Chris Shepherd’s Montrose restaurant, One-Fifth, will close the first of its five planned incarnations, One-Fifth Steak, on July 31. The eatery will remain closed for renovations through August as it morphs into One-Fifth Romance Languages, which opens on September 1. The new restaurant will have a menu with French, Italian and Spanish influences, but if you have a Benjamin in your wallet that’s itching to be spent on a spectacular steak, now is the time. The restaurant is at 1658 Westheimer.

Famous fast food empire and home of the Double Double, In-N-Out Burger is officially heading to Houston. The Houston Architecture Info Forum first reported that the chain purchased a lot at 8373 Westheimer (at Dunvale) and Eater Houston obtained a property deed, indicating that the Houston burger wars are, in fact, on. The Briarmeadow location will enter a market steeped in cutthroat  competition from the likes of burger giants including Whataburger, Hopdoddy, Shake Shack, the newly opened FM Kitchen and many others.

The Hard Rock Café held its grand opening at Bush Intercontinental Airport, 3100 Terminal, this past week in conjunction with The Houston Airport System and SSP America, as reported by Houston Business Journal. A look at the website showed pretty much the same menu as its other stores— burgers, sandwiches, salads and a kids menu (for ages 10 and under) — but no prices were listed. Here’s hoping the powers that be at the airport eventually realize that Houston could use a few more budget-friendly options for travelers.


Heights newcomer Balls Out Burger has a new happy hour special. For $10, you can enjoy a single burger with any toppings, any fries (hand-cut, shoestring, or sweet potato) and a soda. The special runs Monday through Friday, 3 to 6 p.m.

The restaurant, located at 1603 N. Durham, boasts of being environmentally friendly and serving local products, including burger buns from Slow Dough Bakery and shakes made with Amy’s Ice Cream. If you buy St. Arnold’s by the bucket, you save $2 off the individual price. It’s also dog-friendly, so you can have beers, burgers, and bow-wows on the patio too.

Lisa Carnley, owner of The Cajun Stop, is looking to sell both of her restaurant locations: 2130 Jefferson and 24230 Kuykendahl. According to The Houston Chronicle, Carnley wants to focus more on her family and real estate career.

Serene Beans, a coffee shop located in Old Katy, has relocated to 1933 East, across from Katy City Park. According to its website, business hours have been temporarily shortened as they put the finishing touches on the new location. There is a large outdoor area for meditation and prayer or just settling in with a cup of coffee and a scone.

Another coffee shop, Blonde Biscotti, had its soft opening at 1000 West Gray on June 27, and Yelpers are already loving the shop’s Birthday Cake Biscotti. Hours are Tuesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7.p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. A grand opening is also planned.


Cane Island Bar and Grill, which opened a couple months ago at 4747 FM 1463 in an area of Katy desperately in need of bars and restaurants, will officially start brunch service on July 23. Brunch will be served from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sundays only. Expect the usual brunch offerings of biscuits and gravy, eggs Benedict and then some.

The E’s Big Boy Breakfast is described as “the kitchen sink of breakfasts,” with three eggs your way, biscuits and gravy, a Belgian waffle or pancakes, a side of bacon and breakfast sausage, and hash browns for $11. Or build your own omelet, stuffed with Texas-made cheese or Mill-King cheese curds, for $9. Cane Island also serves locally-brewed beers.

There will be a ribbon-cutting for a new Whataburger at 8390 Fry on July 25, according to the Cy-Fair Chamber of Commerce . Whataburger is an extremely popular and beloved hamburger joint in Texas, but we are sure you already knew that.

In that same area, Community Impact reports that there will be a grand opening on July 23, from 4 to 7 p.m., for Marco’s Pizza at 8350 Fry. The Ohio-based pizza chain has more than 800 stores nationwide. There will be free pizza, a DJ, a bounce house, and a chance to win free pizza for a year. Good luck.
EaDo's longtime cheap lunch favorite Long Sing Supermarket announced via Facebook that it’s closing in late July, albeit temporarily, and looking for a new location likely due to the I-45 freeway expansion.. The store told its followers:

Long Sing is sadly [sic] to announce that we will shutdown within two weeks from today July 18. We greatly appreciate all the support and excellent reviews that you all have provided us to make us become one of the best in Houston. We currently are promoting a 30% off on selected items and B1G1. Due to parents retirement and freeway expansion, we will temporarily discontinue our business. Yet we are presently working to relocate, so please keep up with FACEBOOK for all updates.

The freeway expansion could have a pretty big (and negative) impact on many businesses in East Downtown, as the Houston Press recently reported, including eateries such as Huynh and Tout Suite, and newcomers including Seaside Poke and Chapman & Kirby.

Cajun Outlaws Bayou Grill at 11650 Jones in Cypress has temporarily closed. According to Yelp, the restaurant will reopen on August 31. Let’s hope so. We need our boudin balls.

Speaking of Cajun, Jambalaya King, 16430 West Lake Houston Parkway, announced on its Facebook page that due to customer requests, it will now open an hour earlier, Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The restaurant recently opened in late May, bringing Cajun and Creole fast food to the Atascocita area. It’s closed on Sundays.

Slim Chickens, a chicken chain based in Arkansas, is set to open a store on Louetta Road in Vintage Lakes. The opening date has not been announced, but you can get your chicken tender fix, or wings if you prefer, at its suburban locations in Katy and Humble until then. According to EaterHouston, a Kingwood location will be coming this summer as well.

Jasper’s in Market Street, located at 9595 Six Pines, is introducing a new summer menu, according to an article on Woodlands Online. Smoked Texas peach bruschetta and pulled pork empanadas are just a couple of the new appetizers. A Shiner Bock BBQ rotisserie chicken and an heirloom tomato and feta salad will also be new additions to the lunch and dinner menus at this self-described casual upscale restaurant in The Woodlands.

A south Asian-style restaurant in the Cypress area, Howzatt, is now serving a breakfast menu during regular opening hours, starting at 11:30 a.m. The new menu consists mostly of a variety of dosas, a popular Indian street food similar to a crepe, made with a fermented batter. The Dosas are $5.99 and the combos are $7.99, including sambar, a traditional south Indian lentil stew.

The restaurant’s name is derived from “How is that?” a term used in the sport of cricket for an appeal to the umpire. The restaurant itself is cricket-themed and is located at 10720 Grant, across from Matzke Park, which, not coincidentally, has cricket fields maintained by local teams.

Bombshells Restaurant and Bar's newest location at 14191 Northwest Freeway had its soft opening on July 17. This is the third Houston location for the military-themed sports bar. It offers an extensive menu of typical bar favorites like burgers, wings, sandwiches, nachos, etc. and craft brews and inventive cocktails delivered by Bombshells girls in uniform. Or lack thereof.



SaltAir Seafood Kitchen has issued a press release touting an internationally inspired new dinner menu. The upscale dining destination is offering aromatic ginger fish, tuna poke nachos, and Baja grilled whole fish at dinner. But an expanded happy hour menu—including $6 bites such as grilled pork ribs and mini tuna tacos, wines at $5 a glass, and a few $7 cocktails, all available Monday through Saturday, 3 to 7 p.m.— is a great way for diners to get a taste of the elegant restaurant’s cuisine and ambiance before committing to a full on, globally influenced, seafood extravaganza.  

South Bank Seafood Bar is now open on the edge of Downtown, 702 West Dallas, with a number of local beers on tap and a variety of cocktails on tap too. The restaurant has typical seafood dishes including po’ boys and lobster rolls, and some more unique items such as (be still our hearts) clam chowder fries and turkey neck gumbo. A dog-friendly patio and a fabulous view of Houston’s skyline are fellow perks. The restaurant is still in its soft opening stage, but plans for a grand opening are in the works.

That's it for this week's restaurant openings and closings. Leave us a comment or send us an email to let us know if we missed something.