Montrose Middle Eastern restaurant staple La Fendee has closed for good, but it's another Middle Eastern restaurant rather than a taco shop that's moved in.
Cafe Layal has opened its third location in the space. That ends Tacos A Go-Go's pursuit of the locale. A source in the expanding taco chain previously told CultureMap that it planned to open a third location in the La Fendee spot.
A temporary sign attached to the building's patio announces the new name, and the new owners are already starting to make changes. Cafe Layal Express, as the location is known, now stays open until 1 a.m. during the week and until 3 a.m. on weekends. That should help draw in Montrose revelers looking for a place to unwind after patronizing nearby bars like Anvil, Catbirds and Boondocks.
A source who knows the former owners tells CultureMap that La Fendee's chef is still in the kitchen.
La Fendee offered diners the chance to smoke hookah on the patio, and, as that is a Cafe Layal signature, expect the new owners to expand that offering.
A source who knows the former owners tells CultureMap that La Fendee's chef is still in the kitchen. No word yet on how extensive the changes will be, but Cafe Layal's falafel is generally well-regarded.
A representative from Tacos A Go-Go declined to comment on why its deal fell through but says the company "loves Montrose" and "would certainly consider . . . the right spot" in the neighborhood if one became available.
A third location of Cafe Layal has opened in the former La Fendee space on Westheimer.
