• Home
  • popular
  • EVENTS
  • submit-new-event
  • CHARITY GUIDE
  • Children
  • Education
  • Health
  • Veterans
  • Social Services
  • Arts + Culture
  • Animals
  • LGBTQ
  • New Charity
  • TRENDING NEWS
  • News
  • City Life
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Home + Design
  • Travel
  • Real Estate
  • Restaurants + Bars
  • Arts
  • Society
  • Innovation
  • Fashion + Beauty
  • subscribe
  • about
  • series
  • Embracing Your Inner Cowboy
  • Green Living
  • Summer Fun
  • Real Estate Confidential
  • RX In the City
  • State of the Arts
  • Fall For Fashion
  • Cai's Odyssey
  • Comforts of Home
  • Good Eats
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2010
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2
  • Good Eats 2
  • HMNS Pirates
  • The Future of Houston
  • We Heart Hou 2
  • Music Inspires
  • True Grit
  • Hoops City
  • Green Living 2011
  • Cruizin for a Cure
  • Summer Fun 2011
  • Just Beat It
  • Real Estate 2011
  • Shelby on the Seine
  • Rx in the City 2011
  • Entrepreneur Video Series
  • Going Wild Zoo
  • State of the Arts 2011
  • Fall for Fashion 2011
  • Elaine Turner 2011
  • Comforts of Home 2011
  • King Tut
  • Chevy Girls
  • Good Eats 2011
  • Ready to Jingle
  • Houston at 175
  • The Love Month
  • Clifford on The Catwalk Htx
  • Let's Go Rodeo 2012
  • King's Harbor
  • FotoFest 2012
  • City Centre
  • Hidden Houston
  • Green Living 2012
  • Summer Fun 2012
  • Bookmark
  • 1987: The year that changed Houston
  • Best of Everything 2012
  • Real Estate 2012
  • Rx in the City 2012
  • Lost Pines Road Trip Houston
  • London Dreams
  • State of the Arts 2012
  • HTX Fall For Fashion 2012
  • HTX Good Eats 2012
  • HTX Contemporary Arts 2012
  • HCC 2012
  • Dine to Donate
  • Tasting Room
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2012
  • Charming Charlie
  • Asia Society
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2012
  • HTX Mistletoe on the go
  • HTX Sun and Ski
  • HTX Cars in Lifestyle
  • HTX New Beginnings
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013
  • Zadok Sparkle into Spring
  • HTX Let's Go Rodeo 2013
  • HCC Passion for Fashion
  • BCAF 2013
  • HTX Best of 2013
  • HTX City Centre 2013
  • HTX Real Estate 2013
  • HTX France 2013
  • Driving in Style
  • HTX Island Time
  • HTX Super Season 2013
  • HTX Music Scene 2013
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013 2
  • HTX Baker Institute
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2013
  • Mothers Day Gift Guide 2021 Houston
  • Staying Ahead of the Game
  • Wrangler Houston
  • First-time Homebuyers Guide Houston 2021
  • Visit Frisco Houston
  • promoted
  • eventdetail
  • Greystar Novel River Oaks
  • Thirdhome Go Houston
  • Dogfish Head Houston
  • LovBe Houston
  • Claire St Amant podcast Houston
  • The Listing Firm Houston
  • South Padre Houston
  • NextGen Real Estate Houston
  • Pioneer Houston
  • Collaborative for Children
  • Decorum
  • Bold Rock Cider
  • Nasher Houston
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2021
  • CityNorth
  • Urban Office
  • Villa Cotton
  • Luck Springs Houston
  • EightyTwo
  • Rectanglo.com
  • Silver Eagle Karbach
  • Mirador Group
  • Nirmanz
  • Bandera Houston
  • Milan Laser
  • Lafayette Travel
  • Highland Park Village Houston
  • Proximo Spirits
  • Douglas Elliman Harris Benson
  • Original ChopShop
  • Bordeaux Houston
  • Strike Marketing
  • Rice Village Gift Guide 2021
  • Downtown District
  • Broadstone Memorial Park
  • Gift Guide
  • Music Lane
  • Blue Circle Foods
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2022
  • True Rest
  • Lone Star Sports
  • Silver Eagle Hard Soda
  • Modelo recipes
  • Modelo Fighting Spirit
  • Athletic Brewing
  • Rodeo Houston
  • Silver Eagle Bud Light Next
  • Waco CVB
  • EnerGenie
  • HLSR Wine Committee
  • All Hands
  • El Paso
  • Avenida Houston
  • Visit Lubbock Houston
  • JW Marriott San Antonio
  • Silver Eagle Tupps
  • Space Center Houston
  • Central Market Houston
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Travel Texas Houston
  • Alliantgroup
  • Golf Live
  • DC Partners
  • Under the Influencer
  • Blossom Hotel
  • San Marcos Houston
  • Photo Essay: Holiday Gift Guide 2009
  • We Heart Hou
  • Walker House
  • HTX Good Eats 2013
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2013
  • HTX Culture Motive
  • HTX Auto Awards
  • HTX Ski Magic
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2014
  • HTX Texas Traveler
  • HTX Cifford on the Catwalk 2014
  • HTX United Way 2014
  • HTX Up to Speed
  • HTX Rodeo 2014
  • HTX City Centre 2014
  • HTX Dos Equis
  • HTX Tastemakers 2014
  • HTX Reliant
  • HTX Houston Symphony
  • HTX Trailblazers
  • HTX_RealEstateConfidential_2014
  • HTX_IW_Marks_FashionSeries
  • HTX_Green_Street
  • Dating 101
  • HTX_Clifford_on_the_Catwalk_2014
  • FIVE CultureMap 5th Birthday Bash
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2014 TEST
  • HTX Texans
  • Bergner and Johnson
  • HTX Good Eats 2014
  • United Way 2014-15_Single Promoted Articles
  • Holiday Pop Up Shop Houston
  • Where to Eat Houston
  • Copious Row Single Promoted Articles
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2014
  • htx woodford reserve manhattans
  • Zadok Swiss Watches
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2015
  • HTX Charity Challenge 2015
  • United Way Helpline Promoted Article
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Fusion Academy Promoted Article
  • Clifford on the Catwalk Fall 2015
  • United Way Book Power Promoted Article
  • Jameson HTX
  • Primavera 2015
  • Promenade Place
  • Hotel Galvez
  • Tremont House
  • HTX Tastemakers 2015
  • HTX Digital Graffiti/Alys Beach
  • MD Anderson Breast Cancer Promoted Article
  • HTX RealEstateConfidential 2015
  • HTX Vargos on the Lake
  • Omni Hotel HTX
  • Undies for Everyone
  • Reliant Bright Ideas Houston
  • 2015 Houston Stylemaker
  • HTX Renewable You
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • HTX New York Fashion Week spring 2016
  • Kyrie Massage
  • Red Bull Flying Bach
  • Hotze Health and Wellness
  • ReadFest 2015
  • Alzheimer's Promoted Article
  • Formula 1 Giveaway
  • Professional Skin Treatments by NuMe Express

    Where To Eat Right Now

    Where To Eat Right Now: 10 love-happy, must-try restaurants for February

    Eric Sandler
    Feb 4, 2014 | 1:09 pm

    Usually, January sees a slower pace of restaurant openings than the fall, as places recover from the holiday busy season and regroup. That isn't the case this year, as this month's Where To Eat Right Now proves. For what its worth, the trend slows no signs of slowing down either.

    Also, after half of January's Where To Eat Right Now was outside the Loop, this month only two of the restaurants are (and one of those is in tony Tanglewood). For all the speculation that rising rents will drive restaurateurs to farther flung locations, the center of the Houston remains extremely vital.

    Without further ado, here are 10 newly opened restaurants to try this month. Give one of them a shot instead of an old favorite for Valentine's Day.

    Coltivare Pizza & Garden

    Coltivare may have just opened, but the restaurant already feels as polished as many long-established endeavors. Credit Revival Market partners Morgan Weber and chef Ryan Pera for using the delays imposed by parking negotiations to refine the details that have helped justify the high expectations people have for Coltivare.

    Already, ingredients from Coltivare's 3,000 square foot garden are showing up in dishes, and that trend will continue as the weather warms and more plants spring to life. For now, pizzas from the wood-fired oven and anything from the wood-burning broiler, like the spicy chicken with agrodolce, are can't miss items.

    Once the restaurant obtains a liquor license (private club style like Down House and Shade), it will offer a full cocktail menu built around Italian amaro and wine selected by Plonk veteran Jeb Stuart. For now, it's BYOB. Although Coltivare doesn't accept reservations, diners can call ahead to place themselves on the list. When a table is ready, the restaurant will send a text that gives people five minutes to return and claim a seat

    Andes Cafe

    Former Samba Grille and Alma Cebiche + bar chef David Guerrero is back with this highly appealing Second Ward cafe that serves dishes from countries along the Andes Mountains. Colombian anticuchos, thick, meaty pieces of grilled beef heart, can be found on the menu alongside papa a la huancaina, a Peruvian potato dish covered with creamy aji sauce that was so addictive a Peruvian friend wanted to buy it by the jar.

    Sandwiches, such as a sausage-filled choripan, are enormous and offer solid value. Naturally, Guerrero's signature ceviches are as delicious as they've always been. Add to the mix South American coffees (from local roasted Katz), sodas and gelato flavors for a complete experience. Located in an office building, the restaurant is primarily open for breakfast and lunch during the week but serves dinner on Friday and Saturday.

    Dish Society

    This new Tanglewood restaurant wears its heart on its sleeve, or maybe, its good intentions on its menu. Look below the reasonably-priced entrees to see the list of farmers, ranchers and other purveyors who supply the ingredients for chef Johnny Romo's dishes.

    At less than $15 for a serving of skirt steak with chimichurri or a generous portion of pork tenderloin, the prices feel a couple bucks lower than they should be, possibly to attract diners who may already be eating similar fare at nearby restaurant Adair Kitchen. Mussels steamed in Saint Arnold beer with tomato and kale may not be reinventing the wheel, but that dish has never stopped being delicious, either.

    This restaurant wears its heart on its sleeve, or maybe, its good intentions on its menu.

    The stylish design, the utility of serving breakfast, lunch and dinner during the week and brunch and dinner on the weekends, and a well-priced wine list combine to make this new restaurant feel like a real winner. The only complaint is that the wooden tables and polished surfaces mean the dining room can be noisy when its full.

    Cook & Collins

    Midtown may finally be expanding beyond the bar scene with the arrival of Cook & Collins, a casual neighborhood restaurant that serves classic comfort food from the same people who have made Crisp a success in Shady Acres. The concept gives Midtown residents an everyday spot for meals that's been missing from the neighborhood.

    The transformation from the location's previous incarnation as El Patio/El Xuco Xicana is stunning. The subway tile, hanging lamps and wood accents give the place a welcoming, upscale feel. The menu's highs come when its blending sweet and spicy, as with the Angry Birds fried chicken appetizer and the Pig Popper flatbread.

    Basic dishes like steak and the fried chicken entree are also worth trying. Cocktails are solid and the beer selection includes local craft options. Lunch and dinner are both available during the week; brunch starts this weekend.

    Luigi's Cucina Italiana

    Chef Luigi Ferre, who worked at Midtown staple Damian's for years, has transplanted his popular Galveston restaurant to a new spot off West Alabama behind Lamar High School. The food is classic Italian-American cuisine of the sort people go to Damian's, Vincent's and others for: Mushroom ravioli in pomodoro sauce, fettucini Alfredo and veal scallopini are all featured.

    Luigi's sets itself apart by getting the details right.

    Luigi's sets itself apart by getting the details right with housemade pastas, sausage and desserts. Service is polished, attentive and willing to accommodate substitutions to get the dish just right. Although located near Giacomo's, the menu is different enough to set itself apart and appeal to diners who are looking for old school dishes. The interior has a similarly classic vibe that would make it an appealing date night option.

    It will be BYOB until Ferre completes the process of transferring his liquor license to the new location.

    Brooks Family BBQ

    Pitmaster Marlon Brooks has joined his brother Harlon in the barbecue business with this tidy restaurant next to the University of Houston campus. Brisket is properly cooked with a mild smoke flavor and well-rendered fat. Ribs are almost fall off the bone soft, but they still maintain a decent chew with a slightly sweet flavor. Sides, particularly the braised collards, are made with care and complement the offerings well.

    Service from Brooks and his wife Ros is friendly and welcoming. While it may not be a contender for Houston's best barbecue, Brooks does provide UH students and the neighborhood with a solid, very reasonably priced option.

    Max's Wine Dive Montrose

    This Washington Avenue staple brings its rock and roll vibe, huge portions of amped up comfort food and late night hours to Montrose. While the burger, fried chicken and egg sandwich are the same at both locations, chef Michael Pellegrino has also created dishes that are unique to the new location. Start with jerk duck confit pies or clam chowder fondue.

    For an entree, consider the chicken and sriracha dumplings or the osso bucco and frites made with 8th Wonder Brewery gravy. Max's joins recently remodeled Gratifi, well-regarded Mexican restaurant Cuchara and foodie hot spot Boheme to make the intersection of Fairview and Taft a top notch destination.

    Want a healthier option? Max's owners Lasco Exterprises have also launched Flow Juice Bar next door.

    Ranch Bakery

    The bakery that served cheese-stuffed pretzel rolls, brisket-filled kolaches and bacon scones has been reborn inside the Cypress barbecue joint The Backyard Smokehouse. All of the favorites that made Ranch Bakery an under the radar destination during its run in 2012 are back, and owner John Homrighausen will also supply desserts to the restaurant.

    So far, the breakfast offerings are only available on the weekends, but that just means Inner Loopers have a stopping point on their way to the outlet mall or as a prelude to a day of touring through Central Texas.

    OTC Midtown Pizza Grill & Patio Bar

    Even as Cook & Collins hopes to appeal to a more mature Midtown crowd, the owners of Upper Kirby nightclub OTC are adding another bar to the Bagby strip that already includes patio bars Dogwood and The Gaslamp. OTC Midtown will set itself apart from the competition with a menu of pizzas derived from Brooklyn pizza joint Pete Zaaz, as first noted by Eater.

    The menu is built around non-traditional, creative offerings like a baked potato pizza instead of more traditional fare. While its probably unrealistic to think OTC will produce pies at the Coltivare level, the Facebook pictures certainly look intriguing enough to merit a visit. As for the drinks, the focus is squarely on cocktails, but a small beer selection is available, too.

    If nothing else, Midtowners should enjoy having a late night pizza option to replace the departed Late Night Pie.

    Nook Cafe

    University of Houston students have a new spot on campus for locally roasted coffee, drinks and snacks thanks to the Nook Cafe. Opened by UH alum Derek Shaw and business partner Sam Wijnberg, Nook Cafe lives its motto of "By Coogs for Coogs" with a space designed by a UH alum, coffee supplied by UH grad Avi Katz and a policy of donating 10 percent of profits from sales of its Cougar Blend coffee to the school.

    Beyond that, Nook Cafe offers pastries from French Riviera Bakery and Take the Cake. Older students can enjoy beer and wine to take the edge off those pre-exam jitters. In a hurry? Soon, diners will be able to order any non-alcoholic beverage online and pick it up without waiting in line.

    Looking for more restaurants to try? Consider the picks from January, December, November, October, September and August.

    These aji-covered potatoes at Andes Cafe had a Peruvian friend wanting to take a jar of the sauce home.

    3 Andes Restaurant Houston January 2014
      
    Photo by Eric Sandler
    These aji-covered potatoes at Andes Cafe had a Peruvian friend wanting to take a jar of the sauce home.
    unspecified
    news/restaurants-bars

    one last squeeze

    Ben Berg's New York-inspired, fancy burger joint will soon shutter

    Eric Sandler
    May 21, 2025 | 5:16 pm
    BB Lemon exterior
    Photo by Leah Wilson
    undefined

    The original location of Ben Berg’s fancy burger joint will soon serve its last meal. B.B. Lemon on Washington Avenue will close after service on Sunday, June 1, the restaurant announced on social media.

    In response to CultureMap’s request for comment about the decision, a representative provided a statement that reads in part:

    “It is never an easy decision to close a restaurant,” Berg said. “The love Houston has shown B.B. Lemon-Washington over the years is what made it such a special place. Thank you for making us part of your everyday moments and life celebrations.”

    The statement continues that the restaurant is “no longer part of our strategic plan,” referring to Berg’s company, Berg Hospitality Group. However, the location of B.B Lemon that opened last year in the downtown tunnels will remain open.

    Open since late 2018, B.B. Lemon takes inspiration from iconic New York City restaurant JG Melon, including its signature green-and-white checked tablecloths. Thanks to a spacious patio and a lively atmosphere, B.B. Lemon soon found favor with area residents and downtown office workers, who made it a happy hour favorite.

    Like its decor, B.B. Lemon’s menu also takes inspiration from the East Coast. In addition to a diner-style, wagyu cheeseburger, the restaurant serves an array of comfort food that includes fish and chips, a lobster roll, and blue crab beignets.

    Berg’s decision to close B.B. Lemon follows last year’s closure of Benny Chows, its New York-inspired Chinese American restaurant. In January, the company closed NoPo Cafe to make way for a new location of Bagel Bob’s HTX.

    The group also opened three new concepts in 2024: live fire steakhouse Prime 131, retro diner Buttermilk Baby, and upscale steakhouse Turner’s Cut. It will open a second location of Buttermilk Baby in Sugar Land this summer.

    news-you-can-eatclosings
    news/restaurants-bars
    CULTUREMAP EMAILS ARE AWESOME
    Get Houston intel delivered daily.
    Loading...