Lucky number 13

Rockets superstar James Harden bringing upscale restaurant and nightclub to Houston

Icons of Style MFAH Houston James Harden

If nothing else, Thirteen should be stylish.

Photo courtesy of the MFAH

Houston Rockets star James Harden is getting into the restaurant business. The NBA's MVP posted a hiring announcement to Instagram for a new establishment called Thirteen by James Harden, ABC13 reports.

A countdown clock on the restaurant's website suggests a January 1 opening, but details on Thirteen are otherwise pretty light. The website doesn't offer any hints about its chef or menu, but the concept appears to have upscale aspirations.

An about section states: "At Thirteen Houston, we aspire to create the finest experience for our guests by combining the highest quality food and entertainment, with exceptional service in a cosmopolitan and entertaining atmosphere."

Similarly, the hiring announcement doesn't include the restaurant's location, Eater Houston reports that it could occupy the former Mr. Peeples space in Midtown. City of Houston permit records indicate that "Thirteen Hospitality LLC" has applied for permits to remodel the property at 1911 Bagby St. Mr. Peeples, a glitzy, two-story steakhouse from Hearsay Gastro Lounge owner Landmark Hospitality, closed in 2016.

If nothing else, Harden is known for his eclectic fashion sense, so here's hoping Thirteen has an appropriately stylish design.

The announcement comes at an uncertain moment in Harden's career. The star has been the subject of trade rumors after the departure of fellow superstar, Russell Westbrook, as well as head coach Mike D'Antoni and general manager Daryl Morey. Regardless of whether he finds a way out of Toyota Center, it seems he'll maintain ties to the Bayou City.

Other Houston athletes have taken the plunge into the restaurant business. Former Rocket Yao Ming owns a Chinese restaurant in west Houston, and Astros legend Craig Biggio lent his name to a sports bar in downtown's Marriott Marquis hotel. Former Dynamo star Brian Ching co-owns two bars, Pitch 25 and East End Backyard.

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NYT best dishes

Houston Mediterranean restaurant makes NY Times' best desserts list

Sayad Mediterranean Kitchen/Facebook

Sayad Mediterranean Kitchen is the only Houston restaurant on either list.

The New York Times included four Texas restaurants among its favorite dishes of 2025. Divided into two lists — The 23 Best Restaurant Dishes We Ate Across the U.S. in 2025 and The 14 Best Restaurant Desserts We Ate Across the U.S. in 2025 — the dishes are:

Bad Honey Bunny at Mercado Sin Nombre (Austin)
Ketan Hitam at Yeni’s Fusion (Austin)
Konafa Naama at Sayad Mediterranean Kitchen (Houston)
Picadillo Macaroni and Cheese at 2M Smokehouse (San Antonio)

Times food writer Priya Krishna, who authors the entries for all four Texas dishes, traveled to far west Houston to visit Sayad Mediterranean Kitchen. “The konafa, a signature here, arrives with a molten layer of cheese under a sticky-sweet layer of golden, nutty semolina. The craft is evident, the konafa gone in a few bites,” she writes.

Sayad Mediterranean Kitchen Konafa Naama Don't skip dessert at Sayad Mediterranean Kitchen.KSayad Mediterranean Kitchen/Facebook

In Austin, Krishna praises the rice pudding at Yeni’s Fusion. “This barely sweet version, lush with coconut milk, aromatic with pandan and as soothing as warm porridge, is the gentlest way to end a meal,” she states.

Already hailed as one of America’s best breakfast spots by Bon Appetit, Krishna singles out a honeybun at Mercado Sin Nombre. “The coiled honey bun at this semi-clandestine cafe looks almost cartoonishly perfect, and the heady scent of cardamom and honey hits you before you even take a bite. Somehow, it tastes every bit as plush and elegant as it appears,” she writes.

The picadillo mac and cheese at 2M Smokehouse showcases how the San Antonio restaurant incorporates Mexican flavors into traditional Texas barbecue. “Imagine Hamburger Helper, but spicier, punchier and even more luxuriously creamy. It’s not easy to one-up the singular, thickly spiced brisket here, but the picadillo mac and cheese — which runs as an occasional special — holds its own and then some,” Krishna writes.

The New York Times regularly shines its spotlight on Texas restaurants, In September, it named four establishments — ChòpnBlọk (Houston), Isidore (San Antonio), Lao’d Bar (Austin), and P Thai’s Khao Man Gai & Noodles (Austin) — to its list of America’s 50 Best Restaurants.

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