4 coming attractions

4 Houston restaurant openings to know about right now: Breakfast, burgers, and a cool coffee shop

Four new openings have been announced in the last week or so that will be of interest to CultureMap readers. To save a little time, here they are in one convenient article. Let's call it: four things to know.

Tejas Burger Joint, the companion restaurant to Tomball's acclaimed Tejas Chocolate & Barbecue (ranked 16 on CultureMap's list of Houston's top 100 restaurants), opens today (Tuesday, October 29). Located in Tomball at 214 W. Main St., the new restaurant gives a permanent home to Tejas' acclaimed Smokehouse Burger. Previously only available as a Wednesday special, the smokehouse burger features a half-pound, smoked Angus patty that's topped with smoked cheddar, bacon, caramelized onions, and green onion aioli.

The restaurant also offers the Native Texan, a riff on Tejas' celebrated chile relleno sausage, a Caesar burger, and classics like mushroom-Swiss and bleu cheese. Smaller, six ounce patty burgers and cheeseburgers are also available. Sides (fries, tots, and onion rings) and milkshakes round out the menu. The restaurant is open Tuesday - Sunday beginning at 11 am.

Real estate developer Skanska has brought the District 7 restaurant group to its West Memorial Place property at 15375 Memorial Drive. Located in the Energy Corridor near Terry Hershey Park, the 2,200-square-foot restaurant features an outdoor lounge area with couches, games, and wifi. Currently in soft opening, District 7 Memorial will celebrate its grand opening November 6 and 7.

Inner loopers will recognize District 7's other establishments, which include three locations of District 7 Grill, The District on Main in downtown, and District Tacos & Pizza in EaDo. District 7 Memorial builds on that reputation with a crowd-pleasing, family-friendly menu of updating comfort food.

Diners will find a mix of small plates (crab cake, wings, spinach and artichoke dip), pastas, pizzas, burgers, entrees (filet mignon, maple-glazed salmon, pan-seared chicken, etc), and more. The restaurant is open for lunch, brunch, and dinner with daily happy hour specials.

"For 17 years, District 7 restaurants have been mainstays in downtown and Midtown Houston. We saw the opportunity to expand into the Energy Corridor with a new location that offers the same delicious fare with sweeping views of Terry Hershey Park,” District 7 co-owner Shelley Elham said in a statement. “We are excited to final be able to share District 7 Memorial with the community and look forward to celebrating our grand opening in November.”

Even farther west, one of Austin's most highly rated coffee shops has selected Katy for its first Houston-area location. Summer Moon will open in Kingsland Plaza next month, KM Realty announced.

Unlike other coffee roasters that use gas to power their machines, Summer Moon does all of its roasting in a wood-burning brick hearth, mimicking some of the traditions of Texas barbecue. Drinks can be flavored with "moon milk," described in a release as "a proprietary blend of all-natural, unrefined sugar with subtle hints of spice." CultureMap Dallas speculates that the recipe includes "whipped cream or condensed milk, and maybe spices like vanilla and cinnamon."

Ryan Richardson, Summer Moon's Houston franchisee, grew up in Katy, making the location a logical choice for his first location.

While District 7 is going outside the loop for the first time, The Toasted Yolk is coming in. The locally-owned breakfast and lunch concept will open its 11th Houston-area restaurant this December in the former Kitchen 713 space at 4601 Washington Ave.

For breakfast, the restaurant features a mix of classic favorites ranging from egg combinations to creative Benedicts (known as "Arnolds"), pancakes, and omelettes. Lunch features sandwiches and salads. Like Snooze, The Toasted Yolk offers a full selection of beer, wine, and cocktails that will help adults ease into the morning.

Wood-roasted coffee is coming to Katy.

Courtesy of Summer Moon

Wood-roasted coffee is coming to Katy.

news-you-can-eat openings

Coming soon to Fredericksburg

Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country

Photo courtesy of Bottega Salaria

Valerio Lombardozzi is opening Bottega Salaria in the former home of La Bergerie.

Valerio Lombardozzi’s culinary career has taken him to the world’s finest kitchens, including restaurants owned by icons like Alain Ducasse, Giorgio Locatelli, and Joël Robuchon. In Houston, he led La Table and Tavola, where he earned a reputation for being one of the city's most engaging front of the house personalities.

But his latest project might be his biggest accomplishment yet. The hospitality veteran is opening Bottega Salaria, a homey Italian osteria and artisan market, in the former home of La Bergerie at 312 E Austin St in his adopted home of Fredericksburg.

Lombardozzi says the restaurant, expected to arrive in winter 2026, fills a gap in the Hill Country dining scene, but, more importantly, it's a reflection of his personal history and time spent working at his family’s restaurant in Rome.

“[It’s about] where I grew up, how I grew up, and how I eat,” he shares.

The three-concept experience is inspired by Italy’s Via Salaria, the ancient route Italians used to transport salt from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. The menu acts as a sort of travelogue, borrowing from the different cultures along the road, and the way village fishermen and shepherds ate.

Lombardozzi is quick to say he didn’t want to open a chef-driven restaurant. Instead, the osteria will serve traditional Roman staples such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto, and branzino carved tableside.

“I was one of the last to be exposed to the old generation of professionals who knew how to carve elegantly for the guests,” he says.

The adjacent bottega will stay open during restaurant hours, offering fresh pasta made on-site, house-made sauces, imported Italian pantry items, cheeses, salumi, breads, and biscotti. Patrons will be able to shop for individual items or put together custom gift baskets.

Outdoors, La Fraschetteria will debut a new hospitality experience in the U.S. The self-guided experience invites diners to grab wine directly from garden shelves, gather a spread of meats, cheeses, bread, or pasta, and linger around long communal tables lit by string lights.

Keeping the chit-chat going will be a thoughtful beverage program anchored by a primarily Italian wine list and imported beer. Lombardozzi says the cocktail menu might be a surprise, offering only gin and tonics, spritzes, and negronis. The latter has been made into a game where diners roll dice to determine the evening's combination of gin, vermouth, and bitters.

After dinner, guests can select an amaro from a rolling cart, sip grappa and limoncello, or sip a neat whiskey.

Lombardozzi shares that he wants Bottega Salaria to be just as comfortable for Fredericksburg locals as it is for destination travelers. Beyond daily service, Bottega Salaria plans community events such as garden wine nights with live music, Sunday movie nights, and hands-on cooking classes.

The space is designed for ease with a warm palette combining olive green and pomegranate reds. The decor blends heritage and modernity, bringing in objects like antique mirrors, plates, custom-made lamps, and even old tablecloths and curtains for an Old World feel.

"We’re not just opening a restaurant,” Lombardozzi says. “We’re creating a gathering place. A home for everyone who loves Italian food, culture, and the joy of sharing a meal with others.”

italian cuisine wine fredericksburg hill country openings news-you-can-eat