Still open

Update: Some Houston restaurants are open for business after Hurricane Harvey

Hay Merchant is open with a limited menu.

Photo by Julie Soefer/Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau

Update: For a list of restaurants that are open on Tuesday, August 29, please see the newest update.

Houston has suffered unprecedented damage from the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, but the city is resilient as always. Flooding has limited mobility across the Houston area, but a few restaurants are open.

Keep in mind that most are running with limited menus and limited staff. Be mindful of conditions and don’t stray far from safety just to get a hot meal.

The following restaurants have posted to social media or contacted CultureMap to confirm that they’re open. We will update this list again at 3 pm and 6 pm. To be added, please email eric@culturemap.com.

Blacksmith - Coffee only, accepting donations that will be taken to the shelter at the George R. Brown.
~~Field & Tides~~ - Closed at 3 pm
Oui Banh Mi - Open until 4 pm, accepting donations that will be taken to the shelter at the George R. Brown.
~~Balls Out Burger~~ - Ran out of food
Siphon Coffee - Coffee and baked goods only
~~Paulie's~~ - Ran out of food.
Down House - Limited food menu, hot coffee, cold beer
Corner Bakery - Kirby & 59 location
Brisket House - Cypress location only
Brasil - Limited menu
Empire Cafe - Limited menu of breakfast dishes
Picos - Lunch and dinner, limited menu
Pizaro’s Montrose - Opens at 4 pm
Revelry on Richmond - Drinks only
Four Seasons Houston - Both Quattro and Bayou & Bottle are open
Revolve Kitchen at the Hotel Derek
85C Cafe & Bakery - Chinatown location only, bread and cakes only, no coffee bar
Retrospect Coffee Bar - Coffee only
Crawfish & Noodles - 12pm to 8 pm
Down the Street - Limited menu, but includes steak
Buffburger - Free meals for first responders
Cafe Brasil - Limited menu
~~Bosscat Kitchen & Libations~~ - No longer open
Grotto - Galleria-area location, limited menu. "The pizza oven is hot," per an employee.
Killen's Burgers - Limited menu

Update 3 pm:

Katz’s Deli - Both Montrose and Shenandoah locations
Elevation Burger
Harold’s Tap Room - Limited menu, closing at 7 pm.
~~Hay Merchant~~ - Closed after three hours
Aladdin Mediterranean Cuisine - Open until 8 pm.
Cool Runnings Jamaican Grill - Full menu
Al’s Quick Stop
El Burro & the Bull/Conservatory
Under the Volcano
~~Liberty Kitchen Bunker Hill~~ - Ran out of food
Pimlico Irish Pub - Drinks only
McDonald's - Check Facebook page for specific locations and times.
~~La Mexicana~~ - Ran out of food.
Jenni's Noodle House - Shepherd and Alabama location only

Update 6 pm

Liberty Kitchen - Heights location, limited menu
The Branch - Limited menu
Pondicheri - Limited menu
Porch Swing Pub
Komodo Pub
King’s BierHaus - One free beer per peron 6 pm to 8 pm. No food.
Vasos BBQ
WanFu Cafe - Take out only; no delivery available.

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Farewell, ElRo

Creative Montrose pizzeria will shutter after only a year-and-a-half

Photo by Julie Soefer

ElRo Pizza & Crudo

An acclaimed Houston pizzeria will soon serve its final pies. ElRo Pizza & Crudo will close after service on December 31.

In a post on Instagram, chef-owner Terrence Gallivan thanks his staff for their dedication and his customers for their support. “We hope to see you all over the next couple weeks. Come celebrate with us,” he writes.

Open since June 2023, ElRo intrigued diners who enjoyed Gallivan’s work at pioneering Houston restaurant The Pass & Provisions. At ElRo, the chef served a modified version of the Provisions pizza recipe alongside crudos and shareable small plates such as arancini and housemade sausage. It earned four nominations in this year’s CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, including Best New Restaurant and Chef of the Year.

Sadly, Gallivan tells CultureMap that business has seen “a steady decline in business for many months.” Recently, the restaurant had tried a number of initiatives to draw in diners, such as steak night on Tuesday and fried chicken on Saturday.

The early announcement gives diners two weeks to make one more visit (or two) to the restaurant before it closes. Customers may want to time their visit for happy hour, which takes places from 3-6 pm Tuesday-Friday. It includes half-off glasses of wine, $4 draft beers, $9 select cocktails, and food specials.

Gallivan adds that he doesn’t know yet what his next move will be. Hopefully, he’s got one more comeback in him. Houston is a more fun town to dine in when Gallivan is cooking in it.

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