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    Meet The Melt

    All-natural grilled cheese restaurant chain plans 20 Houston-area locations

    Eric Sandler
    Sep 6, 2016 | 11:43 am

    A California-based fast-casual chain has big plans for Houston. No, the long-simmering rumors of an In-N-Out invasion haven’t finally come true, but the new restaurant will serve both grilled cheese sandwiches and cheeseburgers.

     

    Meet The Melt, a rapidly expanding chain known for its all-natural dishes that include grilled cheese sandwiches, cheeseburgers, and mac and cheese. To manage that growth, the company recently hired Ralph Bower to serve as its CEO. Bower brings his experiences as the former CEO of Pei Wei and the former president of Popeye’s to his role.

     

    Bower tells CultureMap that The Melt’s all natural ingredients appealed to him when he was considering joining the company. As he lists some of the specific items used in the various dishes, it becomes clear that The Melt will join concepts like Hopdoddy and Shake Shack in bringing attention to the sources of its ingredients.

     

    “There’s a lot of burger places out there, especially fast casual, but one of the things that makes us distinct is we use all natural Angus and wagyu beef,” he says. “We use real aged cheese. Our bread has no artificial ingredients. Even our soda is all natural with no high fructose corn syrup.”

     

    The company has big plans for Houston. Its first location will open in Baybrook Mall in November, and the company expects to open three more in the Houston-area by the end of the year. All told, Bower tells CultureMap that he thinks the Houston-area could support as many as 20 locations.

     

    “We’ve had a lot of success in California and in Denver,” Bower tells CultureMap. “What we’re finding is that our message is you can have the great food you grew up with without preservatives and chemicals has been really well-received. We thought Houston would be a great next step. It’s one of the largest markets in the country.”

    Classic grilled cheese.

     
    dinnerburgerslunchopeningsnews-you-can-eat
    news/restaurants-bars

    shaq attack

    Shaquille O'Neal leaves $1,000 tip at Houston Tex-Mex institution

    Eric Sandler
    Jul 8, 2025 | 5:00 pm
    Shaquille O'Neal Ninfa's Uptown
    Courtesy of Ninfa's
    Shaquille O'Neal had lunch at Ninfa's Uptown.

    NBA Hall of Famer and media personality Shaquille O’Neal surprised the crowd at The Original Ninfa’s Uptown when he stopped by for lunch over the weekend.

    The Big Aristotle declined the restaurant’s offer to sit in its private dining room, preferring to eat among fans and admirers. O’Neal posed for pictures with customers and staff, including a shot that Ninfa’s shared on Instagram.


      
     
     
     
     
     
     
    View this post on Instagram
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    A post shared by The Original Ninfa’s (@ninfasoriginal)


    “He was so kind and generous, offering to take pictures with anyone who wanted one and giving everyone high fives," executive chef Patti Delgado said in a statement.

     Ninfa's El Eddie taco plate Shaq ordered his tacos without the lettuce and tomatoes.Photo by Sergio Trevino

    Instead of Ninfa’s signature fajitas, O’Neal opted for the El Eddie, a plate of three crispy tacos. According to the restaurant, Shaq kept it simple by ordering the tacos with only meat and cheese. Delgado served the star personally, which led to a hilarious exchange.

    “I took him his plate and when I set it down he said, 'Wait a second, what is this?' and I said, 'The crispy tacos you ordered.' and Shaq looked at me and said, 'I didn't order that," Delgado recalls. "Then he said, 'No, I'm just kidding! Look at your face!' He's very funny and so down to earth."

    Not only did O’Neal pay for the meal of a neighboring table, he tipped his server $1,000. Of course, his generosity shouldn’t come as a surprise. After all, he’s in the restaurant business, too.

    celebritiesnews-you-can-eatshaquille oneal
    news/restaurants-bars

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