Comfort Foodies, 8731 Highway 6, is coming to Missouri City this March. It’s the second location for the locally-owned business from Elsa and Jeff Matthews. It first debuted as a food truck in 2020, before opening its first brick and mortar in 2022. Serving a menu of Southern Soul food and Latin-Caribbean flavors, it quickly earned a reputation for its unique, yet homey flavors, and won Best Comfort Food 2025 here in the Houston Press.
Raised in New York City, Elsa was born in the Dominican Republic. With the restaurant’s culinary point of view, she celebrates her Afro-Latina roots by blending her culture and cuisine with her husband Jeff’s native Houstonian background of soul food flavors.
The hands down favorite dish of customers is the braised oxtails, but there are other foodie delights like Dominican-style brown chicken stew and blackened catfish, served with a creamy Cajun sauce with a hint of coconut. Some of the basket options include wings and fried catfish, plus there is a fried pork chop sandwich for hearty appetites.
Side dishes include Caribbean rice with pigeon peas, collards with smoked turkey and tostones. The new location will also feature its popular under $12 lunch specials, plus happy hour on Thursday and Friday.
A full bar is a new addition to the mix and is part of the brand’s growth, according to owner Elsa Matthews. She said in a press release, “ Our Missouri City location gives us greater visibility, closer access to residential communities and more flexibility to serve families, group gatherings and catering customers.”
The 3,000 square-foot space offers dine-in seating for 50 to 60 guests and the larger space allows for expansion of its takeout, delivery and catering services. It will also help to support the growth of its retail line of frozen empanadas.
Succulent, 1180 Dunlavy, closed February 5 in River Oaks and it came as quite a shock to locals and fans. Opened in May 2025, it was a personal love letter to Napa Valley and California cuisine from restaurateur Shawn Virene. At the helm of the kitchen was executive chef David Buckley, a San Diego native whose love of gardening showed up in the menu. Fresh herbs and edibles were grown on-site while much of the produce came from the Round Top farm belonging to Virene’s in-laws. Add in a stunning interior and beautiful outdoor space, it seemed like a perfect fit for the River Oaks crowd.
Unfortunately, according to a press statement, access to the restaurant itself was severely hindered by parking and valet limitations. It cited non-compliance issues with the parking garage set-up and the City of Houston Planning & Development Department. While we don’t understand all the gobbledygook about ordinances and such, suffice it to say that two levels of the garage were limited to apartment tenants, which lessened available spaces for customers and employees. Virene also mentioned the $25 minimum valet charge per vehicle as being “egregious.” We have to agree.
He says closing Succulent, which had been a labor of love, was not an easy decision. Virene added, “It has been an honor to serve our guests, and I am deeply grateful to everyone who supported us. I hope those who loved Succulent will join us at a’Bouzy so we can continue serving you.”
A’Bouzy, Virene’s champagne-focused French restaurant, is located at 2300 Westheimer.
Spanish Village, 4720 Almeda, is coming back in 2027, after closing in 2023. Opened in 1953 by the Medina family, it was sold in 2018, then closed briefly in 2021. It changed hands again when Steve Rogers purchased it and kept it going until 2023. Rogers, a local businessman and restaurateur, now plans to completely redevelop the property with Wake Up LLC developers.
Those hoping that the restaurant’s old building and character would be saved are out of luck. Demolition of the structure has already begun to make way for a three-story multi-use development. The first floor will be commercial space, with the top floor being utilized as a flex space for events. Sandwiched in between will be the new Spanish Flowers. In the meantime, the vacant lot will be used for parking until the project is completely funded.
What will remain, according to the press release, are the 70-year-old recipes including the margarita formula. Rogers says that it’s an opportunity to reimagine the Almeda space for the community. “With space for local artisans to open shop, an expansive event venue with one-of-a-kind views and a restaurant that attracts the greater Houston community, Almeda Road will see a rejuvenation. “
Sunrise Taquitos, 5601 Memorial, closed February 10, according to its Facebook and Instagram posts. Known for its delicious breakfast tacos, made with homemade tortillas, the gas station- adjacent eatery was also known for its long lines, due to everything being made to order. Fortunately, its loyal fans can get the same quality migas and barbacoa plates at its other two locations in Spring and Copperfield. According to its social media posts, the owners of Sunrise are currently scouting spots for a new location.
However, if Memorial is your neck of the woods, the Sunrise spot has already transitioned to Los Taquitos, serving a similar breakfast menu. Check it out and let us know how it compares.
Julep, 1919 Washington, is launching Chef’s Cut, a Wednesday spotlight featuring local chefs who will each create a signature flatbread that will change every two weeks. The series will debut February 18 in The Parlor at Julep. Along with the flatbreads will be curated cocktails to pair with each creation.
The hump day vibe gets even better with the addition of music from DJ Robin Wong, known to many Houstonians as one of the pitmasters and owners at Blood Bros. BBQ, a twice-recipient of Michelin’s Bib Gourmand. Wong, or DJ Seek (his musical moniker), will roll his set from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. every Wednesday.
The first chef up is Lung Ly of 93’ Til. The new series is a partnership with Southern Smoke Foundation and Chef’s Warehouse.
Crispy Burger & Laankee, 21519 Tomball Parkway, debuted at the end of this past January and is the first location of the New York-born brand in the Greater Houston area. Its Chinese-style fried chicken comes in numerous forms here, but the twice-fried, marinated bird comes out tender and juicy whatever the choice. The most popular item is its crispy chicken sandwich, but the options also include popcorn chicken, nuggets, tenders, wings, pieces and even a fried whole chicken. Or grilled whole chicken. Or grilled chicken skewers. That’s a lot of clucking chicken.
Poultry is king on the menu, but unlike its New York predecessors, the Houston store does sell a beef cheeseburger. There are also sandwich options like cod and shrimp. The sauces get raves including its house version as well as pineapple mayo, mango habanero and Buffalo mayo.
In addition to the plethora of chicken, there are Hong Kong-style bubble and milk teas, plus a wide selection of lemon teas. As for sides, that’s another long list, with yummies like French fries, onion rings, takoyaki, cheese sticks, mashed potatoes and more.
We’ve already broken our New Year’s resolutions, so what the heck?
This article appears in Private: Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2026.