small taquerias like Taqueria Anguiano on Worth St.
Downtown and the Square
Henderson's historic downtown square has a handful of local stops. Su Casita on E Main serves Salvadoran pupusas, with a buffet on Tuesdays and Thursdays; Rusk County Coffee at 100 E Main is the independent coffee shop; and Culpepper Country Store browses well between meals. Just off the square, Truth Soul Food and Grill opened on S Main in 2026, and Restaurante y Panadería Dulce Hogar bakes pan dulce on the same street.
The downtown comes especially alive during the Heritage Syrup Festival in November, when the square fills with visitors. Beyond the square, Henderson's restaurants, drive-thru coffee and chains line US-79.
FAQ: Dining in Henderson
Bodacious Bar-B-Q at 1005 US-79 N is a franchise of the East Texas Bodacious chain. It smokes meats on site, sells its own rub and sauce, and caters.
Tia Juanita's Fish Camp at 405 US-79 N serves seafood and Tex-Mex with a full bar.
It's now the Henderson Star Cafe, at the same 102 US-79 E location, which over the years has also been The Kettle, a pancake house, a Denny's and The Star Cafe. Today it's a Southern buffet known for breakfast and homemade pies, open every day except Christmas.
Yes. Yamato Sushi Steak House on US-79 N serves sushi and hibachi grill dishes, with online ordering.
On the downtown square, Su Casita serves Salvadoran pupusas and Rusk County Coffee is the independent coffee shop. Truth Soul Food and Grill opened on S Main St in 2026. The square is liveliest during the Heritage Syrup Festival.
East Texas guides
Region-wide guides that put Henderson in context — where to go, what things cost, and how people actually live here.
Best Restaurants in East Texas
Where to eat in East Texas, with sourced facts: Stanley's Famous Pit Bar-B-Q and Rick's on the Square in Tyler, Athens and the hamburger, Tyler-born Mercados and Posados, First Monday in Canton, and Moore's Store in Ben Wheeler.
Read Guide →East Texas BBQ: The Best Smokehouses and Pits
East Texas BBQ explained: chopped, sauced, pork as often as beef — how it differs from Central Texas style, plus Tyler's Stanley's and Pat Gee's.
Read Guide →East Texas Farmers Markets and Local Produce
East Texas farmers markets and u-pick farms, with sources: Tyler's Rose City Farmers Market, the Whitehouse market, Jacksonville's Tomato Fest, and the berry farms on KLTV's 2025 u-pick list.
Read Guide →East Texas Festivals and Annual Events
Season-by-season guide to East Texas festivals and events — Canton's First Monday Trade Days, the Texas Rose Festival, the Yamboree, Wonderland of Lights and more, checked against each host's own site.
Read Guide →Business Owner?
Want Your Business Featured in Henderson?
People are searching for businesses like yours in Henderson. Get listed in our city guide and local directory so they can find you.