I've made quite a few trips back and forth from New Orleans to Austin and back over the past couple of years, which means going through Houston. On weekends, and well after dark on weeknights, it's tolerable. For some reason, traffic is always worse west of the center of town (all the way out to Katy and sometimes beyond) than east.

Best gas prices are just east of Houston, in Baytown, specifically at I-10 exit 789. There are four gas stations there in a perpetual price war; the fact that theyr'e located within walking distance of the continent's largest oil refineries must have something to do with it.

For my purposes, taking the 610 bypass would add so many extra miles that I just go straight through on the I-10 and hope for the best.