Eat well, do good: Dine out to help AIDS Foundation Houston

After a year's hiatus, the AIDS Foundation Dining Out for Life fundraiser has returned. On Thursday night, 16 Houston restaurants will donate a significant portion of their food sales to benefit AIDS Foundation Houston, so it's a great opportunity to dine out and help a good cause.

While great strides have been made in managing the disease over the last 30 years, the battle is not over, says AIDS Foundation Houston CEO Kelly Young. Houston continues to have one of the highest rates of infection in the nation. "It's a Top 10 list we don't want to be on," she says.

The organization helps the most vulnerable with housing and supportive services to make sure they stay on their medication. And it focuses on prevention, encouraging those in high-risk groups to get tested and to always practice safe sex.

"This is one of those issues we can change in our lifetime," Young says. "We don't want to give up now."

The following restaurants are taking part in this year's Dining Out for Life. They will be donating proceeds from meals served Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. I'll be a Dining Out for Life Ambassador at Sparrow Bar + Cookshop, so drop by for dinner, or check out these other great restaurants.

Canopy, 3939 Montrose Blvd., 713-528-6848
Shade, 250 W. 19th St., 713-863-7500
BRC GastroPub, 519 Shepherd Dr., 713-861-2233
Liberty Kitchen, 1050 Studewood, 713-802-0533
Niko Niko's — 2520 Montrose, 713-528-GYRO, and 301 Milam (Market Square), 713-224-GYRO
Sparrow, 3701 Travis St., 713-524-6922
Chelsea Grill, 4621 Montrose Blvd., 713-942-9857
Benjy’s in the Village, 2424 Dunstan, 713-522-7602
Barnaby’s - Midtown (401 West Gray, 713-522-8898), Montrose (604 Fairview, 713-522-0106), Memorial (5750 Woodway Dr., 713-266-0046), River Oaks (1701 S. Shepherd, 713-520-5131)
Bocados, 1312 W. Alabama, 713-523-5230
Litty Bitty Burger Barn, 5503 Pinemont, 713-683-6700
Brio Tuscan Grille, 3029 Kirby Dr., 713-528-8200

For more information, check out the Dining Out for Life website.

Dining Out for Life will take place Thursday from 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

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relish the change

Comfort food restaurant confirms big move to new River Oaks development

Relish restaurant Memorial Addie and Dustin Teague

Courtesy of Relish Restaurant & Bar

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One of Houston’s most reliable destinations for classic American fare will have a new home in 2027. Relish Restaurant & Bar will leave its current home on Westheimer for a new location at The RO mixed-use development.

The restaurant issued a brief statement that reads as follows:

Relish's River Oaks location will remain open through the end of the year and looks forward to continuing to serve its customers during this time.

Relish will open a new location at The Ro, Transwestern's forthcoming mixed-use development in River Oaks. Additional details, including timing and opening plans, will be shared at a later date.

Relish’s announcement follows news earlier this week that Island Grill, the family-owned Mediterranean restaurant, will open its sixth location in the space currently occupied by Relish. The new Island Grill is expected to open in the spring of 2027.

Owners Addie and Dustin Teague opened the current River Oaks location of Relish in 2016. In 2024, they opened a second location in Town & Country Village. The restaurant is known for its wide-ranging menu of American fare such as pastas, steaks, seafood, and salads. Standout items include the fried chicken, deviled eggs, and lobster roll.

The RO is Transwestern’s 17-acre mixed-use development that’s currently under construction at the corner of Buffalo Speedway and West Alabama. Relish is the first restaurant to be confirmed for the project. As CultureMap has previously reported, The Birdsall, a 34-story luxury hotel and condo tower from Auberge Resorts Collection, will anchor The RO.

With the RO not expected to open until late 2027, fans of Relish's River Oaks location will need to make the drive to Town & Country to satisfy their lobster rolls cravings for most of next year.

news-you-can-eat openings closing relish restaurant & bar

Eat well, do good: Dine out to help AIDS Foundation Houston

Dining Out for Life will take place Thursday from 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

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relish the change

Comfort food restaurant confirms big move to new River Oaks development