Killen's Steakhouse Moving

Houston's king of meat finds bigger location for steakhouse — new burger joint is next

Ronnie Killen has done it again.

For months, the chef/owner of two of the Houston-area's most well-regarded meat-centric restaurants, Killen's Steakhouse and Killen's Barbecue, has been planning to open a burger joint that would both expand his growing empire and cement his status as the city's undisputed king of meat.

On Friday morning, Killen announced on Facebook that he will be moving his steakhouse to a new, larger location in Pearland. The current steakhouse building will then be converted into Killen's Burger. While Killen had planned to locate the burger joint in a former gas station, the opportunity to grow the steakhouse proved to be the better decision.

Will Killen give Texans superstar J.J. Watt his own private entrance? "If he wants," Killen jokingly replies. "At least we won't have to worry about the guys hitting their heads on the ceiling."

The chef tells CultureMap that he has put down $50,000 in earnest money to secure the deal on on the new location, which was recently Malibu Steak & Seafood. Closing on the new location will happen in 30 days, and Killen estimates the steakhouse will open in its new home a month or so later in September.

"We'll need one month to put our touches on it," the chef writes in a text.

For Killen, the opportunity to secure a larger space for his steakhouse comes with several advantages: "large bar, wine room, a place at the entrance for a dry aging room, banquet room. I will be able to do my own laundry and linens. NO CREASES IN MY LINEN," he writes.

Will Killen give Texans superstar J.J. Watt his own private entrance? "If he wants," Killen jokingly replies. "At least we won't have to worry about the guys hitting their heads on the ceiling."

As for the burger joint, Killen estimates it will open five months or so after the steakhouse moves. He's planning an extensive set of renovations that includes an open kitchen, adding more windows and installing a rear patio. "It will be very 50s," the chef explains.

"Honestly, I can't wait for the burger place," Killen continues. "Burgers and barbecue was my first restaurant. I did burgers better than my barbecue."

"Honestly, I can't wait for the burger place," Killen says. "Burgers and barbecue was my first restaurant. I did burgers better than my barbecue."

Just like at the barbecue joint, the focus at Killen's Burger will be squarely on the meat. The signature patty is a mix of brisket, pork belly and bacon, but diners will also have all beef, grass fed beef, turkey and chicken patties to choose from. More exotic meats such as elk and buffalo are also possibilities.

Those seeking lighter fare will have the option of a Hawaiian-style grilled tuna or even a vegetarian patty.

Beverage options will include craft beer, milkshakes and "an old-fashioned fountain system."

Killen built excitement for the barbecue joint with a series of pop-ups. Look for items from the the burger menu to start appearing as specials at the barbecue restaurant as soon as Killen installs a proper grill.

"We had one burger day already. People went nuts over them. Sold 80 burgers in 30 minutes," the chef writes.

Arguing over where to find Houston's best burgers is as much a local past time as griping about traffic or speculating about the Texans' playoff chances. Killen is certainly entering a competitive landscape, but it sounds like he's bringing the same passion for delivering high quality that led the Food Network to name his barbecue joint No. 2 in the country.

If he delivers, we'll all be driving to Pearland even more often than we already are.

Ronnie Killen has already shown he knows steaks and barbecue. Now he'll add burgers to his resume.

Marene why I became a chef April 2014 Ronnie Killen To make people happy. People always love the chef .

Photo by Kimberly Park

Ronnie Killen has already shown he knows steaks and barbecue. Now he'll add burgers to his resume.

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a CultureMap Exclusive

Houston's 'Chinese takeout bar from the future' touches down in Webster

Courtesy of The Rice Box

A rendering previews The Rice Box's new location in Webster.

Houston’s Chinese takeout bar from the future is coming to the Bay Area. The sixth location of The Rice Box will open in Webster later this summer.

Located at 114 El Dorado Blvd, the new location will be called Rice Box Space Center after NASA’s headquarters at the nearby Johnson Space Center. Founder John Peterson tells CultureMap that it’s a bit of a homecoming for him and his wife/business partner, Jenny Vo, as they grew up in the area. As with every new location, the restaurant created a movie-style poster to announce its opening.

Rice Box Webster movie poster The Rice Box Space Center is expected to open later this summer.Courtesy of The Rice Box

For its first truly suburban location, Peterson plans to offer a more efficient pickup system for to-go orders. Dubbed The Rice Box Pickup Reactors, the system applies Rice Box’s sci-fi aesthetic to curbside ordering. As seen in the rendering above, the building will have six slots that drivers will pull into to get their orders.

“The goal is to have guests in and out with food in hand in around 90 seconds,” Peterson writes in an email. “It’s still pickup, but we’re trying to make that moment feel more intentional and more connected to the digital side of Rice Box instead of treating it like an afterthought. We’re looking at this opening as both a new store and a prototype for how Rice Box can work in more suburban markets without losing the part of the brand that makes it feel like us.”

Bay Area-area diners can expect the same menu as the Rice Box’s other locations. That includes staples such as General Tso’s chicken, sesame chicken, beef with broccoli, and orange peel beef. The restaurant also serves traditional Chinese-inspired fare such as Chongqing chicken, cumin beef, mapo tofu, and chow fun noodles.

Recently, Peterson rolled out a new version of Rice Box’s dumplings. Available in chicken, pork, or vegetable, each style of dumpling comes with a different wrapper that enhances the filling’s flavor. They’re also available either steamed or fried.

The Rice Box started as a food truck in the early 2010s. After moving to a permanent location in the Greenway Plaza food court, it has opened brick-and-mortar locations in the Heights, River Oaks, Rice Village, and Memorial.

openings news-you-can-eat the rice box