CultureMap Exclusive

Popular River Oaks Chinese restaurant plans to relocate nearby and expand to Post Oak

The new Cafe Ginger locations will preserve the original's look.

Courtesy photo

One of River Oaks’ most-beloved destinations for spring rolls, dumplings, and sesame chicken has big plans over the next 12 months. Cafe Ginger will both open a second location in the Galleria-area and relocate its restaurant to a new location near its current one.

In the next week or so, the Galleria-area Cafe Ginger will begin its soft opening in the former Osteria Mazzantini/OKA Sushi space next to Caracol on Post Oak Boulevard. The same family that owns Cafe Ginger owned OKA, but they opted to switch the property to the more familiar concept for “internal reasons,” according to their real estate advisor, CBRE senior vice president Eric Lestin.

“We approached the landlord, and they agreed to the concept change,” Lestin says. “Since the entity under the OKA lease would be the same, all that involved is a change of use and a change of concept.”

The opening will give the area near the Galleria its first upscale, American-style Chinese restaurant since Gigi’s Asian Bistro closed in 2014. Opening soon gives Cafe Ginger a slight head start on another new Chinese restaurant coming to the area — Michelin-starred dim sum and patisserie concept Yauatcha, which is expected to open in the Galleria’s “jewel box” building at the end of March.

As for its existing location, Cafe Ginger will relocate from the River Oaks Shopping Center down West Gray to the spaces in River Oaks Plaza previously occupied by Mama Fu’s and Verts. Although it is still in the design phase and has yet to file for permits with the City of Houston, the renovations are expected to be complete by the time the restaurant’s current lease expires at the end of February 2018.

When Weingarten Realty’s plans to build a 30-story residential tower on Cafe Ginger’s current location forced the move, the owners sought to remain as close to their existing customers as possible. The deal hinged on securing both spaces, which required Verts to give up its lease at the property.

“We had some information that Verts was closing some of their stores, Lestin says. “We made an inquiry to several landlords in the River Oaks area on behalf of Cafe Ginger and were able to put all the pieces together to make Verts happy that they could close their store and have a new tenant take over.”

Expect the menu, atmosphere, and service at both new locations to match the standards set by the popular original. After all, as Lestin notes, “if it’s not broken, you shouldn’t have to fix it.”

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an offer he couldn't refuse

Exclusive: Killen's Barbecue will soon shutter in The Woodlands

Killen's barbecue meat platter with sides

Photo by Robert Jacob Lerma

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Fans of Killen’s Barbecue’s location in The Woodlands have a days to make one last visit. The restaurant will close this Sunday, December 7, chef-owner Ronnie Killen tells CultureMap.

Open since 2021, Killen says that he’s in final negotiations to sell the location at 8800 Six Pines Dr. to Whataburger for a new location of the iconic Texas fast food restaurant. Neither the original location of Killen’s Barbecue in Pearland nor its Cypress location are affected by the closure of The Woodlands and will remain open.

“Whataburger made me a deal I couldn’t pass up. It would take 10 years to do that kind of revenue,” Killen writes in a text, adding that the company recently made a significant payment to keep the deal’s window open through the end of the year.

He added that the costs to operate the restaurant have gone up significantly. As one example, a cord of wood cost $175 when he opened the first Killen’s Barbecue in 2013. It costs $475 now, he writes.

If the deal falls through, Killen states that he could look for a new buyer or convert the restaurant into a second location of Killen’s Burger, the retro-styled burger joint he operates in Pearland.

The restaurant’s closure had been expected since February, when Killen sold The Woodlands’ location of Killen's Steakhouse. At the time, Killen said he also planned to find a buyer for his barbecue joint in the bustling suburb. He cited the driving distance from Pearland to The Woodlands as one reason he chose to divest both locations. He still operates Killen's Steakhouse in Pearland, comfort food restaurant Killen's near the Heights, Killen's Burger, and three other locations of Killen's Barbecue.

As it approaches its 13th anniversary in the spring, Killen’s Barbecue remains a vital part of Houston’s barbecue scene. The restaurant recently earned an honorable mention from Texas Monthly and holds a Bib Gourmand designation in the Michelin Guide. In July, it opened a new location at Hobby Airport.

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