Saigon House Shutters

Midtown's acclaimed Viet-Cajun restaurant has served its last crawfish

A seafood tower at Saigon House.

Courtesy of Saigon House

UPDATE: See below for a statement from owner Tony Nguyen.

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One of the Inner Loop's most popular Viet-Cajun restaurants has served its last bowl of crawfish. Saigon House announced it has permanently closed its location in Midtown.

Chef-owner Tony Nguyen earned wide acclaim for his flavorful Viet-Cajun preparations that included boiled seafood, wok-fried tamarind crab, and oxtail pho, including a spot on Thrillist's list of America's 28 best Vietnamese restaurants. It also recently took second place in the recent 6th Annual Bánh Mì Cookoff.

At the height of crawfish season, diners would huddle by the entrance waiting for the opportunity to order multiple pounds of Nguyen's signature H-Town Bang, his take on the garlic-butter flavor. Pounds of steaming mudbugs emerged from the kitchen before being quickly devoured.

Those crowds fueled the perception that the restaurant has been successful, which makes the announcement such a surprise. The owner of Chinatown staple Crawfish Cafe cited Saigon House's success as one of the reasons they chose to open a second location in The Heights.

Saigon House ranked 30th on CultureMap's list of Houston's top 100 restaurants. It is the first restaurant on the list to close.

CultureMap contacted Nguyen to learn more about the specific reasons for the closure as well as what his future plans might be. He offered this statement:

Saigon House was reaching towards the end of its lease. We decided as a team that it wasn’t in our best interest to continue Saigon House at 3101 Main in Midtown. We appreciate all the love and support from Houston. You will hear from us soon. We are going to get organized and find funding. We are looking into NextSeed for our next projects. We are going to take some time to work on our craft. Chef Tony J. Nguyen really wants to learn BBQ.

We love Houston too much to be gone for long.

See ya soon,

Tony J. Nguyen

closings

build your own

Ohio-based Mediterranean restaurant now baking fresh pita in Memorial

Courtesy of Brassica

An Ohio-based Mediterranean restaurant has arrived in Houston. Brassica Sandwiches + Salads has quietly opened in the Briargrove/Memorial area (1413 S Voss Rd.) and will celebrate its grand opening next Tuesday, March 31.

Courtesy of Brassica

Build your own pita at Brassica.

Founded by brothers Kevin and Darren Malhame, Brassica is named for the family of vegetables that include broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, and more. The menu features build-your-own Mediterranean-inspired pitas, salads, or hummus bowls.

Proteins include falafel, braised chicken shawarma, and brisket. Diners can add toppings such as pickled cabbage, pickled beets, cucumbers and radishes, roasted carrots, cauliflower, feta, and more. Notably, the restaurant bakes pita throughout the day.

While the food is casual and affordable, Brassica has invested into details that will make diners choose to dine-in rather than order to-go — and order a drink from its beer and wine list. They include custom walnut trays, leather booths, and solid marble tabletops.

“Opening our first restaurant outside of Ohio is a huge milestone for us,” founder and CEO Kevin Malhame said in a statement. “We’ve been working towards opening out of state for some time now, and are thrilled to be in Houston.”

The restaurant has earned considerable acclaim, including being named a “Hot Concept” by Nation’s Restaurant News. It also earned an investment from Chipotle’s Cultivate Next fund in 2024.

“Growth for us will always be deliberate,” Malhame added. “We believe restaurants should last. That means investing in our food, our people, and our spaces — never cutting corners to expand faster.”

Brassica is open daily from 11 am-10 pm.

news-you-can-eat openings