Today's tasty rumor
Acclaimed Austin Thai restaurant would 'love' to open in Houston, but it's just a rumor for now
Could another of Austin's most-acclaimed restaurants be coming to Montrose? Rumors are swirling that modern Thai restaurant Sway has its eyes Houston.
Two restaurant industry sources confirm that the New Waterloo restaurant group has its eyes on bringing the concept to the Bayou City. While no lease has been signed, the former Aqui space at 520 Westheimer Rd. is one possibility, according to the sources. In response to CultureMap's request for comment, Alexis Lanman, New Waterloo's director of marketing, provided the following statement.
"We love Houston and have been exploring opportunities there, however not this location specifically. We’d love to do a Sway in Houston if/when the timing and site are right but currently no firm plans."
Hopefully those plans firm up sooner than later, because Sway coming to Houston would be good news for diners. While the city has any number of Thai restaurants, none offer the restaurant's modern, ingredient-driven approach — at least, not since Foreign Correspondents closed in 2016. Dishes like the son-in-law (crispy farm egg with braised pork shoulder), tom yum soup, and blue crab fried rice have been popular enough that the restaurant has expanded to three locations across the city.
Houstonians have certainly shown plenty of affection for Austin-based restaurants. Whether it's upscale spots like Uchi or more casual establishments like Hopdoddy and Ramen Tatsu-ya, the city's diners have demonstrated that Austin imports will find an audience here. While it's too soon to start contemplating reservations, the possibility of Sway joining that movement should generate plenty of excitement.
