Fast Food

New Moon Tower Inn makes foodie hot dogs; Carlos Mencia plots a second MaggieRita's

Moon Tower Inn
Pink's Pizza
Carlos Mencia's original Maggie Rita's in Galveston

- Word has leaked that comedian Carlos Mencia and his partners in the Restaurant Resources Management Group are opening a second Maggie Rita's on Shepherd in the former 1400 Bar & Grill space. Mencia opened his first Maggie Rita's in Galveston over the summer. (Fans of 1400 can always head to 6th St. Bar & Grill, which is owned by the same folks.)

- West U. just got a little bit better. Heights pizza favorite Pink's Pizza continues its march southward with their third location on Bissonnet west of Kirby.

Pink's is known for their ambitious toppings — we like the This Guy, with prosciutto, Italian sausage, rosemary chicken, goat cheese, mozzarella, spinach, mushroom, tomato and roasted garlic. Or try the flavor-rich Santa Monica, with gorgonzola, mozzarella, prosciutto, eggplant, marinated artichoke, sun-dried tomato, cranberry, and garlic-infused olive oil.

- Moon Tower Inn in EaDo already has the attention of Houston's hipsters (open land = cheap beer), but we're impressed by the gourmet wild game hot dogs, made from venison, rabbit and the like and served on pretzel buns from Slow Dough Bread Co. Don't try stopping by for lunch. This is a bar, remember?

Moon Tower opens weeknights at 5 p.m. and weekends at 2 p.m. and stays open late.

- Swamplot is reporting that the seemingly cursed space on Shepherd that last housed Shuck Daddy's is becoming a Lupe Tortilla. Can the local Mexican chain make the spot work? Richard Head's, Mak Chin's and Shuck Daddy's all tried and failed

- A new Toyama Japanese Restaurant has been flying up on S. Shepherd and it looks about ready to open.

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Coming Attractions

Halal BBQ and family-friendly eatery slated for Sugar Land development

Levant BBQ

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Halal barbecue and and a family-friendly restaurant are coming to Sugar Land Town Square. Commercial real estate firm Rebees announced it has signed leases with the following two restaurants, along with a couple of retail tenants.

Levant BBQ will open its second Houston-area location in late 2026 or early 2027 in the former Ruggles Green at 15903 City Walk. Known for its halal meats, including lamb chops, leg of lamb, and lamb neck, Levant BBQ opened its first location in the Galleria area in 2024. A Dallas location followed this year.

“I did enjoy the flavor of the lamb along with the rub heavy on cardamom and Aleppo paprika with a hint of ginger,” Texas Monthly barbecue editor wrote in a 2025 review. “The chops get a kiss of post oak smoke and are mild in flavor, with much of the fat rendered out in the long cooking process. The lamb neck was bolder — just the right amount of gaminess — and the meat shred similar to pork shoulder. I especially liked it after a dip in the house barbecue sauce made sweet and tangy with pomegranate molasses.”

Joining Levant will be Majestic Kitchen. Located in the former Mahesh’s Kitchen space, it’s described in press materials as a “family-driven culinary concept” from Majestic Developers founders Santosh and Supraja Cividi. The couple signed a lease in May and will provide more information about when the restaurant will open in the coming weeks.

In addition to Levant BBQ and Majestic Kitchen, Escapology Escape Rooms is now open at 2248 Texas Dr. Nishat Mills, an online fashion retailer that specializes in contemporary South Asian-inspired apparel for men and women, will open its first brick-and-mortar location at 16160 City Walk.

Located next to First Colony Mall, Sugar Land Town Square is anchored by Sugar Land City Hall and the Houston Marriott Sugar Land. It’s home to a number of restaurants and bars, including Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, Japaneiro's Sushi Bar and Latin Grill, and B.B. Italia, an Italian-American restaurant from Berg Hospitality. Among the more recent openings is Insomnia Cookies, a cookie bakery that stays open until 3 am on the weekends.

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