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    Welcome back

    More than a dozen Houston restaurants reopen for dine-in service this week

    Eric Sandler
    May 13, 2020 | 2:20 pm
    Burger Joint Heights food spread
    The Burger Joint has reopened for dine-in service.
    Photo by Becca Wright

    Even though Gov. Greg Abbott’s initial timeline of May 18 for “phase 2” and 50-percent capacity is rapidly approaching, many Houston restaurants are opting to reopen this week under the current, 25-percent capacity limit. As a reminder, diners will encounter a very different dining experience than they did in the pre-COVID days.

    At Hugo’s, which reopens Thursday, May 14 for dinner service, that means no valet service (or car washes) as well as a requirement that diners wear masks any time they aren’t seated at their tables. The signature Sunday brunch buffet will be replaced with an a la carte menu for now.

    “In many ways, this is going to be like opening an entirely new restaurant, and we hope diners will be understanding as we all learn this ‘new normal,’” Hugo’s co-owner Tracy Vaught said in a statement. “There is going to be a learning curve for everyone, including staff and diners, but our priority is making the restaurant and the dining experience as safe as possible for all.”

    Fast casual restaurants will feel different, too. The Burger Joint has placed markers 10 feet apart to keep diners separated while they’re waiting in line to order. A staff member will escort customers to their tables both to enforce social distancing requirements and to ensure that the table has been properly sanitized between parties.

    The restaurant’s popularity has allowed it to keep its staff employed during to-go service, chef-partner Matt Pak tells CultureMap, and the large patios at both locations will be beneficial when it resumes dine-in service on Wednesday, May 13.

    However, the restaurant has other challenges stemming from the coronavirus pandemic. Specifically, the rising cost of beef has increased the restaurant’s costs to operate.

    “We don’t anticipate raising our prices based on this first price increase we have taken on,” Pak writes in an email. “Things can obviously change, but we don’t want to have to have to do that to our customers. We are trying to weather the storm just like a lot of people out there.”

    Resuming to-go service

    Ishin Udon: The Chinatown restaurant devoted to Japanese noodle soup and curry dishes is open for lunch and dinner. Hours are 11 am - 3 pm for lunch with dinner beginning at 5 pm Tuesday - Sunday.

    Izakaya Wa: The Memorial-area Japanese pub resumes to-go service on Friday, May 15. Hours are 11 am - 3 pm and 4 - 8 pm Tuesday - Sunday.

    Moxie's: The Galleria-area spots bar is now serving steaks, sandwiches, shareables, and more for delivery or to-go from 12 - 9 pm daily.

    Nancy’s Hustle: The ultra-popular restaurant has begun selling prepared meals that feature an entree, vegetable sides, bread, and dessert. Designed to feed two people, they cost $60 and may be ordered online Wednesday - Sunday for pickup at the restaurant. Suggested wines and other prepared items are also available.

    Night Market Thai: Chef Mike Tran's creative Thai restaurant is offering lunch and dinner to go. Hours are 11 am - 3 pm and 5 - 10 pm Tuesday - Sunday.

    Resuming dine-in service

    B.B. Italia: Berg Hospitality’s family-friendly Italian restaurant reopened on May 9. Hours are 4 - 9 pm daily.

    B.B. Lemon: Berg Hospitality's comfort food restaurant resumes lunch and dinner service on Friday, May 15 with more patio seating and cabanas on its lawn. Open at 11 am daily.

    Bistro Menil: Chef Greg Martin’s stylist Montrose spot remains closed for dine-in service, but customers may eat the food they order to-go at tables on the restaurant’s patio. Hours are 11 am - 8 pm Wednesday - Sunday.

    The Burger Joint: As noted above, both locations have reopened for dine-in service with new procedures in place to maintain social distancing. Hours are 11 am - 12 am daily in Montrose and 11 am - 10 pm daily in The Heights.

    Chama Gaúcha: The popular, Galleria-area churrascaria has reopened for dine-in service with a number of changes, including that staff members will serve diners from the salad bar. Lunch and dinner hours vary by day. See website for details. Reservations recommended.

    China Garden: Get Houston's best egg rolls and other Chinese American fare for dine-in or to-go from 3 - 9 pm Thursday - Saturday. Reservations recommended.

    FM Kitchen & Bar: The comfort restaurant resumes dining on its patio on Thursday, May 14 for groups of four or fewer people. Open 11 am - 9 pm daily.

    Hugo’s: The restaurant resumes dine-in service with a limited menu of customer favorites plus some Oaxacan specialities. Hours are 3 - 9 pm Monday - Friday, 10 am - 9 pm Saturday, and 10 am - 3 pm Sunday. Reservations recommended.

    Izakaya: Midtown’s Japanese pub has reopened for dine-in service with a special “stimulus menu” that features skewers, small plates, ramen, and dumplings. Hours are 2 - 10 pm Monday - Friday and 12 - 10 pm Saturday and Sunday. Reservations recommended.

    Kata Robata: Chef Hori-san and his team will resume dine-in service on May 18 with an extensive array of safety protocols. Hours are: lunch, 12 - 2:30 pm daily (60 minute max seating); dinner 5 - 10:30 pm Sunday - Thursday and 5 - 11 pm Friday and Saturday (90 minute max seating). Reservations required.

    Killen’s TMX: Ronnie Killen’s Tex-Mex restaurant resumes dinner service on Friday, May 15. Reservations recommended.

    La Lucha/Superica: Ford Fry’s Gulf Coast comfort food restaurant and its adjacent Tex-Mex restaurant are both open for patio dining only. Superica is open for dinner beginning at 4:30 pm Monday - Thursday and lunch and dinner beginning at 11:30 am Friday - Sunday. La Lucha opens daily at 4:30 pm.

    MAD: The Spanish fine dining restaurant devoted to tapas, paella, and bathroom selfies has reopened for dinner service. Reservations required.

    Maggiano’s Little Italy: All three Houston-area locations of the upscale chain restaurant have reopened for dine-in service. Customers are “encouraged” to wear masks when not seated at their tables. Hours are 11 am - 9 pm Monday - Friday and 10:30 am - 9 pm Saturday and Sunday. Reservations recommended.

    Mala Sichuan Bistro: All three locations of the acclaimed Chinese restaurant reopened for lunch and dinner with their full menus on Sunday, May 10. Hours vary by location. See website for details.

    Mutiny Wine Room: The California-inspired wine bar and restaurant has reopened for dine-in service beginning at 4 pm Tuesday - Friday and 12 pm Saturday and Sunday.

    Voodoo Queen Daiquiri Dive: The East End favorite for tasty po'boys and potent cocktails has reopened for patio service. Hours are 12 pm - 12 am daily.

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    Where to Eat on New Year's Eve

    25 Houston restaurants celebrating New Year's Eve with caviar, bubbles, and more

    Brianna McClane
    Dec 23, 2025 | 10:30 am
    The Henry restaurant new year's eve
    Photo courtesy of The Henry
    The Henry, one of the city's newest hotel's, invites diners to enjoy a three-course meal that includes chicken frites.

    Whether 2025 was great, awful, or just meh, there’s no reason not to end it on a high note. Houston restaurants are celebrating with indulgent menus featuring caviar, lobster, and steak, along with plenty of bubbly. Food and booze aren’t the only draws — many of these New Year’s Eve celebrations also bring DJs, live music, and even aerial performances into the mix.

    Bari Ristorante
    Life’s a circus at Cirque du Bari, the restaurant’s New Year’s Eve fete, where the adjoining lawn will be transformed into a whimsical experience complete with stilt walkers. A DJ will keep the atmosphere festive until 2 am, with patrons encouraged to “dress to join the circus.” Two dinner seatings are available from 7–7:30 pm and 9:30–10 pm, followed by a champagne toast at midnight.

    Camaraderie
    Find fan favorites and limited features on the menu at Camaraderie, such as roast muscovy duck breast in a cherry and foie gras jus, and a meringata with white truffle gelato and hazelnut praline. Reservations are required to snag this $98 per person curated menu. Seatings are available from 5 pm-10 pm.

    Doc’s Jazz Club
    Montrose’s new jazz club is sending off 2025 with 7 pm and 10 pm performances by Tianna Hall and the Houston Jazz Band. The four-course dinner opens with black-eyed pea soup and a grape-arugula salad, followed by a choice of stuffed pork tenderloin, 6-ounce Black Angus filet, or seared halibut. End on a sweet note with a spiced, red-wine poached pear and cinnamon whipped cream. The 7 pm seating includes a bubbly toast, while those at the 10 pm show will be served a full bottle of bubbles at midnight.

    Eculent
    There’s no reason to settle on just one restaurant for NYE, when you can visit all four of Chef David Skinner’s spots with a $99 “Ticket to Roam.” Patrons can move between eculent, ISHTIA, Meticulous Spirits Distillery, and Clear Creek Winery all in one night, with a hot buffet from 7–10 pm, a dessert bar from 10 pm-12 am, and champagne with party favors at midnight. Cocktails and wine will be available for purchase. The event is 21+ with reservations required.

    Flora Mexican Kitchen
    Toast to the new year at this Buffalo Bayou Park eatery where a live DJ will spin tracks from 8 pm-12 am, with complimentary champagne when the clock strikes midnight. A sparkling disco ball adds to the ambiance.

    Guard and Grace
    The luxurious downtown steakhouse will supplement its regular menu with NYE features, including dry-aged duck breast with foie gras dirty rice, bluefin tuna tataki, steamed crab and lobster wonton, pan-roasted Alaskan halibut, and smoked, bone-in beef short rib with black garlic glaze.

    The Henry at Town & Country Village
    One of Houston’s newest neighborhood restaurants invites diners to welcome 2026 with a three-course meal. Start with decadent bites such as the truffled brie toast, followed by entrees like a Korean prime skirt steak or roasted chicken frites. Dessert brings a chocolate fudge pie, lemon olive oil cake, or a molten butter cake. Priced at $85 per person, with optional wine pairings available as an add on. The Henry is open from 4 pm-12 am.

    Juliet
    Slip into the new year feeling like a spy at this James Bond-inspired, black-tie attire event. “Casino Royale” at Juliet is a $250-per-person celebration with casino-esque games, magicians, entertainment, open bar, and a three-course dinner. Standout dishes include a two-pound lobster thermidor and a 36-ounce tomahawk ribeye (+$150).

    Kitchen Rumors
    This fusion spot in the Arts District is marking New Year’s Eve with a $75 prix fixe menu of flavorful creations like roasted oyster tikka, shrimp ravioli, and beef vindaloo with basmati rice. The fifth and final course offers a choice between carrot halwa cheesecake or chocolate cardamom mousse. Kitchen Rumors is open from 4pm-10pm.

    Little’s Oyster Bar
    Seafood lovers will want to close out 2025 at Little’s Oyster Bar where features include Matagorda Pearl oysters on the half shell with champagne seafoam and Little’s white sturgeon caviar, Red Royal shrimp, lobster bisque, and Yellow Edge grouper. The fixed-price menu is $175 per person, served from 5 pm-10 pm.

    Makiin
    It’s “Midnight in Bangkok” at this Upper Kirby restaurant where live entertainment — like Thai dancers, aerial performance, and DJ — complement a $55, three-course menu. All diners can raise a complimentary pour at midnight. MaKiin is open until 12 am on December 31.

    The Marigold Club
    Goodnight Hospitality's decadent, Mayfair London-inspired French restaurant is celebrating New Year's Eve with a three-course, $175 per person prix fixe menu. Begin with choices such as beef tartare, tuna crudo, or Caesar salad. Entree choices include prime filet, duck Wellington, Dover sole, and lobster Thermidor. Four dessert choices complete the meal. Enhance the experience with additions such as caviar, truffles, and champagne.

    Maximo
    Executive chef Adrian Torres’ progressive Mexican cuisine is the star of Maximo’s NYE show. Smoked pork belly, masa cornbread with white truffle and caviar, and corn puree Basque cheesecake are just a few of the offerings on the five-course, $85 prix fixe menu. Add cocktail and wine pairings for an additional $45. Maximo will open at 5 pm on New Year’s Eve with a last seating at 10 pm, and return to regular service and menus on Thursday, January 1.

    Milton’s
    Say “Buon Anno” with a five-course feast at Milton’s. The curated dinner starts at $150 per person, with optional wine pairings available for $75. Find favorites such as the housemade sourdough tagliatelle with shaved black truffle, and a seafood risotto with poached lobster.

    Murray’s Pizza and Wine
    Raise a slice of pizza to the year’s end at this recently-opened pizzeria. The prix fixe menu features small plates and three limited-edition pizzas: caviar and with Norwegian salmon that's hot-smoked in house; duck confit pizza with roasted red grapes; and a truffle-wild mushroom pizza with a garlic cream sauce and salsa verde.

    North Italia
    Why not finish the year off with a sampling of new dishes? The restaurant’s three-course menu for NYE includes staples such as the Sicilian meatballs, alongside new creations like smoked prosciutto chicken parmesan and a lobster mezzaluna with tiger shrimp in a white vodka sauce. Pricing starts at $75 per diner.

    Pappas Bros. Steakhouse
    The Houston institution invites patrons to bid adieu to the year with a $150, four-course menu. Lobster deviled eggs, grilled double cut lamb chops, and “turtle” mousse tart are on the menu, as is the restaurant’s signature 16-ounce, prime ribeye. Both the Galleria and the downtown locations will host the celebration.

    Sol 7 at the Thompson Hotel
    Soar up to the seventh floor of the Thompson Hotel for Sol 7’s $70, three-course menu. Patrons can take in the restaurant’s downtown views while dishes of miniature crab cake with remoulade, a compressed melon carpaccio salad, and a red wine braised short rib are delivered to the table. A banana rum cake completes the meal. For those who want to continue the celebration, the hotel is offering a “Let’s Party” in-room decor package that includes a bottle of Veuve Clicquot.

    State of Grace
    Join chef Ryan Lachaine at this River Oaks-staple for a four-course, $145 per person dinner. Everyone starts with house baked bread, served with butter and caviar, before choosing one of five starters such as raw oysters, chili crab, or yellowfin tuna crudo. Entree options include char sui-style duck breast, mushroom risotto, prime filet, or dry-aged cote du boeuf ($49 supplement) and are paired with shared sides including black-eyed peas. Add wine pairings for $65 or $125.

    Street to Kitchen
    James Beard Award-winning chef Benchawan Jabthong Painter and her husband Graham Painter invite diners to join them for a surprise menu that features multiple courses showcasing "unapologetically Thai sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and spicy flavors." Priced at $100, the meal begins at 7 pm with a cocktail hour at 6 pm. Reserve seats via Street to Kitchen's website.

    Succulent Fine Dining
    The Regent Square restaurant is capping off its first year in Houston with music from DJ Sound and Vision and a seven-course prix fixe menu. From the $125 per person menu, expect entrees like a poached halibut cheek with butter-braised leeks, and a pepper-crusted, 1855 Farms prime rib. The regular dinner menu will also be available. Succulent Fine Dining is open from 5 pm-12 am.

    Turner's Cut
    Those looking to splurge may want to indulge in the seven-course tasting menu at this ultra-posh steakhouse in Autry Park. Priced at $2,026 per couple, it includes selections such as a caviar tartlet paired with champagne; lobster ravioli paired with more champagne; both an American wagyu strip and a Japanese wagyu filet; and a welcome cocktail made with Rémy Martin 1738. A toast with Louis XIII cognac ends the meal. Live music, party favors, and a midnight balloon drop complete the experience.

    Uchi and Uchiko
    New Year’s Eve is an intimate affair at Uchi, where diners can reserve a $400 omakase experience for two. Selections include Siberian caviar service, A5 wagyu gyutoro, and bluefin akami. The restaurant’s sister restaurant, Uchiko, is also offering an omakase for two at $350. The regular menu will be available at both restaurants on NYE, but no happy hour or to-go orders will be. Reservations are available from 4 pm-11 pm.

    The Woodlands Resort
    2025 is going out big in the ‘burbs with a 14-piece live band and a buffet-style dinner at the Woodlands Resort. The festivities kick off with a champagne welcome and passed appetizers, with a live DJ cranking out tunes before a confetti countdown at midnight. Tickets are $150 per person and can be purchased via Eventbrite. “Midnight Noir” at The Woodlands Resort is from 7 pm-1:30 am.

    The Henry restaurant new year's eve

    Photo courtesy of The Henry

    The Henry, one of the city's newest hotel's, invites diners to enjoy a three-course meal that includes chicken frites.

    news-you-can-eatnew years eveholidays
    news/restaurants-bars

    most read posts

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