Mack Allen’s, 4400 Post Oak Parkway, will make its highly anticipated debut September 14 in River Oaks. After more than 15 years leading the Rouxpour brand, businessman and restaurateur Mack McDonald has ventured into the world of luxury fine dining with a sophisticated and buzzy new hotspot.
With 16,000 square feet of space, the restaurant’s location at the 5POP office tower puts it right in the intersection of Uptown and River Oaks where Houston’s posh peeps reside and do business. The digs echo the upscale location which was designed by Montgomery Roth Architecture & Interior Design. The sleek lobby lounge is a world of its own at 2,000 square feet and can be used for independent functions. Double-height brass doors make an impressive entrance into a U-shaped bar. The modern luxury continues with a wall of wine bottles, as well as a display of high-end bourbons kept behind glass. Sculptural trees mirror the organic components of the rich, dark wood finishes, while custom artwork and black and white photography add contemporary touches.
There are private dining rooms with their own bars, for gatherings and cocktail receptions, including a more intimate 14-seat space that has its own wet bar, fireplace and private entrance. A lush courtyard, designed by Stephen Huerta of Lonestar Lawnscapes, beckons guests to relax in a tree-filled setting, surrounded by star jasmine, Japanese maple and gardenias. Guests will be wowed by the arbor which covers the 10-foot-tall fire and water feature.
The kitchen is led by executive chef Carlos Andrade and regional chef Manuel Viveros. The menu reflects the upscale destination with prime steaks and Australian wagyu plus fresh seafood and global dishes. Diners can begin with such elegant plates as seared sea scallops in saffron cream or escargots with bone marrow and garlic scampi sauce. Entrees include rack of lamb with foie gras fondue and gnocchi plus roasted Chilean sea bass and braised beef short ribs.
For lunch there are more casual options like chargrilled pork belly bowl, steak salad and a classic Cobb. For more decadent offerings there are seafood towers, Petrossian caviar service and a sushi program helmed by chef Matthew Mui. Pastry chef Karen Romero brings her years of local experience to the pastry program with treats like mascarpone cheesecake and velvet tiramisu.
Wine director Anthony Salazar oversees the 1,000 bottle wine collection with certified sommelier Shaun Stockton guiding guests to the perfect vintage. The selection of spirits will showcase rare and precious bottles like a three-liter bottle of Remy Martin Louis XIII cognac.
Parkwood American Grille, 2131 W. Parkwood, opened September 1 in Friendswood. Restaurateur Raz Halili, owner of Pier 6 in San Leon, and executive chef Joe Cervantez have created a neighborhood restaurant that’s a little different from the waterside Pier 6.
Halili, who grew up in nearby Dickinson, says that the new venture is an evolution and something he wanted to expand on after “getting my feet wet with Pier 6”. He added, “Friendswood feels like a classic American town and I wanted to add something of value to the community while giving that sense of nostalgia a fresh, relevant point of view.”
Cervantez, who has served as executive chef at Pier 6 since it opened in November 2020, collaborated with the culinary team at Parkwood to produce a menu centered around modern American cuisine with items like the Parkwood burger and roasted half-chicken, plus pasta dishes such as chicken parmesan and lamb sausage rigatoni. There are playful plates like chicken nuggets with caviar as well as Gulf seafood offerings such as colossal fried shrimp.
Since Halili owns Prestige Oysters, guests can expect some seriously fresh raw bar options that will also highlight East Coast bivalves. Other seafood options include a small sushi program with select fish, like bluefin tuna, sourced from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market.
With renowned cocktail consultants Ladies of Libation helping to design the drinks menu, guests will find clever and tasty concoctions that run the gamut of American classics and exotic flavors. The Cherry Coke makes use of Jack Daniels bourbon, while the Midnight Train to Georgia fuses Southern flavors of peach, iced tea and mint with Woodwood Reserve bourbon. Globally-inspired drinks include Buenas Tardes, made with mezcal, cantaloupe and Sichuan peppercorn.
The transformation of the former Rancho Mexican Restaurant was undertaken by Dallas-based Coeval Studio which also designed Pier 6. It features a glowing 28-seat bar and lounge and a dining room of rich woods, sea green tiles and caramel-colored leather banquettes. There’s a pretty outdoor patio with a fountain and timber trelliswork that seats an additional 30 guests.
Little Bird, 1815 N. Durham, is coming to Houston this fall and it has quite a few familiar faces behind it. Chef Graham Laborde, co-partner at Winnie’s, is leading the project bringing in other local notables as Justin Ware (Winnie’s, Johnny’s Gold Brick, Starduster Lounge) to create the beverage program and chef Julian Doran of Tiny Champions to design the pastry menu.
Born in Lafayette, Louisiana, Laborde’s newest culinary endeavor will reflect the Gulf Coast traditions he learned from his mother and grandmother, whose influences inspired him to develop his gastronomic skills in celebrated New Orleans kitchens such as Commander’s Palace and Boucherie. After relocating to Houston for a while, Laborde opened Bernadines in late 2015 with the Treadsack restaurant group. Unfortunately, the restaurant group had financial issues and the acclaimed Bernadine’s, named after Laborde’s grandmother, fell victim as well in 2017.
In September 2021, Laborde partnered with Benjy Mason and Chris Roy to open Winnie’s in Midtown, showcasing Southern flavors and fun cocktails.
Though there are details being worked out, what we do know is that the menu will be seafood-centric, celebrating the bounty of the Gulf coast. Though we are sure the dining room and the hand-carved wooden oyster bar will be stunning, we are looking forward to the promised air-conditioned patio, verdant courtyards and antique cast-iron fountain.
Medium Rare, 3201 Louisiana, closed September 6, not quite making it to its two-year anniversary. We reached out to the public relations spokesperson and were given a statement that read in part:
“We’re incredibly grateful to the Houston community for welcoming Medium Rare over the past two years. Opening in Houston was an exciting opportunity for us and we’re proud of the memories and relationships we made along the way. While we’re sorry to close our doors, we’re thankful to everyone who joined us for a meal and supported our team. This isn’t goodbye forever — we hope to have the opportunity to return to Houston in the future…”
The steak frites restaurant originated in Washington D.C. in 2011 before opening spots in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, New Orleans and Dallas. The New Orleans location closed last year and the Dallas location closed this week.
H&H Bagels, 2850 Westheimer, opened September 10. The famed New York City-born bagel business operates seven locations across NYC plus franchises in six other states. The new Houston franchise will be the first for the city and the state. It is owned by Norman Khan, a Houston resident who was born and raised in New York.
First opened in 1972, it has built a reputation based on its quality ingredients and artisanal water bagel method, using New York City water to kettle boil the proofed bagels which are then oven baked to perfection; on site, all day. The flour is unbleached and unbromated and the bagels are made with non-GMO ingredients and no artificial preservatives.
The made-to-order menu features classic spread sandwiches with cream cheese flavors such as scallion, spicy scallion, veggie and strawberry. There are also bagel sandwiches like the Classic Bacon, Egg and Cheese or the Nova Salmon with “the works”. As for classic bagel choices, customers can choose from plain, “everything”, sesame, cinnamon raisin, jalapeno cheddar and more.
Tapestry at Ismaili Center, 2323 Allen Parkway, opened September 8. The all-day cafe is part of the stunning new cultural center which is the first of its kind in the United States. It debuted in November 2025, as a gathering place that includes a theater, event halls, classrooms, prayer hall and exhibition gallery. Designed by Farshid Moussavi Architecture, it was commissioned by the late Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, the spiritual leader of the Ismaili community and founder of Aga Khan Development Network. It is one of only seven Ismaili Centers around the world.
The cafe has seating for 70 indoors plus an additional 50 in the outdoor courtyard. The breakfast menu begins at 8 a.m. and offers scones, muffins, chapli kolaches and breakfast tacos made with paratha instead of tortillas. The lunch and dinner items include spicy beef salad, veggie biryani, chicken pita and Naan-chos; crispy paratha topped with chicken, mozzarella and tikka masala sauce.
There are specialty coffees, teas, smoothies and fresh juices.
Underbelly Burger, 1222 Witte, announced via social media that its last day of service will be September 13. The statement expressed gratitude to its guests and team, saying “After thoughtful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close Underbelly Burger.”
No reason was given for the closure and it appears the original location at Houston Farmers Market closed over the summer, according to the Houston Chronicle, though Google says it is temporarily closed.
Underbelly Burger opened at the Houston Farmer’s Market in 2021 as part of Underbelly Hospitality’s portfolio. James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd and culinary director Nick Fine collaborated with R-C Ranch for the juicy beef and wagyu burgers. Shepherd left Underbelly Hospitality in June 2022 and Fine followed a few months later. Underbelly Burger opened its Spring Branch location in November 2023.
Since then, Underbelly Hospitality has shuttered or sold its other concepts including Wild Oats and Georgia James Steakhouse.
Killen’s Steakhouse, 6425 Broadway, reopened in Pearland September 10. Owner and Cordon Bleu-trained chef Ronnie Killen closed the steakhouse for renovations this past June. The interior has been renovated and the steak program has been expanded. We will have more information and photos next week.
