Gaspachos, 2103 Lyons, opened its first restaurant this week. Launched in a food trailer in 2016, the concept was founded by Jennifer Perez, who expanded the business to multiple food trucks before landing at Levy Park with a permanent kiosk.
The new restaurant is a milestone for the concept, known for its colorful, and sometimes crazy, Mexican fruit concoctions, plus a wide variety of street-style snacks. Perez began the venture with her Gaspacho Moreliano, a tropical mix of mango, watermelon, pineapple, jicama and cucumber that gets a savory kick of Valentia sauce, Tajin and cotija cheese. The fruity creation was inspired by the flavors of her hometown in Michoacan, Mexico. It has expanded to include many more creative and fun dishes.
Guests at the new restaurant will find their favorite fresh fruit delights like fruit bowls topped with Chamoy and Tajin, as well as a selection of Krazy creations such as Pina Loca, a hollowed-out pineapple filled with chopped fruit, chamoy, Tajin, lime juice, and the kicker; spicy and sweet candies. There are savory bites like Tostilocos, topped with meat or shrimp ceviche, plus Cubanas and Tortas Ahogadas. There are also street tacos with choices such as Michoacan-style carnitas, al pastor, birria and asada.
The yummy food is complemented by a full-service bar program. Its popular non-alcoholic agua frescas will be available as well as Aguas Locas, spiked with tequila. Drinks can be tame, like margaritas and mojitos, or over-the-top, such as Micheladas topped with ceviche. There are also refreshing snow cones, shaved ice and fresh juices.
The kids menu features quesadillas, hot dogs and candy-topped snow cones.
The space itself was designed by Brinn Miracle and her team at Architangent, reflecting the vibrant spirit of the Mexican street food culture. Like its nearby neighbor, Meow Wolf, the 2,514 square-foot restaurant is playful and welcoming, with natural wood textures, neon accents and colorful Acapulco chairs. Other seating includes Equipale chairs from Tequila, Jalisco.
Perez plans to offer community events, sports watch parties and Loteria game nights at the new restaurant which she says is a meaningful reflection of how far the business has come in the past 10 years since its beginnings as a food trailer. She added, “Seeing it grow into a place where people can enjoy the same treats I grew up with, and come together as a community, is a testament to the passion, perseverance and the support we’ve received along the way.”
Galaxy Pizza, 6450 Louetta, is hosting its grand opening June 6 in Spring. The pizza restaurant is causing plenty of buzz because it comes from pizza maestro Anthony Calleo, known for his expertise at previous concepts like Pi Pizza, Betelgeuse Betlegeuse, Rudyard’s and Gold Tooth Tony’s. He split ways with the latter after receiving a diagnosis of autism at age 45. He plans to use the new pizza concept as an advocacy platform for autistic people.
He says that Galaxy Pizza is about creating a space that is familiar and true to who he is. Calleo says, “Getting diagnosed with autism later in life changed a lot for me, and I hope this restaurant can become a positive space that not only serves great pizza, but also finds ways to advocate for and support others.”
To help design the space, Calleo brought in local artist Brian Dibala, also known as Neon Thrash. The interior is both nostalgic and space-age, in keeping with its galaxy theme.
As for the pies themselves, Calleo is changing things up a bit. The dough has always been an important part of his pizza legacy and this time, he’s using a hybrid dough recipe that features a modified Detroit-style dough that is aged for four days, but is also inspired by Neo-Neapolitan pizza techniques. The crust gets a double whammy of garlic butter and seasoning blends, both before and after baking in a conveyor oven.
Some of the pizza options include Pepperonius Maximus, the maximus part being that it’s topped with three different types of pepperoni. For another vintage touch (or at least 1980s vintage), there’s the Tom Selleck, loaded with bacon, ham, pepperoni strips and pineapple. We don’t know if our mom likes pineapple on her pizza, but she does like Tom Selleck.
Other interesting touches include house-made artichoke hearts for the Salad Days pizza and a chorizo-topped pie that also features potatoes, pickled jalapenos and a side of cumin dressing. There are also loaded meat pizzas and plenty of veggie options, too.
The menu also offers sub sandwiches, salads, pizza rolls and pasta dishes. There are halal options as well.
The grand opening begins at 11 a.m. with giveaways, prizes and an opportunity for one lucky winner of a Street Fighter 2 Tournament to get free galaxy Pizza for a year.
State Fare Kitchen & Bar, 947 Gessner, had its last day of service May 31 in Memorial. The Southern food concept originally opened ten years ago under the umbrella of Cherry Pie Hospitality. In 2018, restaurateur Omar Khan acquired the concept as part of his hospitality group, Culinary Khancepts. It expanded to Sugar Land in 2020 and The Woodlands in 2022. The Sugar Land location closed this past January.
The shuttering of the original location is part of the evolution of the brand, according to a press release. Plans are underway for a refreshed and updated menu, plus a more social and interactive atmosphere with games and experiences. More details will be revealed in the upcoming months.
The Woodlands location, 1900 Hughes Landing Boulevard, will continue to operate as usual.
Duck N Bao, 17333 Spring Cypress, closed June 1. It’s a surprise closure for the popular Cypress restaurant, which had become a go-to spot for Peking duck and soup dumplings. It first opened in late 2019, with owner Grace and Leo Xia leading the way. The couple expanded with a location in Memorial in 2021, followed by another in Rice Village in May 2024, both of which will remain open for business.
The owners said on the restaurant’s Facebook page that they had decided not to renew the lease at the Cypress location, much to the chagrin of the community, as evidenced by many of the comments, including one that read, “Nooooo this really sucks…”
The Facebook post also stated, “As our businesses, family and future plans have become increasingly centered in Houston, the end of our Cypress lease felt like the right time for this next chapter. Duck N Bao will always be a love letter to our childhood homeland, to the dishes we grew up with and the memories they carry. We are honored to continue sharing them with our guests at our Memorial and Rice Village locations. Thank you, Cypress, for being where it all began.”
In addition to the two remaining Duck N Bao restaurants, the couple also operate Hongdae 33 Korean BBQ and Seven Sushi & Robata.
The Arc Room at Clarkwood, 3201 Allen Parkway, is opening in the courtyard of the sophisticated Clarkwood cocktail lounge. The reservations-only omakase-style cocktail experience is a 90-minute adventure in an intimate 10-seat private space in which guests are introduced to five custom cocktails, paired with light bites. Every detail is thoughtfully planned, from the design of the stemware to the lighting and music.
The carefully-sourced ingredients and creative garnishes change with the seasons. Taking its cue from destination bars around the world, the journey begins in Italy with its variety of herbal liqueurs and unique spirits. Its inaugural lineup will reflect the sunny climate of the Amalfi Coast and the traditional cocktails of Venice and Florence.
Clarkwood is the brainchild of Army Sadeghi and his wife Mason Sadeghi and it debuted on the cocktail scene in early 2022. Since then Army Sadeghi has partnered with other hospitality veterans to open chic hotspots like Melrose and 1111. He says that The Arc Room will be a truly sensory experience. “It was designed to transport you in every sense of the word. This is a project near and dear to my heart and takes cocktail culture in a bold new direction.”
The Arc Room will have three seatings per night, Thursday through Saturday. Reservations may be made via Resy and the experience is $95 per person. The 700 square-foot space sits directly behind The Clarkwood Courtyard and has its own private entrance.
Killen’s, 101 Heights Boulevard, may be closing its doors in the very near future, as reported by Chron.com. Chef and restaurateur, Ronnie Killen, told Chron that he is “under contract to sell the land with due diligence ending June 17.” That may mean that the restaurant will start winding down operations in July, so time could be running out for fans to dig into Killen’s smoky brisket and buttermilk fired chicken. Apparently, the land will be used for a Pitstop Express, according to a sales tax permit.
Killen opened the eponymous eatery in August 2020 in the former home of Hickory Hollow. It sold his greatest Southern comfort hits like chicken fried steak, barbecue ribs and bread pudding. The Michelin Guide took note in 2024, conferring a Bib Gourmand recognition on the restaurant, which it retained in the 2025 guide. Unfortunately, it looks like it won’t be around for the 2026 version.
While the sale of the land will be a financial boon for Killen, it’s a culinary bust for us.
