Foodie News
Chispas, Phil's, or King Biscuit: Which Houston restaurant closing is thebiggest surprise?
Phil's Texas BBQ is no more, but what should stand in it's place?
King Biscuit is no more — for now, at least.Photo via King Biscuit's Facebook page
The former Buffalo Grille spot on Bissonnet and Buffalo Speedway may be no more,but the new location at Weslayan Plaza (at Bissonnet) is almost ready.Photo by Clifford Pugh
People tend to focus more on the restaurant openings around town than the closings, but the past 10 days or so have seen a lot of spaces, both familiar and new, shut their doors. Here's a quick wrap of the action:
El Tiempo Cantina's new fast-food concept in the Heights, Chispas del Tiempo, has closed only weeks after opening. According to the employee we talked to, the restaurant is being retooled and will reopen in a couple months as a full-fledged El Tiempo, complete with bar.
It was a long time coming, but The Buffalo Grille shut down its longtime West University location on Sunday, after having its lease renewal denied last year with parking in short supply with H-E-B Buffalo Market in the same shopping center. The new Buffalo Grille location at Weslayan Plaza is set to open "soon," which hopefully means before my next brunch date.
We also just heard from b4-u-eat that King Biscuit Patio Cafe closed Saturday night, with original owner Pat Quinn and former Fitzgerald's owner Sara Fitzgerald buying it back from proprietor Roger Aggoun. Swamplot says Aggoun's lease was not renewed, and we've previously received reports on health department violations. A Facebook commentator says that when the restaurant reopens it won't be called King Biscuit, but we're taking that with a grain of salt.
UPDATE: King Biscuit is planning to reopen in three weeks under the same name, according to a staffer.
A less surprising closure at the end of April was Phil's Texas BBQ on Washington, whose mediocre barbecue never seemed to develop a following after opening last June. The only question now is what to do with the enormous, refurbished space. Maybe leave the ice wells and bottled beer and turn it into a kitschy country line dance hall?
With so many changes, it seems longer than two weeks since Sabine River Cafe on the west side closed its doors and Patisserie Thierry Andre Tellier suddenly shuttered its long-time River Oaks location. Andre's Uptown Park location is open for business, but we haven't been able to get any information on the reason the bakery suddenly closed, where it's moving to and when.
