Low key burger and craft beer spot The Shack Burger Resort grand opened its third location in the Houston area at 15719 Mueschke in Cypress on June 10.

The new space, similar to two other locations, 16602 Cypress Rosehill and 12710 Telge, is sprawled out on ten acres of land with picnic tables galore, a big colorful school bus re-purposed with kiddie slides, a sand play area, fire pits, tire swings and lots of big shady trees. A representative told the Houston Press that there is enough seating for 300 guests.

International coffee shop Third Gen Coffee opened at 25136 Grogans Park on June 5. The Woodlands location is the first in the United States and specializes in coffee and espresso drinks, teas, frappes, smoothies, pastries and sandwiches. Hours are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Seaside Poke is soft opening at 2118 Lamar in East Village in EaDo. The grand opening date has not been set yet but the team is hoping to schedule it within the next few weeks. Travel plans among the chefs, Tai Nguyen and Vuthy "Tee" Srey kept them out of the Poke Showdown a couple of weeks ago, but now they are ready to welcome Houstonians.

A handful of signature bowls are offered, along with the choice to customize your own poke bowl. Prices are simple; a regular sized bowl is $10 and a large bowl is $13. The restaurant is open daily, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Fresh-casual chain Salata will open a store in Kingwood this summer. The salad bar restaurant at 4523 Kingwood Drive is located at Main Street Kingwood, a commercial/residential mixed-use development near West Lake Houston Parkway at Kingwood Drive.


Roka Akor is set to open on June 26 at 2929 Weslayan. The award-winning upscale steak, seafood and sushi restaurant will feature signature Japanese dishes centered around a robata grill, as well as an opportunity for guests to experience omakase, a chef’s special tasting with unique off-the-menu creations.

Chinese fast-food chain Panda Express opened another store in New Caney at 11939 North Grand Parkway East with dine-in dining, a drive-through, online ordering and catering.

Chef John Sheely (formerly of Mockingbird Bistro), along with partner Chris Ray is taking over Lowbrow at 1601 West Main in Montrose. CultureMap Houston reported that a new menu will be launched in July featuring Sheely’s “classic bistro fare with an American touch.”

There will also be minor changes to the interior and exterior, including an improved patio space. Lowbrow is open Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to midnight and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to midnight.

On June 22, be one of the first 40 guests at Great American Cookies and receive a complimentary cookie cake as the franchised chain celebrates its 40th anniversary at participating stores. Customers can also purchase up to a dozen 40-cent cookies.

Participating stores include the locations in Pearland at Pearland Town Center, 11200 Broadway and in Baybrook Mall, 1182 Baybrook Mall Drive, in Friendswood.

In late March, the Press had reported that the new location of Russo’s New York Pizzeria in Cypress planned to open in April. A press release this week announced that doors at 28610 Highway 290 are finally open. The new store is located in Fairfield Market, down the street from the Houston Premium Outlets and next to the
new H-E-B.


Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery will grand open this month at 2481 Gulf Freeway in League City as part of new mixed-use development, Pinnacle Park. Initially plans were to celebrate on June 19, but delays have moved the date to June 26.

Pinnacle Park is a 100-acre mixed-use development at Interstate 45 and Big League Dreams Parkway.

Greek restaurant Niko Niko’s closed its market cafe location May 31 at the Shadow Creek Ranch H-E-B at 2805 Business Center Drive, Pearland. According to Community Impact, owner Dimitri Fetokakis “expects to open a freestanding location in the coming years.”

Magnolia will get a new pizzeria this summer. Flippin’ Pizza plans to open at 30340 FM 2978, suite 750. The restaurant serves New York-style pizza by the pie or slice. The menu also features wings, calzones and desserts.

Paik’s Noodle recently opened at 9355 Long Point. Eater Houston reported that the Korean-based chain was founded in 2006 and operates locations in California, New York, Illinois and Carrollton, a Dallas suburb known for its delicious Asian eateries. The noodle shop is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

According to Swamplot, the mixed-use design project slated for the Astrodome is still on track to open in 2020. The article cited a Community Impact report detailing plans to raise the “Astrodome’s floor 30 feet to ground level, which would provide easier access for vehicles. The raised floor would also provide 8 acres of open space for events.”

Approximately 1,400 parking spaces would be created with the installation of two levels of underground parking. An additional 500,000-square-feet would be made available on the upper levels to be used as leasing offices, restaurants and retail space.


Visit any of the three Ooh La La Dessert Boutique locations for its June Cupcake of the Month. The Banana Cream Pie cupcake is a dense banana cake filled with house vanilla pastry cream topped with vanilla whipped cream and buttercream frosting and crunchy banana chip.

The sweet shops are located at 23920 Westheimer in Cinco Ranch, 770 West Sam Houston North, suite 500 at Town & Country Village and at 20155 Park Row in Katy.

Picos is celebrating the summer with 20 new items as part of its re-vamped menu. Arnaldo Richards, chef and owner of the 30-year-old Mexican restaurant has dedicated a third of the new menu to seafood alone. Diners can also expect a section devoted to moles and new happy hour selections like $7 margaritas, a variety of shots for $5, select beers for $3 and tacos from $6.

Last month, fast casual Hot Toppings Pizza at 7705 Westheimer closed its doors. An announcement on Facebook bid farewell to customers and friends. The build-it-yourself pizza joint opened in November of 2015 and had developed a loyal fan-base in a short period of time.

In the message, the owner reached out to “anyone who had a serious interest and has capital to preserve a GREAT Brand,” to contact him for information.


A post in Facebook group, Ramen in Common tipped us about Tamashi Ramen & Sushi’s opening at 1106 Silber, suite D1. The restaurant soft opened on June 8 and early reviews are positive.

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop will open its first Baytown location in the fall at 8804 North Highway 146, suite 100. In a press release, franchisee Jeanine Murphy said, “we’re looking forward to introducing Fuzzy’s Taco Shop to the Baytown community and sharing our unique Baja-style Mexican dishes with our guests.”

The new location is a brand new build-out and will be owned and operated by Murphy. The Fort Worth-based taco restaurant has over 100 locations across the country.

It’s not too late to make grand plans for celebrating that special dad in your life. All four locations of The Union Kitchen are offering a “BBQ Feast” for Father’s Day, June 19. The special includes Mesquite slow-smoked brown sugar spice-rubbed beef brisket, sliced smoked sausage and beer-braised pecan-smoked baby back ribs, served with homemade Red River® Bourbon BBQ sauce, tasso-baked pinto beans, country style potato salad and jalapeño cheddar corn bread.

Three Brothers Bakery is featuring a 'hamburger on a bun cupcake' for Father’s Day. The cupcake is a white cupcake cut in half (the bun), with a chocolate cupcake in the center (the burger). The lettuce, tomato and cheese are created with buttercream frosting.

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.