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    Chef Hired

    Iconic Houston hot dog chain taps food truck chef to tweak menu for next generation of diners

    Eric Sandler
    Sep 3, 2015 | 11:31 am

    When the Eatsie Boys announced they were closing their cafe to focus on their food truck and 8th Wonder Brewery, chef Matt Marcus acknowledged that he was looking for new opportunities to occupy his time. His search came to an end when James Coney Island announced on Tuesday that it has hired him to serve as a consultant for JCI Grill.

    "It was my dream come true to work for an icon like JCI in Houston," Marcus tells CultureMap. "I’ve been eating it all my life. I remember going to the one on Westheimer."

    As when former Haven chef Randy Evans served in the consulting role, Marcus's task is to enhance JCI's offerings. For Houstonians who grew up eating chili cheese coneys, fear not; the restaurant's "legacy menu" isn't changing.

    "I'm basically just fine tuning what already is a great product," Marcus says. "We are going to work on some exciting, cool new sandwiches. Also adding stuff to the menu that’s my own take on popular, Americana dishes."

    Those new menu items pair with James Coney Island's rebranding as the fast-casual JCI Grill. The company has been remodeling its stores across the Houston area with new color schemes, graphic designs and lighting to appeal to its next generation of diners.

    For his first task, Marcus is working to create what he describes as "one of the best fried chicken sandwiches in the city." Then he'll turn towards adding some new hot dogs that are similar in spirit to the "Mutt Barkus" dog he created as part of JCI's Show Dogs series in 2013.

    “This re-image initiative takes our brand closer to a premium, fast-casual level,” adds James Coney Island president Darrin Straughan, in a statement. “With our Legacy Menu and new menu items, we’ve got good food comparable to casual players, but with an average check and convenience that are much more attractive.”

    Even with his new position, Marcus maintains his ties to both the Eatsie Boys truck and 8th Wonder. "We’re still full steam ahead, all three of us and Aaron (Corsi, 8th Wonder's brewmaster) with a lot of future projects coming up."

    JCI Grill has tapped Eatsie Boy Matt Marcus to be its new consulting chef.

    Matt Marcus JCI James Coney Island
    Courtesy photo
    JCI Grill has tapped Eatsie Boy Matt Marcus to be its new consulting chef.
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    news/restaurants-bars

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    a CultureMap Exclusive

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

    Eric Sandler
    Jun 1, 2026 | 4:02 pm
    Rice Box Webster rendering
    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.

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