Uptown Sporting Club, 1131 Uptown Park Blvd., opens July 4 in, you guessed it, Uptown. Taking the sports bar concept to a whole new level, the new nightlife destination combines the thrill of the game with craft cocktails and a thoughtful food menu that goes beyond Buffalo wings and fried pickles. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Why, might one ask, is it so elevated? Well, the team behind the new hotspot are industry veterans including Roveen Abante (Sushi Rebel, BurgerChan, Galleria Conservatory) and Daniel Chang, also of Sushi Rebel plus Uptown Sushi. Their vision for the club is not that of just another sports bar. Abante said in a press release, “We created a sporting cocktail lounge that transforms into nightlife — a place where people can come together to watch a big game, enjoy great food and cocktails, and stay long after the final whistle.”
The dining menu at the club will feature dishes like Korean fried chicken, fresh-cut truffle fries, brick chicken and steak frites. There will also be a selection of artisan flatbread pizzas, wagyu smashburgers and a miso salmon power bowl.
As for cocktails, guests can expect an extensive list of premium spirits as well as signature drinks like the Texas Pecan with brown butter fat-washed Redemption whiskey or the Flying Emirates, a gin-forward cocktail that echoes the trend of Dubai chocolate with Amaro, Lizard maraschino and chocolate bitters.
For those who like to keep a special bottle handy, the club has 134 illuminated lockers, adding a luxe air of exclusivity to the sports bar vibe. The membership benefits include priority seating, expedited entry, preferred bottle pricing, members-only events and more.
The background for the sports viewing and cocktail sipping is a sophisticated interior space along with a 1,000 square-foot patio. There are 8 big-screen televisions for the games plus a massive 115-inch LED screen, all tied into a state-of-the-art system from Dreamland Productions. Abante worked with Sparrow Studio to design the space, with rich wood finishes, polished brass and plush upholstery, plus custom metal artwork that celebrates legendary athletes. The barrel-vaulted ceilings add a dramatic touch, with soft lighting that makes everyone look beautiful.
Chroma, 1512 Sul Ross, is now open at The Menil Collection. The new cafe has acclaimed chef and restaurateur Claire Smith at the helm. After culinary training and restaurant stints in California as a young chef, Smith made her way back to Houston, opening such popular restaurants as Shade, Canopy and Woodbar. In 2017, she transformed Shade into Alice Blue, a much-loved eatery in the Heights. It shuttered in 2024. The space is now home to Agnes and Sherman, a James Beard Award finalist for Best New Restaurant 2026.
The new venture for Smith is an all-day eatery set on the iconic campus of The Menil Collection. The design for chroma was created by Houston architect Dillon Kyle, a longtime friend of Smith’s. Taking inspiration from its artistic site, the cafe’s entry includes a 30-foot butcher block-patterned sculptural bar, crafted from 7 types of marble. It leads into a bright, sun-lit dining area with picture windows that give views of the surrounding verdant space, complemented by the light wood elements and bright green upholstery. Overhead, a wood ceiling is layered with hundreds of bright orange felt leaves. There is an additional, smaller dining space, plus an outdoor patio that overlooks the Jack sculpture by local artist Jim Love. Kyle says the space is an allegorical landscape. He added, “We have created a light and airy space that brings in the existing nature and landscape, aiming for a casualness that is comfortable to all.”
Smith’s all-day menu begins with Cruiser coffee and freshly-baked pastries for a morning repast. The lunch and dinner menus feature light plates such as campechana with shrimp, crab and summer gazpacho and salads like Greek and chicken Cobb. Some of the much-missed plates from Alice Blue are on the new cafe’s menu including the chicken flautas. There are also dishes like roasted japanese eggplant, crispy polenta and ratatouille and seared snapper in a coconut lemongrass Thai red curry.
The restaurant also offers a weekend brunch, plus a selection of cocktails.
Blue Tuba, 350 W. 19th, closed June 27, according to an Instagram post. It debuted in May 2025 in the space that formerly housed Harold’s in the Heights. Its owners, Giga Leszayova and Vlado Kolenic, are both Czechoslovakian immigrants, who previously owned and operated a restaurant in New York City before coming to Houston for its diversity and opportunities.
The menu was “Euro-Tex” with dishes like Hungarian goulash, moules frites and Polish pierogi. Guests loved its Tapas Tuesday specials and European desserts, plus its live music nights in which owner Kolenic, a musician, sometimes joined in.
We have reached out for more information regarding the closure.
Voodoo Doughnut, 1301 N. Fry and 1214 Westheimer, have shuttered, according to Chron.com Currently, that leaves only the original Houston location at 3715 Washington. We called the Washington shop and upon asking about its status were told by a chipper employee, “Thank you for calling. We’re open. Goodbye.” We also reached out via email about the two closures.
Founded in Portland, Oregon in 2003, the funky shop earned a following for more than 50 types of doughnuts, both yeast and cake versions. The bright pink interiors, murals of its Voodoo loa mascot, Baron Samedi, and black chandeliers appealed to the indie vibes of the residents. Eventually, founders Kenneth “Cat Daddy” Pogson and Tres Shannon began to expand the sweet empire, arriving in Houston in January 2020 on Washington Avenue. The brand opened a second store in Montrose in March 2021, followed by a third in Katy in November 2022.
Vocelli Pizza, 23027 W. Grand Parkway, had its official grand opening June 19 in Katy. It was founded by Varol Ablak, a Turkish immigrant, in Pittsburgh in 1988. The pizza restaurant began franchising in 1994 and has now grown to more than 80 locations across 10 states.
What makes the pizza chain different is that most of its menu is halal and many locations are 100 percent halal, using beef pepperoni and turkey ham. It’s also reasonably priced with options of build-your-own cheese pizzas from 10-inch to 18-inch that are basically a dollar per inch. There are specialty pizzas like the Meat Magnifico and Garlic Spinaci. The menu also offers its Pinsa pizzas which are rectangular and made with a high-protein dough that creates a lighter crust.
Other items include salads, breadstick bites, wings, subs and pasta dishes like chicken pesto and meatball marinara.
Mr. Shawarma, 9522 Huffmeister, opened softly mid-May. Founded in San Diego, it has three locations in California, with the fourth being the new Cypress store. All of the meats on the menu are halal, including beef, lamb and chicken shawarma. The proteins are available as gyro wraps, bowls, and kebabs. There are also flavors like cilantro beef and chipotle chicken.
In addition to shawarma, the fast casual eatery offers lamb shank, fried chicken schnitzel sandwich, wings, baba ganoush and tabouleh. For dessert there are treats like baklava and Nutella cheesecake.
Restaurants Reported Open June 2026:
The Arc Room at Clarkwood, 3201 Allen Parkway, opened early June
Aga’s To-Go, 102 W. Grand Parkway, opened June 24
Cochinita & Co., 4928 Fulton, opened late May
Common Bond Bistro & Bakery, opened June 18
Concrete Rose, 1701 Commerce, opened mid-June
Cowboys Red River, 7500 Bellaire, opened June 11
Galaxy Pizza, 6450 Louetta, hosted its grand opening June 6
Gaspachos, 2103 Lyons, opened early June
Graze Craze Charcuterie, 1901 Kirby, opened June 8
Hidden Omakase at Bar Moon, 1800 Post Oak Boulevard, opened mid-June
Memorial Trail Ice House, 6202 Washington, reopened June 14
North Italia, 23501 Cinco Ranch, opened June 10
Ojo de Agua, 10720 Kuykendahl, opened June 18
Potbelly Sandwich Works, 1900 Lake Woodlands, opened June 9
Punk’s Tacos & Bao, 523 E. Louetta, opened April 28
Urban Brasa, 27252 Katy Freeway, opened June 2
Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux, 9955 Barker Cypress, opened June 8
Yuma, 4219 Washington, opened June 26
Restaurants Reported Closed June 2026
Duck N Bao, 17333 Spring Cypress, closed June 1
Good God Nadine’s, 33 Waugh, closed May 31
The Pho Fix, 1233 W. 34th, closed June 8
Roswell’s Saloon, 1417 Westheimer, closed June 28
Ruchi’s Mexican Grill, 5201 Richmond, closed early June
State Fare, 947 Gessner, closed May 31
