De Fortune, 3515 Dallas, dances onto the Houston cocktail stage April 25. Located at Regent Square, it’s the first concept for MAKE Investments, a hospitality group founded by Mayur Desai, Atik Mistry, Kinjai Desai and Emish Patel. The name is an acronym of each of the partners’ first name.
With a bar menu designed by Unfiltered Hospitality, a well-known beverage consultancy out of Miami, guests will find cocktails showcasing global flavors like lychee, tiramisu, saffron, creme de cacao and even rhubarb. In addition to the six classic and 12 signature drinks, there will be a premium wine list and an array of beers.
The MAKE team turned to renowned Houston firm, gin design group, to create a jewel box-like space with plush velvet furnishings, a herringbone tiled floor and a sculptural plastered ceiling that echoes the interior of a cozy cavern, while a lush bed of greenery encircles a column, adding a slightly tropical feel. The bar itself glows from the lights bouncing off the Azul quartzite wall and counter in a fusion of Art Deco glamor and contemporary design.
The lounge will also serve charcuterie boards with internationally-sourced meats and cheeses that have been carefully curated to pair with the cocktail menu.
Hopdoddy Burger Bar, 12333 Southwest Freeway, opens April 29 in The Grid development in Stafford. It’s the second location of the Austin-founded burger restaurant to open in the Greater Houston area this year. A location in Richmond opened this past February. For the grand opening day, there will be free Hopdoddy swag and the first 100 guests will receive scratch-off cards with the chance to win free items such as burgers, fries and shakes. There’s even an opportunity to win free burgers for a year.
The new location will also feature a few new cocktails on the menu along with its May Burger of the Month, the Chilaquiles Rojos. It’s a heap of a burger with house-made chilaquiles crisp, cotija cheese, onion and jalapeno escabeche, sliced radishes, sour cream and free range wild boar chorizo from Force of Nature. The bun is spread with cilantro aioli and the whole thing is topped with a pasture-raised fried egg from Vital Farms. The new drinks include Gold Rush Whiskey Sour, a spicy Blazing Pineapple Margarita and the Hoppicane, made with rum, cherry, passionfruit puree and lime juice.
A week after debuting, it will celebrate Cinco de Mayo weekend May 3 through May 5 with a free first drink for everyone, served in a collectible cup.
In addition to plenty of indoor seating, there is a covered outdoor patio.
Soluna, 100 W. Calvalcade, will open softly at the Heights House Hotel this May with a grand opening planned for later in the month. The new concept comes from Chris Cusack and the crew behind the quirky and popular lounge Betelgeuse Betelgeuse. Last week, April 17, an invite-only preview event was held with live music from DJ Somms and Charlie Y La Tribu Cubana, plus cocktails and pizza for guests.
Attendees got a sneak peek of the upcoming bar menu including beverages like the Mezcal Margarita and the Pamplemousse Paloma. The Beam Pineapple Frozen Pina Colada refreshed guests while Betelgeuse Betelgeuse provided the pizza.
Part of the hip hotel, the bar and restaurant occupies nearly 10,000 square feet, offering a mix of indoor dining, a covered outdoor lounge and open-air patio. Eleven televisions provide sports and entertainment viewing and there are plans for art markets, karaoke and trivia nights.
Cusack was inspired by his travels to Havana, Miami, Oaxaca, California and across Texas to create a space that would be an active community hangout as well as a neighborhood hotspot. He said in a press release, ” I’ve always wanted to do a Latin-inspired bar and restaurant, while also being mindful and respectful of the various cultures involved.”
With its hotel location, it will provide counter and bar service to guests as well as locals dropping in before or after a concert. The food menu will be based around tacos and tortas while the drink menu will showcase mezcal, tequila and citrus-based drinks. Hotel guests can also enjoy room service from Soluna, but who wouldn’t want to go down and join the fun?
The large space will also be available for private events and parties.
Arnaldo Richards, the chef and owner behind Pico’s Restaurant, has launched an online food delivery company called FajitaDelivery.com just in time for Cinco de Mayo. Fans of Pico’s fajitas and margaritas will now be able to enjoy a whole list of menu items delivered to their door.
Customers can opt for proteins by the pound or try the Fajita Feast Packs. There are also appetizers, desserts and kids meals plus enchiladas, burritos, soups and quesadillas. Add on some house or top shelf margaritas and it’s a fiesta in the making.
Rainforest Cafe at Katy Mills, 5000 Katy Mills Circle, reopened April 24. After a brief closure for renovations, the immersive family-friendly restaurant is debuting its updated look starting with a dramatic front entrance, its towering Aztec statues setting the stage for the tropical oasis inside. Once guests enter, they will notice that the classic animatronics have been enhanced with new effects and lighting. Looking upwards, diners will be enchanted by the state of the art LED ‘night sky’ which simulates realistic rainforest thunderstorms, twinkling stars and clouds.
The Aztec-themed updates include a semi-private seating area for group dining and a sleek, revamped bar area. Booth seating has also been updated.
Chardon, 1711 Allen Parkway, is debuting its weekend brunch May 3. The menu will be served Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. In addition to the new brunch, it will also offer a special Mother’s Day three-course prix-fixe menu for $75 per person along with a $16 menu for children. The Parisian-style bistro recently opened this past February.
Guests can order seafood dishes like like Stuffed-Deviled Blue Crab and fresh oysters or splurge on a petite or grande shellfish tower. There are little plates like Croques Monsieur Gougeres and Caviar Deviled Ouefs plus soups like vichyssoise and salads such as Salade Lyonnaise. Entrees include Quiche Lorraine, Croissant Benedict, Pain Perdu and Steak Frites.
Alora, 2502 Dunlavy, is also launching a weekend brunch. Opened this past January, the Peruvian/Vietnamese concept will serve a separate brunch menu from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday. Executive chef Diego Ponce and chef de cuisine Makala Ponce will highlight Peruvian spices and Vietnamese flavors with dishes like Bo Ne, a Vietnamese sizzling steak and eggs with Comte cheese, pate and tomatoes. For those tired of the ubiquitous chicken and waffles, Alora’s Lima Hot Chicken & Pandan French Toast will offer a creative, and spicy, alternative. Other delights include 7-11 Sando Milk Bread and Amig@s, a scrambled egg dish with house-made aji amarillo crema agria, rocoto pepper salsa and queso fresco.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.
