down and out

Pioneering Heights restaurant and brunch hot spot shutters after 10-year run

Down House has closed.

Photo by Kirsten Gilliam

A pioneering Heights restaurant has served its last meal. Down House closed after service on Sunday, February 21, the restaurant announced on social media.

In the post, proprietor Chris Cusack thanked the restaurant’s staff for their hard work throughout the restaurant’s 10-year run and encouraged customers to post their favorite memories. Hundreds have responded on both Instagram and Facebook.

Cusack tells CultureMap the restaurant closed due to a decline in business brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. “The reality is it just didn’t work anymore in these circumstances,” he says.

Opened in the spring of 2011, Down House became a hit by combining many trends that had begun to emerge in Houston’s dining scene. It offered specialty coffees in the morning, cocktails and craft beer in the evenings, and utilized locally sourced ingredients in signature dishes like its Lone Star Burger and chicken and waffles. Originally opened as a breakfast and lunch concept, it quickly emerged as a brunch favorite at a time before The Heights had become one of Houston’s hottest dining neighborhoods.

That reputation for serving a great brunch got a boost in 2016 when then Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, dined at the restaurant while visiting Houston for the Final Four (both of their alma maters competed in the tournament). The couple dined on waffles and shrimp and grits and posed for pictures with patrons while the Secret Service kept a watchful eye on the property.

The restaurant even had a viral moment when a manager ejected a patron for tweeting a mild insult about a member of the staff while she was dining. Yes, Twitter was a much more benign place in 2011.

Cusack says he had the opportunity to speak with some of the restaurant’s former staff before announcing the closure publicly. They shared memories that allowed him to focus on positive experiences.

“It was a really good run,” Cusack adds. “10 years, so many places close before that. I think we got to have a great time and make an impact on The Heights.”

closings the-heights

And a new coffee bar

Historic Houston burger joint serves up new Woodlands location

Courtesy of Lankford's

Lankford's will expand its original location with a new coffee and wine bar.

Grim Burgers and tater tots are coming to The Woodlands. Lankford’s, the beloved Houston burger joint with locations in Midtown and Bellaire, will arrive in The Woodlands next year.

Slated to open in January, Lankford’s has claimed the former Baja Cantina space at 24 Waterway Ave. for its third Houston-area location. It will offer a number of amenities, such as a 12-tap, self-serve tap wall; a milkshake bar with both traditional shakes and boozy options for adults; and dog-friendly dishes that will include a donation to the Montgomery County Animal Shelter.

Of course, the new Lankford’s in The Woodlands will serve the same menu of comfort food and burgers as the almost 90-year-old original. That includes signature items like the Grim Burger, a bacon cheeseburger topped with mac and cheese, jalapeños, and a fried egg; the spicy Firehouse burger; daily specials like chicken fried steak; and a weekend breakfast menu.

Lankford's Grim Burger Behold the Grim Burger.Courtesy of Lankford's

In addition to opening a new location in The Woodlands, Lankford’s will upgrade its original location in Midtown. They’ve purchased an adjacent property that will house a new coffee and wine bar with fresh pastries from chef Jenny Finch, specialty coffee drinks, and wine. Like The Woodlands location, it is also expected to open in January.

Along with the new wine list, Lankford’s is launching a wine club that will give members access to select vintages, events, and other perks. It will also be available in The Woodlands.

Owners Jessica and Paul Prior have recruited their son Nicolas van der Does and his wife, publicist Sydney Prior van der Does, to serve as co-owners of the new location. Paul took over full control of Lankford’s after his mother Eydie retired in 2021.

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