Washington Avenue's drive-thru only Chick-fil-A sets opening date

The new restaurant opens at 6 am on November 6.

Courtesy of Chick-fil-A

Inner loopers with a craving for chicken sandwiches and waffle fries will soon have a new option to satisfy their cravings. Houston’s newest Chick-fil-A will open at 6 am on Thursday, November 6.

Located near the intersection of Washington Ave. and Yale St. (3800 Washington Ave.), Chick-Fil-A tore down an office building to make way for its new outpost. Notably, the restaurant will only serve diners to-go — either via its drive-thru lane or a walkup window — but will not offer any indoor seating, a children’s playground, or the other features of full-service Chick-fil-A locations. While it won't offer seating, it will serve the full Chick-fil-A menu of chicken sandwiches, salads with chicken, chicken nuggets, chicken strips, sides, and drinks.

Franchisee Drew Ellis knows the area well. He operates the nearby Sawyer Yards location of Chick-fil-A, The new location will take some of the pressure of the existing restaurant.

“I’ve had the pleasure of operating Chick-fil-A Sawyer Heights since 2012, and I’m honored for the opportunity to expand my footprint and continue deepening relationships in the community that has supported me over the past decade,” Ellis said in a statement. “With the opening of Chick-fil-A Washington & Yale, I’m excited to cater to the evolving needs of our guests, while emphasizing that the speed and efficiency guests will experience from the drive-thru focused format will not take away from our signature hospitality and care.”

On opening day, anyone who dresses in cow attire will receive one free entrée or kid’s meal.

Ellis is celebrating the restaurant’s opening by making a $25,000 donation to the Houston Food Bank. It will also participate in the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program, which provides surplus food to local nonprofits.

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a major award

Michelin-recognized Houston diner makes Bon Appetit best new restaurants

Photo by Jenn Duncan

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The hits just keep on coming for Houston restaurant Agnes and Sherman. Bon Appetit has named the Asian American diner as one of its best new restaurants of 2026.

Published Monday, April 24, the list includes 19 restaurants in 12 states and Washington, D.C. that opened between March 2025 and March 2026. In addition to Agnes and Sherman, Texas is represented by Le Calamar, a French-Texas bistro in Austin.

Editorial operations manager Kate Kassin hails Agnes and Sherman for signature dishes such as a wedge salad that’s topped with youtiao croutons, lap cheong, and ginger-scallion ranch and the signature cheeseburger fried rice that’s made with shredded iceberg lettuce, two slices of American cheese, sauce, and sesame seeds.

“It’s a mishmash of two iconic dishes in their own genres but, together, something wholly emblematic of the food that owners Nick Wong and Lisa Lee are putting forth,” Kassin writes.

Opened in April 2025, Agnes and Sherman puts an Asian spin on the classic American diner. Its received significant regional and national praise, including being named Texas Monthly’s best new restaurant of 2026, as well as earning a James Beard Award finalist nomination for Best New Restaurant and a Recommended designation in the Michelin Guide.

Good Morning America recently featured the restaurant during a weeklong series on diners. During the segment, Wong and Lee announced they'd recently become engaged.

At Le Calamar, Kassin finds first-rate stuffed chicken wings that are cooked on a Japanese binchotan grill. “Likewise, Wagyu hanger steak au poivre boasts a floral sauce that blends black, white, and Tellicherry peppercorns with garlic, brandy, cream, and ginger; it is a dynamic update on the classic,” she writes.

Le Calamar opened in May 2025 in the former Underdog space. A nominee for best new restaurant in the 2026 CultureMap Austin Tastemaker Awards, the restaurant is known for its chic interior, warm service, and dishes such as gnocchi and and raw oysters with fennel mignonette.

While Bon Appetit recognizes restaurants are facing challenges ranging from rising costs to AI disruption, the magazine takes an optimistic tone in the article’s introduction.

“The restaurants we found the most exciting are, of course, delicious, but they were also fearless about challenging the playbooks by betting on community and creativity. These are the traits that help evolve modern American cuisine,” it writes.

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