Bramble Shutters
Buzzed-about chef Randy Rucker suddenly shutters 'neighborhood joint'
After only a year in business, Randy Rucker announced that he has closed Bramble, his Southern-influenced "neighborhood joint" in Briargrove. The restaurant released the following statement Friday afternoon:
After much consideration & with heavy hearts we have decided to close Restaurant Bramble to the public as of July 29, 2016. The past year has proven to be very stressful on small businesses with it being an election year & the downfall in our economy. This decision comes after many discussions over our infrastructure, concept and we have choose to take a step back a reevaluate.
Bramble will remain available for special functions & private events through the upcoming months (more information on that soon). We are extremely thankful & want to thank all our staff members, Houstonians & neighborhood for supporting us in our effort to bring our style of food & culture to the area.
The news will likely come as a surprise to diners, who had grown to rely on Bramble for its carefully-sourced, classic Southern cuisine. The Monday night fried chicken special proved particularly popular, as did its hamburger. Still, those dishes seem a far cry from Rucker's initial goal of demonstrating the "true luxury" available from Texas and the Gulf Coast.
Whether the initial concept proved a poor fit for the neighborhood or the restaurant was simply out shined by other restaurants like Southern Goods and Bernadine's that offer similar cuisine is an open question that people will probably argue about on social media for the next few days.
