goodbye, good dog

Houston's most well-regarded hot dog restaurant to shutter in Montrose

Good Dog's Montrose location closes this week.

Courtesy of Good Dog Houston

Houston's most well-regarded hot dog shop is closing its Montrose location, but The Heights original will live on. Good Dog Houston owners Amalia Pferd and Danny Caballero announced that their last day of service in Montrose will be this Sunday, November 22.

Citing the economic disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the couple have decided not to renew their lease at 1312 W. Alabama St., the location they opened in 2016. Good Dog's original brick-and-mortar location in The Heights (903 Studewood St.) will remain open, and that is where they'll concentrate their focus.

"This decision comes with a heavy heart, but I want everyone to know we tried everything possible to keep our Montrose store open," Caballero said in a statement. "We love you, Montrose. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Our Heights location is only a hop, skip, and a jump away! See y’all on the other side of the bayou.”

To lure diners to make the trip, Good Dog will offer a 15-percent discount for the rest of the year to anyone who resides in the 77006, 77019, or 77098 zip codes (proof required).

“Montrose has been a wonderful community for us to call home for many years, [and] we have met so many awesome people and happy to have become part of this neighborhood," Pferd added. "We have put our heart and soul into this building and haven’t left an inch unturned for the better; it is very sad to have to let it go."

Good Dog Houston started as a food truck that featured Pferd's creative toppings and housemade sauces. They quickly built a devoted following for dishes like the Ol' Zapata (bacon, Muenster, onions, etc) and the Guac-A-Dog that featured a housemade garlic aioli. When its first brick-and-mortar location opened in 2013, Pferd expanded the menu with more non-hot dog options, including the signature Gulf fish and chips. Caballero contributed his love for Texas craft beer with a well-curated tap wall.

Some employees at the Montrose location are being offered positions at either The Heights location or on the Good Dog food truck. Others will be offered assistance in finding new employment.

closings

And the winners are...

Houston restaurants have a historic night with 2 James Beard Award wins

Courtesy of HoustonFirst Corporation

Houston was well-represented at the 2026 James Beard Awards

Houston had a historic night at the James Beard Awards. Held on Monday, June 15, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Two of Houston’s six finalists took home prizes for both national awards and Best Chef: Texas.

They are:

Emerging Chef: Adrian Torres, Maximo
Best Chef Texas: Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, Jūn

Houston’s other finalists were: June Rodil (March) for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service; Ope Amosu (ChòpnBlọk) for Best Chef: Texas; Agnes and Sherman for Best New Restaurant, and Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught (H-Town Restaurant Group) for Outstanding Restaurateur.

Other Texas nominees included: Tavel Bristol-Joseph (Nicosi, San Antonio) and Maggie Huff (Lucia, Dallas) for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker and Mixtli in San Antonio for Outstanding Restaurant.

The other nominees for Best Chef: Texas were: Scott Girling (Osteria il Muro in Denton), Gabe Padilla and Melissa Padilla, (Cafe Piro in Socorro), and Finn Walter (The Nicolett in Lubbock).

James Beard Awards Lindsey Brown Chris Shepherd Southern Smoke Foundation Lindsey Brown, center, and Chris Shepherd, right, at the Impact Awards. Photo by Max Flatow

In addition, the Houston-based Southern Smoke Foundation, a nonprofit that provides emergency assistance and mental health services to hospitality workers, received an Impact Award at a separate ceremony on Sunday, June 14.

Tonight’s two wins firmly establish Houston as Texas’ premier culinary destination. They follow Thomas Bille of Belly of the Beast in Spring winning Best Chef: Texas in 2025 and Benchawan Jabthong Painter (Street to Kitchen) winning the same category in 2023, meaning the city’s chefs have now won three of the last four awards in that category. Torres is only the second Houstonian to win a national award, following Southern-inspired cocktail bar Julep’s win for Outstanding Bar Program in 2022.

Although he’s only 27 years old, Torres has frequently found himself in the national spotlight since took over as Maximo’s executive chef in 2025. Since then, he’s been named a Rising Star by StarChefs magazine, earned a Bib Gourmand designation for Maximo from the Michelin Guide, and won the 2026 CultureMap Tastemaker Award for Rising Star Chef of the Year.

“I am proud to be the son of immigrants. I am proud to be an immigrant. And I am proud to be a DACA recipient,” Torres said to applause from the crowd of culinary professionals.

“Tonight, the headline is that a brown kid from the Northside, raised by parents who sacrificed everything for the chance at a better life, is standing on this stage accepting one of the highest honors in this industry,” he added.

James Beard Awards Evelyn Garcia Henry Lu Jun Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu won Best Chef: Texas.Photo by Casey Giltner

After establishing themselves by serving casual fare at pop-ups and farmers markets, Garcia and Lu opened Jūn in 2023. Billed as a New Asian American restaurant, it features a wide-ranging menu that includes charred cabbage with tofu Caesar dressing, carrots with everything salsa matcha, and the signature fried chicken that’s seasoned with shrimp paste, ginger, and Thai chili. In 2025, they opened Third Place, a daytime concept in the Jūn space that showcases pop-ups from both established and up-and-coming chefs.

Like Torres, Lu also celebrated his immigrant parents. “I want to thank our immigrant parents who lived the American dream and put us where we are today. They invested so much in us. Everything we are today is because of them,” he said.

“Houston, I love you so so much,” Garcia said as she and Lu accepted their award. “Our amazing city is made from creatives from first generations like we are. It is a city of dreams and hopes. What has taught me anything with Jun is there’s room for everyone, there’s a space to tell our story, that it’s meant to be heard, and that there’s a reason why we’re here.”

Considered the Oscars of the food world, the awards recognize excellence by chefs and other culinary professionals in a wide range of categories from Outstanding Chef to Best New Restaurant. In 2025, the James Beard Foundation added three new categories to recognize the beverage side of hospitality: Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.

Winners must also have “demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive,” according to the organization’s website.

awards james beard awards news-you-can-eat chefs