Houston’s Most Anticipated Restaurant and Bar Openings, Summer 2023

Jun 11, 2023

Houston's restaurant scene this past winter and spring proved eventful with more than 50 openings from multiple bars and restaurants since January alone. Now, summer is here, and in this new season, Space City is slated to welcome a new onslaught of anticipated restaurants and bars, ranging from establishments slinging masterfully-made sandwiches, cheesy pizza, refreshing seafood, and plenty of cooling dishes.

Though delays may come up — meaning projected opening dates could change — here's what the Houston dining scene has planned for this summer.

Location: 8133 Long Point Road, 77055

Key players: Chef Christine Ha, John Suh

Projected opening date: June 10

Masterchef winner Christine Ha and her husband John Suh will debut their sandwich shop, Stuffed Belly, in early June, serving up gooey grilled cheeses, smash burgers, crunchy tuna sandwiches, a Sichuan chicken sandwich, and so much more. The drive-thru sandwich shop, which will feature limited indoor seating, will be located near Ha's recently-opened brick-and-mortar location of The Blind Goat.

Location: 1424 Westheimer Road, 77006

Key players: Bobby Huegel and Tommy Ho

Projected opening date: June 2023

Bobby Huegel and Tommy Ho, the owners of Anvil & Refuge cocktail bar, are reopening the bar's first-floor space as a coffee and cocktail lounge in early June. By day, the revamped coffeehouse will serve coffee, wine, and cocktails from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a revamped, plant-filled patio with marbled tables for drinking al fresco. By night, Refuge Coffeehouse will transform into a space for booked events. While some decor from its predecessor Penny Quarter remains, the Refuge team has introduced new decor, with turquoise and deep green walls, new furniture, and a full remodel of the bar to coordinate it with Refuge's cocktail bar on the second floor.

Location: 1180 Dunlavy Street, 77019

Key Players: Underbelly Hospitality, chef Jeff Potts

Projected Opening Date: end of June

Located next door to its sister restaurant Georgia James, Underbelly Hospitality's newest restaurant is slated to open this June in Regent Square, offering coastal Italian cuisine. Jeff Potts, an Underbelly Hospitality alum, will steer the restaurant's menu, offering sharable plates and entrees. Taking cues from Italian gardens, the restaurant will offer a more feminine and playful decor, incorporating florals and brass accents.

Location: 1613 Richmond Avenue, 77006

Key players: Sara and Martin Stayer

Projected opening date: June

The owners behind Nobie's, the Toasted Coconut, and speakeasy Quiote in Montrose will launch Nonno's Family Pizza Tavern sometime this summer, serving up Midwestern tavern-style pizzas in a square shape with a side of nostalgia. In addition to its foccacia-style pan pizza by the slice, the restaurant will offer snacks, salads, and desserts like cheesecakes and cookies, and will be a surefire source of entertainment. Diners can connect in its retro arcade area where pinball machines and shuffleboard abound and revel in a blast from the past when settling in under the Tiffany pendant light fixtures. Nonno's plans to upkeep the Stayers’ reputation of offering a place to unwind with drinks, with a large covered patio, a robust wine list featuring natural wines, and a rotation of draft beers, plus curated mixtapes played on two reel-to-reel machines.

Location: 2405 Genesee Street, 77006

Key players: Chef Terrence Gallivan

Projected opening date: mid-June 2023

Settled in a vintage bungalow, this Midtown pizzeria and crudo bar will finally make its debut this summer. Chef Terrance Gallivan, who previously owned the shuttered dual-concept restaurant the Pass and Provisions, will capitalize on Houston's appreciation for pizza and myriad ways to cool down by offering a mixture of specialty pizzas, salads, snacks, and sandwiches, plus a variety of refreshing seasonal crudo and cold seafood dishes. The neighborhood restaurant — named for Gallivan's children, Eleanor and Ronan — will offer what Gallivon describes as a welcoming, come-as-you-are vibe whether seeking a casual drinking and dining experience or an intimate night out.

Location: 2600 Travis Street, Suite 100, 77006

Key players: Chef Jonas Harboe Frederiksen, Elias and Ghassan Alyassir of Nobel One Group, Strickland Hospitality Group, District One

Projected opening date: early July

Chef Jonas Harboe Frederiksen will lead an upscale dining experience that merges Mediterranean-French and Japanese cuisine at this Midtown restaurant. Adjacent to its dining area will be a lounge, Prive, which will feature a secret entrance for diners, a piano bar, and a late-night cocktail menu.

Location: 2715 Bissonnet Street

Key players: Chef Cong Nguyen

Projected opening: mid-July

Evolving from a monthly pop-up at Hidden Omakase, the reservations-only Norigami has now found a permanent home in Rice Village. The brick-and-mortar, which will offer a speakeasy entrance, is slated to offer its artfully made sushi and crowd pleasers like the Ménage à Foie Gras, a luxe combo of uni, toro, wagyu, caviar, and foie gras.

Location: 9595 Six Pines Drive, The Woodlands, 77380

Key players: Culinary Khancepts

Projected opening date: July 2023

The hospitality group behind restaurants like State Fare Kitchen & Bar and Liberty Kitchen will open a new luxury movie theater and upscale restaurant in The Woodlands’ Market Street area this summer. Equipped with five screens and booming Dolby sound systems, Reel Luxury Cinemas will offer a dine-in movie experience, with next-level seating offerings, including plush luxury recliners, front-row love seat-style lounge chairs, and privacy pods. Other amenities include heated seats and blankets to keep moviegoers warm, and food and beverage service available at their seats. Reel's sister establishment, Audrey, will operate on the second floor, offering American-style cuisine in a Hollywood-esque setting. Diners can expect seafood towers, pasta dishes, steaks, sandwiches, salads, and a selection of cocktails and wine during dinner, plus a weekend brunch that channels Breakfast at Tiffany's and a picturesque view of Market Street. The two establishments will use the same kitchen but will offer two separate menus.

Locations: 1717 Post Oak Blvd, Suite C, 77056; 23601 Cinco Ranch Boulevard, Katy, 77494

Projected opening date: late July

Known for its flame-grilled chicken and spicy peri-peri pepper sauces, the South African restaurant chain will open two new locations in the Houston area. The Uptown location — Texas’ first Nando's outpost — will seat 80 people indoors and will feature custom furniture and select pieces from its collection of South African contemporary art. Both restaurants will dish out its flame-grilled chicken, served in pieces, skewers, and in the form of wings, sandwiches, and wraps, as well as its saucy chicken livers and hearty sides like mashed potatoes, roasted corn, coleslaw, and fries.

Location: 2301 West Dallas Street, 77019

Key Players: Chef Manabu "Hori" Horiuchi and partner Yun Cheng

Projected Opening Date: July/August 2023

Named after the Japanese word that translates to "gift" or "keepsake," Kata Robata's sister restaurant will be a display of what four-time James Beard Award-nominated chef Manabu "Hori" Horiuchi believes is the true future of Japanese cuisine. The restaurant will use similar techniques, merging Japanese and local ingredients with fish flown in from Japan daily (A rep notes that 80 to 95 percent of the fish will be caught off the coast of Japan around 20 hours before it's served). The quality of ingredients, however, is slated to be more luxe, with truffle, foie gras, and A5 wagyu being featured items, alongside caviar service and an omakase experience. Modern interpretations will yield inventive dishes like the tableside wagyu sukiyaki, inspired by the Japanese hotpot, plus a hot stone abalone and uni dashi, toro tartare served with kimchi sauce and Japanese milk bread, strawberry Japanese shaved ice, and a foie gras PB&J.

Location: 2651 Kipling Street, 77098

Key players: Lukkaew Srasrisuwan, Chef O and Chef Bell

Projected opening date: July/August 2023

Kin Dee co-owner Lukkaew Srasrisuwan will open a new upscale Thai restaurant on the ground level of luxury high-rise Hanover River Oaks. Though no specific menu items have been specified, Thailand's culinary duo chefs O and Bell are slated to cook up a variety of dishes that will pay homage to the various cuisines of Thailand and its royal family.

Location: 1971 West Gray Street, Suite E-09, 77019

Key players: Chefs David Denis and Lionel Debon, Sylvain Denis, Edwin and Edith Bosso

Projected opening date: late August

Le Mistral chefs David Denis and Lionel Debon team up with Sylvain Denis and Edwin and Edith Bosso to offer a new addition to the West Gray corridor. The restaurant, which will utilize new techniques inspired by French cooking, will offer New American cuisine, offering 7,000 square feet of indoor space, and an outdoor courtyard dining space that measures 2,000 square feet. The interior will also be a showstopper, with hundreds of crystal lights floating over the main dining room and glowing columns and archways featured in the various rooms, plus an illuminated lounge area with a free-standing metal bar and a semi-private chef's tasting room that give glimpses of the kitchen.

Location: 811 Buffalo Park Drive, Suite 100, 77019

Key players: Berg Hospitality

Projected opening date: September

From the restaurant group that owns B&B Butchers, the Annie Cafe & Bar, and Turner's Anabelle Brasserie is set to be an approachable, all-day brasserie that will serve as a lively destination for guests to enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with an outdoor space looking out to Buffalo Bayou Park.

Location: 3807 Montrose Boulevard, 77006

Projected opening date: late Summer

The Austin-based seafood restaurant, owned by MML Hospitality, will open its third location and first Houston outpost in Montrose this summer. Located in a former auto shop on the corner of Montrose Boulevard and West Alabama, the restaurant will offer an all-day menu featuring a wide selection of seafood with a New England influence, including sustainable caviars, oysters sourced from the East and West coasts, lobster rolls, steaming bowls of chowder & cioppino, and a catch of the day. The restaurant will also focus on shellfish and seafood offerings from the Gulf Coast, plus fan favorites like its pan-roasted black Angus hamburger, topped with gruyere and its gribiche sauce and served with its shoestring fries, plus fresh-baked sourdough bread. The restaurant is also slated to offer a wide range of seating, including its dining room which is outfitted with leather booths, an open raw bar with counter seating, a private dining room and bar area, and an outdoor patio.

Location: 811 Buffalo Park Drive, 77019

Key players: Husband-and-wife team Kirthan and Kripa Shenoy

Duo Kirthan and Kripa Shenoy will tag team to open a new vegetable-focused restaurant in Autry Park this summer, with Kirthan, who has worked at Michelin-starred restaurants in New York, serving as executive chef and Kripa as executive chef. Not much information has been released about the menu, but a release notes that the 150-seat, ground-level restaurant will feature floor-to-ceiling windows and a lush patio area. The restaurant was first announced in December 2021.

Location: 811 Buffalo Park Drive, 77019

Key players: Anthony Sobotik and Chad Palmatier

Just in time for summer, this Austin-based creamery will bring its homemade scoops to Houston's Autry Park. The shop, which has seven locations around Texas, prides itself on sourcing ingredients from local farmers and offering creative flavors free of soy, palm oil, and preservatives. Those interested in a cold treat will find scoops of Texas-centric sheet cake, roasted beets and fresh mint, and its signature caramel salt lick flavor.

Editor's note: This article will be updated as new restaurant openings are announced this summer.

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