Four new openings have been announced in the last week or so that will be of interest to CultureMap readers. To save a little time, here they are in one convenient article. Let's call it: four things to know.
Tejas Burger Joint, the companion restaurant to Tomball's acclaimed Tejas Chocolate & Barbecue (ranked 16 on CultureMap's list of Houston's top 100 restaurants), opens today (Tuesday, October 29). Located in Tomball at 214 W. Main St., the new restaurant gives a permanent home to Tejas' acclaimed Smokehouse Burger. Previously only available as a Wednesday special, the smokehouse burger features a half-pound, smoked Angus patty that's topped with smoked cheddar, bacon, caramelized onions, and green onion aioli.
The restaurant also offers the Native Texan, a riff on Tejas' celebrated chile relleno sausage, a Caesar burger, and classics like mushroom-Swiss and bleu cheese. Smaller, six ounce patty burgers and cheeseburgers are also available. Sides (fries, tots, and onion rings) and milkshakes round out the menu. The restaurant is open Tuesday - Sunday beginning at 11 am.
Real estate developer Skanska has brought the District 7 restaurant group to its West Memorial Place property at 15375 Memorial Drive. Located in the Energy Corridor near Terry Hershey Park, the 2,200-square-foot restaurant features an outdoor lounge area with couches, games, and wifi. Currently in soft opening, District 7 Memorial will celebrate its grand opening November 6 and 7.
Inner loopers will recognize District 7's other establishments, which include three locations of District 7 Grill, The District on Main in downtown, and District Tacos & Pizza in EaDo. District 7 Memorial builds on that reputation with a crowd-pleasing, family-friendly menu of updating comfort food.
Diners will find a mix of small plates (crab cake, wings, spinach and artichoke dip), pastas, pizzas, burgers, entrees (filet mignon, maple-glazed salmon, pan-seared chicken, etc), and more. The restaurant is open for lunch, brunch, and dinner with daily happy hour specials.
"For 17 years, District 7 restaurants have been mainstays in downtown and Midtown Houston. We saw the opportunity to expand into the Energy Corridor with a new location that offers the same delicious fare with sweeping views of Terry Hershey Park,” District 7 co-owner Shelley Elham said in a statement. “We are excited to final be able to share District 7 Memorial with the community and look forward to celebrating our grand opening in November.”
Even farther west, one of Austin's most highly rated coffee shops has selected Katy for its first Houston-area location. Summer Moon will open in Kingsland Plaza next month, KM Realty announced.
Unlike other coffee roasters that use gas to power their machines, Summer Moon does all of its roasting in a wood-burning brick hearth, mimicking some of the traditions of Texas barbecue. Drinks can be flavored with "moon milk," described in a release as "a proprietary blend of all-natural, unrefined sugar with subtle hints of spice." CultureMap Dallas speculates that the recipe includes "whipped cream or condensed milk, and maybe spices like vanilla and cinnamon."
Ryan Richardson, Summer Moon's Houston franchisee, grew up in Katy, making the location a logical choice for his first location.
While District 7 is going outside the loop for the first time, The Toasted Yolk is coming in. The locally-owned breakfast and lunch concept will open its 11th Houston-area restaurant this December in the former Kitchen 713 space at 4601 Washington Ave.
For breakfast, the restaurant features a mix of classic favorites ranging from egg combinations to creative Benedicts (known as "Arnolds"), pancakes, and omelettes. Lunch features sandwiches and salads. Like Snooze, The Toasted Yolk offers a full selection of beer, wine, and cocktails that will help adults ease into the morning.
The Smokehouse Burger has a permanent home.
