Relish Restaurant Update

Adios Relish Fine Foods and hola Relish Restaurant & Bar in the heart of River Oaks

Before one of this summer's most anticipated restaurants opens in September, it has to bid farewell to the concept that it will spring from.

In preparation for opening Relish Restaurant & Bar in the former River Oaks home of The Bird & The Bear, owner Addie D’Agostino and executive chef Dustin Teague announced on Monday that they will close Relish Fine Foods on August 20. The new restaurant will double Relish's size and allow it to serve alcohol, but the focus will remain on classic American fare with Italian and Mediterranean influences.

Relish will add to the mix of restaurants like SaltAir Seafood Kitchen and State of Grace that have improved River Oaks' culinary profile over the last year. D'Agostino and Teague say that they aim to achieve the same beloved status as classics like Avalon Diner and Lizard's Pub.

"Upper Kirby is in many ways the crossroads of the city, bridging River Oaks and the gentility of an earlier time with the fast paced, pedestrian-oriented excitement that boutique retailers, restaurateurs, and bar owners have brought to its surrounding thoroughfares, including Kirby Drive and Westheimer, attracting diverse, cosmopolitan demographic that is so representative of Houston today,” D’Agostino said in a statement.

Renovations continue on the space, which will feature an L-shaped patio that looks out onto Westheimer. The 100-seat dining room will feature a black, white, and grey color palette with dark wood and brass accents.

Although D'Agostino and Teague are still working to finalize the menu, expect lunch and brunch to keep things casual with counter service and dishes that include eggs Benedict, hot and cold sandwiches, and chicken and waffles. At dinner, expect full service for simply prepared proteins with seasonal sides like rotisserie chicken with roasted vegetables.

"We’re personally and professionally the antithesis of trendy,” Teague added. “Our goal is to create an ambience that feels as if you were eating in a friend’s dining room – a chic and uncluttered gathering space you’re eager to revisit regularly and feel unrushed doing so.”

An interior rendering of the new Relish Restaurant & Bar.

Courtesy image

An interior rendering of the new Relish Restaurant & Bar.

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head east

Eagerly-anticipated Houston barbecue joint hosts weekend preview pop-ups

Courtesy of Eastbound Barbecue

Get a first taste of Eastbound Barbecue this weekend.

One of Houston’s most eagerly anticipated new barbecue joints is giving diners a preview of what’s to come. Eastbound Barbecue will host “Sneak Peak Weekends” every Saturday and Sunday beginning this Saturday, December 20, until the restaurant opens in early 2026.

Held at the restaurant’s location in the East End (1105 Sampson Street) from 12-4 pm (or sold out), the weekend service gives diners their first chance to try Eastbound Barbecue’s smoked meats, sides, and desserts. That includes, smoked brisket, baby back ribs, jalapeno & cheese sausage, hatch chili lasagna mac & cheese, herbed potato salad, and more. Save room for the two dessert offerings, salted caramel banana pudding and cookie butter cake.

To distinguish Eastbound’s barbecue, chefs Lopez and Granville use different seasonings than other restaurants, such as rosemary salt in the brisket rub and a miso-caramel sauce that gives its ribs a sweet and savory bite. During the preview, Eastbound’s prices are noticeably lower than many other Houston barbecue joints, with brisket priced at $29 per pound, ribs at $26 per pound, and pulled pork at $22 per pound.

As CultureMap reported in August, Eastbound unites four friends, Ryan Penn, Ryan Powell, Luis Lopez, and Jake Granville, who also held senior roles at various restaurants owned by prominent Houston chef Ronnie Killen. Since then, the four partners have finished many of the improvements they needed to make prior to opening, including closing in the patio and installing offset smokers on the property.

For Penn, leaving the Killen’s organization after almost 20 years was a difficult decision, but one he felt he had to make. “I could have worked for [Killen] forever and been happy. It was more along the lines of, if I don’t do this now, I don’t want to be 70 and wish that I had,” he said at the time.

Courtesy of Eastbound Barbecue

Get a first taste of Eastbound Barbecue this weekend.

news-you-can-eat barbecue openings