the king of washington

Houston's red-hot restaurateur Ben Berg plans new Chinese eatery and rooftop bar on Washington Avenue

Ben Berg has big plans for Washington Avenue.

Photo by Leah Wilson

Houston restaurateur Ben Berg has big plans for Washington Avenue. The veteran restaurateur behind eight Houston bars and restaurants in the growing Berg Hospitality Group will open a Chinese restaurant called Benny Chows and a rooftop bar called Canopy Social at 1818 Washington Avenue — a newly constructed building next to his popular steakhouse B&B Butchers.

Berg offers a simple explanation for his decision to open Benny Chows, a Cantonese-style Chinese restaurant that takes inspiration from a number of New York restaurants including Mr. Chow’s, Mr. K’s, and China Grill.

“It’s one of my favorite foods,” Berg tell CultureMap. “Forever, it’s been one of my favorite foods.”

Berg acknowledges that Houston has lots of great Chinese restaurants, but none of them will offer quite the same experience that Benny Chows will. When it opens in April, the restaurant will feature a lively atmosphere, an expansive bar area, and elevated service. He sees it occupying a space between white tablecloth, fine dining establishments and the neighborhood Chinese restaurants that are popular across Houston.

Berg Hospitality Benny Chows Canopy Social exterior rendering An illustration previews the signage for Benny Chows and Canopy Social.Courtesy of Berg Hospitality

“It will be upscale but kind of with a nightlife edge to it,” Berg says to it. “It’s not a huge restaurant. I would say it’s a little darker [inside] with red and gold hues and lots of banquet seating.”

The whole menu will be designed for sharing. A meal for four could begin with six to eight dim sum-style appetizers followed by a Peking duck or other large format entree. Tables will have custom-built, bi-level lazy Susans to make it easier for customers to access everything they’ve ordered.

The restaurateur says he’s working with an experienced Chinese chef in New York to develop the recipes, which will include a proper three-day preparation process for Peking duck. Diners can also expect the use of elevated ingredients in classic dishes such as beef with broccoli made with filet mignon and lobster fried rice. Cold sesame noodles, a staple in New York that’s rare to find in Houston, will be prepared tableside.

While many Chinese restaurants are owned by people with Chinese heritage, Berg notes that New York has a tradition of popular Asian restaurants owned by people whose roots are in other cultures. Jeffrey Chodorow opened the popular China Grill concept, and Drew Nieporent is one of the founders of Nobu.

Turning to Canopy Social, the British Caribbean-inspired rooftop bar will offer views of the downtown skyline. A retractable canopy will give the space some much needed shade during the summer. Design elements will include rattan furniture, greenery, and a water feature. Like Benny Chows, it’s also expected to open in April.

“In addition to an upscale Chinese restaurant, another thing I noticed that Houston is lacking in comparison to New York is rooftop bars,” Berg added. “When this space was presented to me, I knew we had to open something there and that Houstonians would fall in love with the amazing view of our downtown.”

This year will be a busy time for Berg Hospitality. In addition to Benny Chows and Canopy Social, the company plans to open two restaurants in the Autry Park mixed-use development, all-day brasserie Annabelle’s and upscale steakhouse Turner’s Cut; Prime 131, a live fire steakhouse in Timbergrove; and La Table and Tavola, a fine dining French restaurant and Roman-inspired Italian restaurant next to The Annie Café.

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rumor no more

East Coast-style Austin pizzeria confirms plans to open in the Heights

Home Slice Pizza Heights location rendering

Courtesy of the Michael Hsu Office of Architecture

A rendering previews Home Slice Pizza's new location in the Heights.

One of Austin’s pizzerias is expanding its presence in Houston. Home Slice Pizza has claimed the former Mapojeong space in the Heights (602 Studewood) for a new location that will open in the fall of 2026.

Founder Joseph Strickland tells CultureMap that Home Slice wanted to add a second Houston location that would build on the success of its Midtown restaurant that opened in late 2022. Unlike Midtown, which is counter service and offers limited seating, the Heights location will offer full service, an expanded menu, and cocktails, which is in line with Home Slice’s North Austin location.

“We saw a lot of synergy in North Austin and the Heights,” Strickland says. “They have a similar feel, a lot of families, a lot of people looking to get together in big groups. There’s also a robust bar scene on White Oak that we’re happy to be part of.”

Strickland says Home Slice had several requirements for a new location, including a larger dining room than Midtown, a decent-sized parking lot, and enough kitchen capacity to serve both dine-in and larger to-go orders. Not only did they find the right building, but they established a productive relationship with the property’s owner, Revive Development, the Houston-based firm that also owns properties that are home to Loro, Squable, Camaraderie, and the Stomping Grounds development in Garden Oaks.

“It was hard to believe at first. The more we talked with the Revive folks, there was a lot of alignment and opportunity for us to expand what we’re showing Houston,” Stickland says.

Home Slice is working with the Michael Hsu Office of Architecture to renovate the building. Strickland notes that it will require some extensive changes, including removing the butcher shop that was installed as part of its iteration as Ritual, a steakhouse that closed in 2021. Assuming everything goes according to plan, the restaurant should open sometime in the fall of 2026.

Home Slice Pizza food spread Home Slice serves New York-style pizza.Photo by Garrett Smith

Once open, Home Slice will serve its East Coast-inspired menu of New York-style pizzas (whole or by-the-slice), hot and cold Italian deli sandwiches, salads, and desserts — all of which utilize dough or bread that’s made in-house. In particular, the restaurant is known for its white clam pizza, as well as classics such as pepperoni and mushroom or sausage with ricotta and roasted peppers. In 2024, the Houston Press awarded “Best Sandwich” to the restaurant’s Italian Assorted, which is made with ham, dry salami, capicola, genoa salami, vegetables, provolone, mayo, and oil & vinegar.

Critically, the Heights Home Slice location will add wings to the New York and Sicilian-style pizzas, salads, and sandwiches that the restaurant serves in Midtown. Inspired by the wings served at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, Home Slice keeps its wings simple — medium or hot and served with a house made blue cheese dressing. “It goes with our pizza quite wonderfully,” Stickland says.

He hopes that the the wide-ranging menu, flexible menu, and late night hours will appeal to Heights locals, people patronizing the nearby bars on White Oak, and anyone else looking for a slice and a drink. The larger location and full service should make home slice an option for date nights, office happy hours, any just about any other occasion.

“We hope the neighborhood will be happy to have another offering that’s like ours, where you can bring a first date or your office or go by yourself. We offer all those experiences,” Strickland says.

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