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    7 things to know

    7 things to know in Houston food right now: Openings, closings, and cream puffs

    Eric Sandler
    Apr 7, 2021 | 3:30 pm

    Editor’s note: Houston’s restaurant scene moves pretty fast. In order to prevent CultureMap readers from missing anything, let’s stop to look around at all the latest news to know.

    Houston’s second Voodoo Doughnut opened in Montrose last week. Although it lacks the convenience of the drive-thru found at Voodoo’s Washington Avenue location, it is open 24/7, making it an equally appealing option for those seeking a morning treat and people leaving the area’s many bars after last call.

    Voodoo Doughnut has earned wide acclaim for its creative doughnuts such as the signature Voodoo Doll with raspberry jelly filling and the Diablos Rex with a vanilla frost pentagram. Some of its more scandalous offerings include the Maple Blazer Blunt and the Cock-N-Balls doughnuts, both of which are shaped to resemble their names.

    Dish Society has opened its new Katy location. Still located at LaCenterra, the new restaurant offers twice the capacity — 100 inside plus an 80-seat patio — as Dish’s original Katy outpost, with a design that features many of the same elements as the recently-opened Southside Commons location.

    “I love the way it came together - the size, the openness, the brightness, the airiness, plus the patio is literally on the green – parents can eat while watching their kids play,” Dish Society founder and CEO Aaron Lyons said in a statement. “Pride is one of our core values and we are proud of this place. Our staff who transitioned over from our original Katy location are standing taller; they’re proud and it’s showing up in our service. It’s very cool to see.”

    Speaking of Katy, the western suburb is also home to a new location of Gloria's Latin Cuisine (23333 Grand Circle Blvd.). Known for its Salvadoran and Tex-Mex fare, the new Gloria’s is the restaurant’s 22nd location in Texas and third in the Houston area, joining siblings in Midtown and at Baybrook Mall. The restaurant opens daily at 11 am.

    “We're very excited to make our Katy debut,” founder Gloria Fuentes-Rubio said in a release. “We have an amazing location and we've hired an exceptional staff. We look forward to sharing the Gloria’s experience with our neighbors in Katy and throughout the Houston area.”

    Greenway Coffee has opened its new location in downtown’s Finn Hall food hall. The shop serves all the familiar brewed and espresso beverages, as well as signature items like the Texas Honey and Cinnamon Latte, made with locally-sourced Bee2Bee Honey and the Birds of Paradise, an ice matcha latte with a guava cloud on top. Hours of operation are 8 am-1 pm Monday-Friday.

    “We are thrilled to open our new location at Finn Hall and bring our caffeine haven to downtown Houston,” co-owner Niken Prabanto said in a statement. “Coffee culture is all about bringing the community together, so it’s exciting to join a group of dynamic concepts that offer unique and different flavors to Houstonians all in one spot.”

    Old Town Spring favorite Wunsche Bros. quietly reopened in February, but it’s really official now, according to a press release. The restaurant closed in 2015 after being damaged by a fire. Known for comfort food favorites like chicken fried steak and burgers, the restaurant has new owners but managed to rehire some of its old staff. Wunsche Bros. is open daily beginning at 11 am.

    Montrose favorite Inversion Coffee has closed, Eater Houston reports. Open since 2005, the coffee shop opted not to renew its lease, but a representative for Art League Houston stated a replacement concept will be announced soon.

    Japanese cream puff purveyor Beard Papa's will open in Spingwoods Village on April 17. It will be the company's fourth Houston-area location, joining Katy, Chinatown, and Sugar Land.

    On opening day, the first 100 customers to purchase five dozen or more cream puffs will receive a special Beard Papa’s mug, and dragon and lion dance show will be performed at 11:30 am. In addition, customers will receive one free cream puff for every five purchased, while supplies last.

    Inversion Coffee has closed.

    Inversion coffee and gelato exterior
    Photo by Eric Sandler
    Inversion Coffee has closed.
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    Meet the Tastemakers

    Announcing the Houston nominees for 2026 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards

    CultureMap Staff
    Feb 20, 2026 | 11:00 am
    2025 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards
    Photo by Daniel Ortiz
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    Houston's culinary scene is unstoppable, and each year we celebrate the city's top restaurant and bar talent with the annual CultureMap Tastemaker Awards. Recently, we revealed the 2026 event dates and released a limited number of discounted tickets, and now it's time for the anticipated unveiling of our Houston nominees.

    These nominees represent the very best in Houston dining right now, from beloved neighborhood establishments to nationally recognized hot spots.

    Our panel of judges — including local culinary experts and a who's who of past Tastemaker Awards winners — have selected outstanding nominees across 10 categories. They'll choose the winner for all but one award — the Best New Restaurant will be crowned by CultureMap readers in an interactive tournament this spring.

    Meet the nominees below, then join us April 16 at Silver Street Studios to find out who wins. You'll nosh on chef-prepared bites from a host of participating nominees, sip perfectly paired cocktails, and be in the room when the winners are revealed. First Dibs tickets are sold out, but you can still score discounted Early Bird tickets for a limited time ($75 for GA and $110 for VIP).

    Now, please join us in toasting the 2026 Houston Tastemaker Awards nominees:

    Restaurant of the Year

    • Bludorn
    • Casaema
    • Credence
    • Jūn
    • Katami
    • Little's Oyster Bar
    • March
    • Maximo
    • Milton's
    • Nancy's Hustle
    • Squable

    Chef of the Year

    • Thomas Bille, Belly of the Beast
    • Jassi Bindra, Amrina/Kitchen Rumors
    • Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, Jūn
    • Shawn Gawle, Camaraderie
    • Manabu Horiuchi, Katami/Kata Robata/Sushi Horiuchi
    • Mayank Istwal, Musaafer
    • Lucas McKinney, Josephine's
    • Benchawan Painter, Street to Kitchen
    • Felipe Riccio, March
    • Nick Wong, Agnes and Sherman

    Bar of the Year

    • Augustine Lounge
    • Bandista
    • Berwick's Birds of Paradise
    • Catbirds
    • Donna's
    • EZ's Liquor Lounge
    • Lee's
    • Melrose
    • Starduster Lounge
    • Winnie's

    Best New Restaurant

    • Agnes and Sherman
    • Barbacana
    • Boo's Burgers
    • Camaraderie
    • Chardon
    • Fielding's Steak
    • Hypsi
    • Jane and the Lion Bakehouse
    • Kaisen Sushi
    • Kitchen Rumors
    • Latuli
    • Murray's Pizza & Wine
    • Oru
    • Perseid
    • Yiayia's Greek Kitchen
    • Zaranda

    Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year

    • Aga's
    • Aladdin Mediterranean Cuisine
    • ChòpnBlọk
    • Cuchara
    • Feges BBQ
    • Handies Douzo
    • Moon Rabbit
    • Nonno's Family Pizza Tavern
    • North China
    • Pinkerton's Barbecue

    Rising Star Chef of the Year

    • Ope Amosu, ChòpnBlọk
    • Joseph Boudreaux, Boo's Burgers
    • Christian Hernandez, Barbacana
    • Frank Hernandez, Credence
    • Suu Khin, Burmalicious
    • Raffi Nasr, Craft Pita
    • Alexandra “Allie” Peña, Bludorn
    • JC Ricks, Dandelion Cafe
    • Adrian Torres, Maximo
    • Nicolas Vera, Casaema/Papalo Taqueria

    Bartender of the Year

    • Josh Alden, Bandista
    • Brandon Choate, Nancy's Hustle
    • Peter Jahnke, Catbirds
    • Cory Martin, Montrose Grocer
    • Chad Matson, Lee's
    • Alejandro Medina, Bar Bludorn
    • Craig Mickle, Baso
    • Julia Miles, Refuge
    • Javier Ruano, BCN
    • Jacki Schromm, Donna's

    Dessert Program of the Year

    • The Bake Happening
    • Barbacana
    • Blacksmith
    • Bludorn Hospitality
    • EaDough
    • Fluff Bake Bar
    • Jane and the Lion Bakehouse
    • Koffeteria
    • Luciana's Pastry and Coffee
    • Mayahuel
    • Sweet Bee's Bakehouse

    Coffee Shop of the Year

    • Blendin Coffee Club
    • Catalina Coffee
    • Coral Sword
    • Koffeteria
    • Little Dreamer Coffee
    • Simply Coffie
    • Tenfold Coffee
    • Third Place
    • TwoTone
    • Un Caffe

    Best Sandwich

    • Bayou Butchers
    • B'Tween Sandwich Co.
    • Cali Sandwich
    • Craft Pita
    • Kenny & Ziggy's
    • Local Foods
    • Stuffed Belly
    • Thien An
    • Winnie's
    • Yuma

    ---

    The CultureMap Tastemaker Awards ceremony is sponsored in Houston by Culinary Kahncepts, Shutto, NXT LVL Event, and more to be announced. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Southern Smoke Foundation.

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