The Green Room, 1343 Yale, will debut March 5. The intimate 26-seat restaurant comes from Doke Concepts, which also operates Heights & Co. next door. While Heights & Co. is a lively cocktail bar and restaurant, The Green Room is all about the food. Leading the kitchen is James Beard Award-winning chef de cuisine Tom Cunanan along with chef/owner Daniel Davidson. While the term “chef-driven menu” gets thrown around a lot, The Green Room can back up that statement with two powerhouse talents.
The a la carte dinner menu will change monthly and there’s an optional five course Chef’s Dinner Party option for a curated experience. The five-course dinner also includes a complimentary cocktail or wine pour. The wine program itself will offer small production Champagnes and varietals from certified organic producers. There will also be a rotating Cellar Series.
While the menu will rotate, guests can expect delicious Cast Iron Parkerhouse Rolls to arrive at the table with seasonal butters. The menu might include tuna tartare, scallop crudo and a risotto alla plancha that showcases divers scallops. Other menu items include Dry-aged Duck with dark cherry jus and a Chef’s Nightly Steak.
Doke Concepts partners Brian Doke, Evin Wood and Chef Davidson want guests to have an experience that is elevated and warm without being pretentious. Doke said in a press release, “With The Green Room, we set out to create something ambitious yet approachable, where the food is elevated, the wine over delivers and hospitality feels personal from the moment you walk in.”
The Burger Joint, 1016 Gessner, Opened February 26 in Memorial. It’s the fourth location of the brand from chef Matthew Pak and business partner Shawn Bermudez. The burger concept began as a food truck before opening a brick and mortar spot in Montrose in late 2015. The entrepreneurial duo have added new ventures to the portfolio including The Taco Stand and Happy Go Lucky, a shaved ice concept. A fourth location of The Taco Stand will join The Burger Joint in Memorial this April when it opens next door. The Burger Joint and The Taco Stand also operate in the dining court at the University of Houston’s main campus.
The new build was designed by Pak and Bermudez and executed by Cisneros Design Architects. The 4,300 square-foot space features a full bar, a spacious dining room, plus a 1,500 square-foot patio. The familiar colors of red and black are prominent throughout, reflecting the design at its sister locations.
The menu features 100 percent Angus beef patties, served on toasted buns. There is the Classic Burger, along with more creative versions like the Mexi with grilled ham, avocado, queso fresco, jalapenos and chipotle aioli. Other over-the-top burgers include the Opa! with grass-fed lamb and Smoke Stack, topped with pulled pork, mac & cheese and fried egg. Vegetarian options include the Veggie or the Impossible burgers.
The menu also offers beef hot dogs, wings, low-carb bowls and sandwiches like Nashville Hot Chicken and Mahi Mahi. There is a kids menu, plus a wide selection of creamy milkshakes in classic flavors like vanilla and chocolate as well as salted caramel and Vietnamese coffee.
Crawfish Cafe and Pho Prime, 11209 Bellaire Boulevard, will arrive with a bang and Soaring Phoenix Lion Dance February 28 in Chinatown. The dual concept comes from owners Julie Nguyen and Kiet Duong, who recently formed Mamba Hospitality Group which operates several locations of both Crawfish Cafe and Pho Prime across the Greater Houston area. The portfolio also includes Ocean Palace, the couple’s dim sum restaurant on Bellaire Boulevard.
There will be giveaways, a dragon dance, a lion dance and high pole performances, scheduled for 12:30 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. As with any new opening, there may be a few changes with times.
We will have more information to share about the new venture next week.
Brassica, 1413 S. Voss, opened softly this week in Hunter’s Creek. The Ohio-based Mediterranean restaurant comes from brothers Kevin and Darren Malhame, whose Lebanese heritage influenced the concept’s healthy menu.
Diners can build their own pita sandwiches, grains and greens bowl or hummus. There is a small selection of main fillings such as chicken, falafel, vegetables or harissa-rubbed brisket, plus a number of veggies to choose from including sweet beets, cauliflower, marinated eggplant, roasted carrots and more. There are also several sauce options such as tahini dressing, feta, roasted red pepper and its special yogurt sauce.
Trill Burgers, 7616 Westheimer, is getting closer to opening, but there is no projected opening date. However, the renovations to the former Boston Market building are nearing completion, as far as we can tell. We have reached out for a projected opening date and were told spring of 2026.
Shipley Donuts, 2002 Meridiana Parkway, is having a grand opening February 28 in Rosharon, Texas. Founded in Houston in 1936, the family-owned donut brand was sold to Austin-based private equity firm, Peak Rock Capital, in 2021, then sold again to Levine Leichtman Capital Partners in July 2025. While there were some grumblings about the effects of private equity firms on a much-loved local brand, the move has definitely increased the footprint for the doughnut shop. This month alone has seen new Texas locations in Katy and Cypress, in addition to the upcoming Rosharon spot.
Federal American Grill, 2400 Mid Lane, is coming to River Oaks March 20, according to CultureMap Houston. Taking over the space that previously housed Eloise Nichols, the new restaurant will be the 6th for the local brand, known for its craveable bites like cheeseburger eggrolls and bang bang shrimp, as well as hearty mains such as chicken fried steak, Janice’s meatloaf and pecan-crusted snapper. Its sandwich menu includes a French dip, as well as the Freedom Burger. For every Freedom Burger sold, one dollar is donated to Camp Hope, which aids U.S. veterans suffering from PTSD.
Cochinita & Co., 4928 Fulton, is expected to open this April as reported by CultureMap Houston. The new Lindale Park location will be the second for chef/owner Victoria Elizondo’s Mexican restaurant. Her authentic tacos and cochinita pibil has earned the young chef and cookbook author two James Beard Award semi-finalist nods, along with a spot on Texas Monthly‘s 50 Best Tacos.
Restaurants Reported Open February 2026:
Bistro Mistral, 5313 Bellaire Boulevard, opened February 3
Crispy Burger & Laankee, 21519 Tomball Parkway, opened late January
Jax on the Tracks, 3452 Ella, opened February 18
Johnny Rita’s, 5602 Fulton, opened February 6
Lo-Lo’s Chicken and Waffles, 3611 Gulf Freeway, opened February 21
Los Taquitos, 5601 Memorial, opened February 11
Maggie’s Coffee, 11720 Katy Freeway, opened February 3
Star Rover, 1801 N. Shepherd, opened February 26
Restaurants Reported Closed February 2026:
Beck’s Prime, 11000 Westheimer, closed February 8
Blanco Cocina + Cantina, 5115 Westheimer, closed early February
Succulent, 1180 Dunlavy, closed February 5
Sunrise Taquitos, 5601 Memorial, closed February 10
Torchy’s Tacos, 11327 Current Lane, closed February 3