Foodie Video

Legendary Houston Tex-Mex restaurant celebrates 30 years by expanding: Tableside guacamole for everyone!

Back in 1983, the Pappas family launched their Tex-Mex concept, Pappasito's, on Richmond near Hillcroft. Over the course of 30 years, the locally-owned restaurant group has grown to 21 locations across two states, including 13 in the Houston area, but Pappasito's isn't resting on its laurels. Pappas marketing director Christina Pappas confirmed to CultureMap that the company is targeting a February opening for a new location in the Hilton-Americas Houston hotel downtown.

Pappas also indicated the company is moving ahead with its plans to open a Pappas Bros. Steakhouse in the former Strip House location but would not provide a timetable for that high-profile expansion.

"This is a big milestone for Pappasito’s, and we couldn’t have done it without the support of our loyal guests,” Harris Pappas, co-owner and co-founder, Pappas Restaurants, Inc., said in a statement. “We want to thank Houstonians for their support and invite them to join our family for 30 days of celebration."

Beginning Oct. 1, Pappasito's will celebrate its 30th year anniversary with a series of specials that include the restaurant's signature beef and chicken fajitas. In addition to discounts, they're also serving the Pappasito's "Reserva Margarita" in a commemorative glass that diners can take home and adding a special chocolate tres leches to the menu for a limited time. Like Pappasito's on Facebook for the daily chance to win a $50 gift card.

The weekly food specials are as follows:

Week 1: Oct. 1 to 5: Half Price Beef & Chicken Fajitas All Day, large size only.

Week 2: Oct. 7 to 11: Half Price Happy Hour Appetizers, with beverage purchase, 3 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. in the bar.

Week 3: Oct. 13 to 19: Half Price Lunch Beef & Chicken Fajitas, medium size only, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Week 4: Oct. 20 to 26: eClub Free Appetizer with “Pappasito’s Pass” (with entree purchase, excludes appetizer sampler, quesadillas and nachos.) eClub members will receive a reusable Free Appetizer coupon on Oct. 18, valid for as many guest visits during Oct. 20 to Oct.26.

Week 5: Oct. 27 to 30: Half Price Beef & Chicken Fajitas All Day, large size only.

Pappasito's dropped by the CultureMap office to demonstrate the restaurant's table-side guacamole ($12.95). Added to the menu about five years ago, it provides diners with the opportunity to have an incredibly fresh product that's made to their specifications for chunkiness, spiciness and overall flavor. There's also the Gordon Ramsay "wow factor" associated with a table-side preparation that's sure to be the envy of every nearby table.

In the video above, Juliana Romero demonstrates the restaurant's technique for making guacamole. It's something that's easily recreated at home and sure to be a hit at any party.

One tip that's not in the video: For people making a large batch, Romero recommends placing the whole avocado seeds in the guacamole to keep it looking green.

Pappasito’s Table-side Guacamole

Ingredients:
2 avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
1 tbsp chopped roasted jalapeño-serrano mix
1 tbsp diced red onion
1 tbsp cilantro, chiffonade
1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp diced tomatoes (Romas preferred)

Procedure:
Place avocado halves in the molcajete along with the jalapeño-serranos, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, white pepper, and kosher salt. Using a fork and a spoon, mash avocados and toss all ingredients together. Mix until the ingredients are incorporated, but the avocados are still chunky.

Doesn't that look delicious?

Pappacito's finished guacamole

Photo by Joel Luks

Doesn't that look delicious?

Coming soon to Fredericksburg

Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country

Bottega Salaria Fredericksburg

Photo courtesy of Bottega Salaria

Valerio Lombardozzi is opening Bottega Salaria in the former home of La Bergerie.

Valerio Lombardozzi’s culinary career has taken him to the world’s finest kitchens, including restaurants owned by icons like Alain Ducasse, Giorgio Locatelli, and Joël Robuchon. In Houston, he led La Table and Tavola, where he earned a reputation for being one of the city's most engaging front of the house personalities.

But his latest project might be his biggest accomplishment yet. The hospitality veteran is opening Bottega Salaria, a homey Italian osteria and artisan market, in the former home of La Bergerie at 312 E Austin St in his adopted home of Fredericksburg.

Lombardozzi says the restaurant, expected to arrive in winter 2026, fills a gap in the Hill Country dining scene, but, more importantly, it's a reflection of his personal history and time spent working at his family’s restaurant in Rome.

“[It’s about] where I grew up, how I grew up, and how I eat,” he shares.

The three-concept experience is inspired by Italy’s Via Salaria, the ancient route Italians used to transport salt from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. The menu acts as a sort of travelogue, borrowing from the different cultures along the road, and the way village fishermen and shepherds ate.

Lombardozzi is quick to say he didn’t want to open a chef-driven restaurant. Instead, the osteria will serve traditional Roman staples such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto, and branzino carved tableside.

“I was one of the last to be exposed to the old generation of professionals who knew how to carve elegantly for the guests,” he says.

The adjacent bottega will stay open during restaurant hours, offering fresh pasta made on-site, house-made sauces, imported Italian pantry items, cheeses, salumi, breads, and biscotti. Patrons will be able to shop for individual items or put together custom gift baskets.

Outdoors, La Fraschetteria will debut a new hospitality experience in the U.S. The self-guided experience invites diners to grab wine directly from garden shelves, gather a spread of meats, cheeses, bread, or pasta, and linger around long communal tables lit by string lights.

Keeping the chit-chat going will be a thoughtful beverage program anchored by a primarily Italian wine list and imported beer. Lombardozzi says the cocktail menu might be a surprise, offering only gin and tonics, spritzes, and negronis. The latter has been made into a game where diners roll dice to determine the evening's combination of gin, vermouth, and bitters.

After dinner, guests can select an amaro from a rolling cart, sip grappa and limoncello, or sip a neat whiskey.

Lombardozzi shares that he wants Bottega Salaria to be just as comfortable for Fredericksburg locals as it is for destination travelers. Beyond daily service, Bottega Salaria plans community events such as garden wine nights with live music, Sunday movie nights, and hands-on cooking classes.

The space is designed for ease with a warm palette combining olive green and pomegranate reds. The decor blends heritage and modernity, bringing in objects like antique mirrors, plates, custom-made lamps, and even old tablecloths and curtains for an Old World feel.

"We’re not just opening a restaurant,” Lombardozzi says. “We’re creating a gathering place. A home for everyone who loves Italian food, culture, and the joy of sharing a meal with others.”

italian cuisine wine fredericksburg hill country openings news-you-can-eat

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