While most Houston restaurants have already reopened for dine-in service, Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to allow them to operate at 75-percent capacity has prompted some of the last holdouts to resume operations. In addition, two of downtown’s most prominent establishments are once again welcoming diners.

On the other hand, a stylish cafe that opened with lots of potential has issued its last call. Let’s take a quick look at the latest in reopenings and closings.

Reopenings

Miss Carousel
Agricole Hospitality has reopened its elegant cocktail lounge in EaDo. With Miss Carousel easing back into service, the menu is limited to six house cocktails plus beers (local and national) and a few wines by-the-glass or bottle. With sister concept Indianola still closed, food comes from Vinny’s, the restaurant group’s adjacent pizzeria. Hours are 4 pm-midnight Thursday-Saturday.

Nobie’s
Sara and Martin Stayer’s eclectic Montrose restaurant has reopened for dine-in service. For the first time, Nobie’s will accept reservations for its dining room (call 346-319-5919), but the patio will be seated on a first-come-first-served basis. Inside or out, saving room for a slice of the pie-of-the-day is always recommended.

Pappas Bros. Steakhouse Downtown
Sign number one that downtown is coming back: Houston’s best traditional steakhouse will reopen its downtown location for dinner service three nights a week (Thursday-Saturday) on October 1.

State of Grace
The River Oaks favorite reopened for dinner service on Wednesday. It temporarily closed on September 8 after at least two employees tested positive for COVID-19.

Sticky’s Chicken
The food truck-turned-restaurant has reopened for dine-in service at 75-percent capacity. In addition to its popular wings and chicken and rice plates, the restaurant recently added a spicy chicken sandwich to its menu. On the weekends, the Sawyer Yards spot has added Miss Mini Donuts, a side hustle by Bosscat Kitchen owner Leslie Nguyen, to its offerings.

Tacos A Go Go
The Tex-Mex taqueria has reopened the dining rooms at its Cinco Ranch, T.C. Jester, and Heights locations (Midtown is “soon to follow,” according to a press release).

‘As everyone sees the numbers going down, everybody feels more confident about staying safe," founder Sharon Haynes said in a statement. "We took it to a vote with our employees, and they felt comfortable with taking these next steps, so that's what guided our decision to reopen."

Xochi
Sign number two that downtown is coming back: Tracy Vaught and James Beard Award winner Hugo Ortega will reopen their Oaxacan restaurant in the Marriott Marquis hotel on October 1. Open for dinner only, Xochi will serve a limited menu that includes many of the restaurant’s most popular dishes, including wood-roasted oysters, tlayudas, and Barbacoa de Res de Zaachila (grilled rolled skirt steak with hoja santa, etc.).

“With so many business offices not yet re-opened in downtown, and conventions, concerts and sporting events halted, our customer base for this downtown location has been severely impacted and we have struggled with when to re-open,” Vaught said in a statement. “While these hurdles are still in place, we felt it was important to welcome guests back and again and start to bring life back to downtown.”