Dak & Bop departs

Museum District fried chicken favorite will shutter on Memorial Day

Dak & Bop will soon close its original location.

A Museum District staple will soon fry its last order of chicken wings. Dak & Bop will close on Memorial Day, owner Jason Cho tells CultureMap. Until then, it will continue to serve diners for delivery and to-go.

Simply put, Cho opted not to renew his lease in the Parc Binz building for another six year term. Citing the implications of the coronavirus, Cho says the approximately 2,500-square-foot space is exactly the wrong size for social distancing — too big to operate as to-go only and too small to accommodate enough tables 6 feet apart to be viable.

“It’s a decision I don’t want to make, but I have to consider the future scope of the restaurant industry and what’s going to be required,” Cho says. “Whether that’s a bigger space so I can space out the tables or a smaller space like Wingstop.”

Open since 2015, the original Dak & Bop offers Korean fried chicken alongside Mexican-inspired dishes like empanadas plus craft beer and cocktails. Casual and intimate, the restaurant quickly became a staple in an area that still doesn’t have many dining options outside of Dak & Bop's immediate neighbors, Barnaby's and Fadi's.

Cho has a number of ideas for keeping Dak & Bop in or near the neighborhood, including finding a new location at a cheaper rate or relaunching the concept as a food truck. For now, Dak & Bop’s second location in Lazybrook/Timbergrove will feature a special “O.G. menu” with some of the original location’s most popular fare.

“I’m trying to be as creative as possible,” Cho says. “We do have a loyal fanbase. I’d hate to take it away [completely] or blend it with the other concept.”

In the meantime, Cho will concentrate on Dak & Bop’s larger second location, which is open for to-go. He’s also working to open an outpost of South Korean coffee shop Tom N Toms in the Galleria area and Karne, an upscale Korean steakhouse, in The Heights. Still, he feels a sense of loyalty to the Museum District for providing him with his first opportunity to own a restaurant.

“I’m very appreciative of the area and having the opportunity to start my first restaurant in that area,” Cho says.

closings

Dine Out and Do Good

6 Rice Village restaurants team up to support Houston hospitality nonprofit

Courtesy of Milton's

Milton's opens September 27.

Some of Rice Village’s top restaurants have teamed up to raise money for the Southern Smoke Foundation. Dine Out Rice Village is taking place through January 31.

Modeled after Houston Restaurant Weeks, each restaurant is serving a prix fixe menu at a set price that includes a donation to Southern Smoke, the Houston-based non-profit that provides emergency assistance and mental health services to hospitality workers.

“January is typically a slower month for restaurants, so if we can encourage folks to go out to eat and simultaneously raise funds for the people growing, cooking, and serving the food and drinks, it’s a win/win all around,” Southern Smoke executive director Lindsey Brown said. “We hope Dine Out Rice Village becomes an essential event in Houston’s food and beverage annual calendar.”

The participating restaurants are:

D’Amico’s: Two-course dinner ($45)
Hamsa: Three-course lunch ($25) and four-course dinner ($55)
Hudson House: Two-course lunch ($20) and three-course dinner ($55)
Mendocino Farms: Golden State Farm Salad (20-percent of sales)
Milton’s: Three-course dinner ($55)
Navy Blue: Two-course lunch ($35) and three-course dinner ($55)

Find the specific dishes and donation amounts in this Instagram post:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Southern Smoke Foundation (@southernsmokefoundation)

Navy Blue co-owner Aaron Bludorn first proposed Dine Out Rice Village in 2025. He encourages diners to sample the restaurant’s crispy salmon with pomme puree and butter-braised leeks.

“We created Dine Out Rice Village in concert with Southern Smoke Foundation to showcase all of the amazing restaurants in the neighborhood,” Bludorn said. “We feel that giving Houstonians a reason to visit the Village is all we need to remind them that it is one of the premier dining destinations in Houston.”

Seth Siegel-Gardner, culinary and creative director for Milton’s owner Local Foods Group, echoed Bludorn’s sentiments. “All of us at Local Foods Group love what Southern Smoke Foundation does for our industry locally and around the country,” he said.

“We’re always proud to support the incredible organization, especially because that usually comes with doing something fun for Houston diners. In this case, the set menu is an awesome deal for a great cause. It’s a good excuse to try or revisit Chef Kent’s legendary Chicken Parm.”

news-you-can-eat fundraisers southern smoke foundation rice village