closing soon
Heights wine bar's exit leads 3 Houston restaurant closings to know right now
Houston's dynamic restaurant scene always offers something new to try, but even successful concepts sometimes meet their end. Rising rents and other challenges mean three more Houston restaurants will soon close their doors.
Fresco Café Italiano will close on May 2, the restaurant announced via email. Opened in the fall of 2017, the restaurant showcased Italian chef Roberto Crescini, who offered approximately a dozen different styles of fresh pasta that diners could pair with different sauces and proteins. Its liberal BYOB policy made it popular with wine enthusiasts. Guy Fieri featured the Greenway Plaza-area restaurant on an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives that aired last year.
In the note announcing the closure, owners Steve and Ruby Gonzalez write that Crescini will return to Italy for "rest and relaxation" in the form of a much-needed sabbatical. "The restaurant has experienced tremendous success over the past five years, and we are grateful to you, our customers, for your loyal support," they write.
Leibman's Eatery, Market, Gifts will close its location in the Memorial City complex on May 16. In a note circulating on social media, Leibman's explains that it has lost its lease on the space at 10100 Katy Fwy.
Known for both its sandwiches and salads as well as its extensive selection of gifts, Leibman's has been a community staple for 43 years. The establishment moved from its longtime home on Memorial Blvd. to its current location in 2018.
Wine bar Sonoma in the Heights will close its location on Studewood on June 26. Owner Farrah Cauley tells the Chronicle that she couldn't come to terms on a lease renewal and is looking for a new location nearby. Sonoma's location in Upper Kirby and Katy will remain open.
“I want to thank all the employees (past and present) that have contributed to make Sonoma in the Heights what it has become,” Cauley said to the Chronicle. “I want to thank all of our guests, for which showed an enormous amount of love and support over the years, especially throughout the pandemic.”
