Dog-friendly in Cypress

Popular dog-friendly California restaurant announces first Houston-area outpost

Restaurants from out of town continue to see opportunities in the Houston market — and not just inside the Loop. A family-friendly establishment from California has selected Cypress for its first Houston outpost.

Lazy Dog Restaurant and Bar will open in the Cypress Crossing mixed-use development later this year, the restaurant announced. Inspired by owner Chris Simms' (no, not THAT Chris Simms) visits to the Rocky Mountains during his childhood, the restaurant serves up an eclectic mix of food and drinks. Already a hit in Dallas, Lazy Dog has four, soon to be five, outposts in North Texas.

At a time when trendy restaurants may only serve 15 or 20 items, Lazy Dog goes the other way. The menu pulls from what might charitably be called global comfort food. Starters range from hummus and onion dip to quesadillas and poke. Those looking to indulge may opt for one of nine burger options — including the obligatory turkey and veggie patties — as well as steaks, fried chicken, and pork ribs. Bowls, noodles, salads, flatbreads, and more are all available as well.

All those options get paired with a range of beverages. The restaurant serves beer made for it by Golden Road Brewing, a California brewer that's part of AB InBev's craft portfolio. All the usual cocktails (mojitos, mules, margaritas, etc), wines by-the-glass, and non-alcoholic options mean patrons never go thirsty. Flat screen TVs throughout the bar and patio should make it a solid option for watching a game or two.

"Nobody knows hospitality like Houstonians do," Simms said in a statement. "And we are so excited to be bringing our style of small town service and homestyle cooking to this growing metropolitan community. We want to be a home away from home for folks — and in addition to providing handcrafted food and cocktails — our aim is to do just that, be a place that locals can count on, come to connect and spend quality time together.”

That ethos of bringing the family together for a meal even extends to dogs; pets are welcome to sit with their people on the patio. True to its name, the restaurant offers canine-friendly fare made with grilled meats and brown rice.

PB&J burger with candied bacon.

Courtesy of Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar

PB&J burger with candied bacon.

news-you-can-eat openings

a CultureMap Exclusive

Houston's 'Chinese takeout bar from the future' touches down in Webster

Courtesy of The Rice Box

A rendering previews The Rice Box's new location in Webster.

Houston’s Chinese takeout bar from the future is coming to the Bay Area. The sixth location of The Rice Box will open in Webster later this summer.

Located at 114 El Dorado Blvd, the new location will be called Rice Box Space Center after NASA’s headquarters at the nearby Johnson Space Center. Founder John Peterson tells CultureMap that it’s a bit of a homecoming for him and his wife/business partner, Jenny Vo, as they grew up in the area. As with every new location, the restaurant created a movie-style poster to announce its opening.

Rice Box Webster movie poster The Rice Box Space Center is expected to open later this summer.Courtesy of The Rice Box

For its first truly suburban location, Peterson plans to offer a more efficient pickup system for to-go orders. Dubbed The Rice Box Pickup Reactors, the system applies Rice Box’s sci-fi aesthetic to curbside ordering. As seen in the rendering above, the building will have six slots that drivers will pull into to get their orders.

“The goal is to have guests in and out with food in hand in around 90 seconds,” Peterson writes in an email. “It’s still pickup, but we’re trying to make that moment feel more intentional and more connected to the digital side of Rice Box instead of treating it like an afterthought. We’re looking at this opening as both a new store and a prototype for how Rice Box can work in more suburban markets without losing the part of the brand that makes it feel like us.”

Bay Area-area diners can expect the same menu as the Rice Box’s other locations. That includes staples such as General Tso’s chicken, sesame chicken, beef with broccoli, and orange peel beef. The restaurant also serves traditional Chinese-inspired fare such as Chongqing chicken, cumin beef, mapo tofu, and chow fun noodles.

Recently, Peterson rolled out a new version of Rice Box’s dumplings. Available in chicken, pork, or vegetable, each style of dumpling comes with a different wrapper that enhances the filling’s flavor. They’re also available either steamed or fried.

The Rice Box started as a food truck in the early 2010s. After moving to a permanent location in the Greenway Plaza food court, it has opened brick-and-mortar locations in the Heights, River Oaks, Rice Village, and Memorial.

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