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Houston's Michelin-recognized African restaurant confirms Memorial plans

Houston’s award-winning West African restaurant is coming to the Memorial City/Spring Branch area. ChòpnBlọk will open its third location next summer in the Greenside Memorial development.

With a 3,700-square-foot interior and a 1,100-square-foot patio, the Memorial-area location will be about 700 square feet larger than ChòpnBlọk’s Montrose location that opened in 2024. Founder Ope Amosu has once again tapped local firms AMAO Creative and Gin Design Group to design the space. Today’s announcement confirms media reports that ChòpnBlọk had submitted permit applications for a third location.

Begun as a pop-up, Amosu opened ChòpnBlọk’s first location at Post Houston in 2021. Inspired by his Nigerian heritage and influenced by his time working at Chipotle, the restaurant serves bowls that incorporate African flavors such as the Motherland (rice, curry, vegetables, plantains, choice of protein), the Black Star (fried rice, curry, plantains, shrimp), and the Buka (rice and beans, short rib red stew, plantains). The Montrose location expanded Amosu’s vision with a larger menu and a cocktail program.

The restaurant has earned an impressive amount of national attention, including being featured on celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson’s PBS series No Passport Required, being named to the New York Times’ list of America’s 50 best restaurants in 2025, being named to Esquire’s list of America’s Best New Restaurants, and earning a 2026 James Beard Award finalist nomination for Best Chef: Texas. ChòpnBlọk holds a Bib Gourmand designation from the Michelin Guide and won Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year in the 2026 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.

“Bringing ChòpnBlọk to West Houston feels like a homecoming,” Amosu said in a statement. “I grew up in Southwest Houston, spent much of my childhood and school years on this side of town, and still have family and deep connections here. To bring something I've built back to a community that helped shape me is incredibly meaningful. It's a chance to celebrate the culture that raised me while creating a space where the next generation can build memories of their own.”

As Amosu notes, opening at the Greenside development brings ChòpnBlọk closer to Houston’s West African community, which is centered in Southwest Houston. It also makes the restaurant more accessible to West Houston diners, who have had to drive to downtown or Montrose to satisfy their cravings.

Located just north of Memorial City Mall at 1085 Gessner Rd., Greenside Memorial is a project by Memorial City owner MetroNational that has transformed a group of former industrial buildings into a mix of restaurant, retail, and other family-friendly businesses. Previously announced tenants include East Coast-inspired tavern concept Hudson House, fast casual bowl concept Honest Mary’s, Merit Coffee, Epic Cycles, Swish Dental, Hiatus day spa, and others.

“We are thrilled to welcome ChòpnBlọk to Greenside,” MetroNational COO Frank Ortiz added. “As a nationally acclaimed, chef-driven concept, ChòpnBlọk offers much more than an exceptional dining experience. Its storytelling, cultural richness, and hospitality create the kind of authentic connection that defines great destinations. It is a natural fit for the vibrant, experience led community we are creating at Greenside.”

$Ch\u00f2pnBl\u1ecdk Janelle Amosu Ope Amosu$

Courtesy of Chopnblok

ChòpnBlọk’s husband-and-wife founders Janelle and Ope Amosu.

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blooming orchard

East End move powers growth for popular Houston cider maker

Courtesy of City Orchard

City Orchard's current taproom will close on November 22.

Houstonians’ love for cider has prompted a local brewery to make a big move. City Orchard is relocating its brewery from Sawyer Yards to a new facility in the East End, but it will maintain a presence in the area.

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Beginning in January, City Orchard will move to the Gulf Coast Distillers complex (5610 Clinton Dr.) where it will have both a production facility and a new taproom. Its ciders will also be available at Tejas Brewery, the Sawyer Yards facility that’s also owned by Gulf Coast Distillers. In addition to a larger room and increased capacity, the move will allow customers to taste different combinations of cider, beer, and spirits at both locations.

City Orchard will remain at its current location through the weekend of November 21 and 22. Its new East End facility will open on January 15, 2027, which also marks its seventh anniversary.

“Our growth across Texas means we need a larger production facility, and this move gives us room to expand our capabilities with a partner that also has a passion for craft beverages,” co-founder Patrick Kwiatkowski said in a statement. “Moving production also means finding a new home for our taproom. We’re excited to partner with Tejas Brewery to bring our flagship taproom to Summer Street and to welcome guests at our East End taproom at Giant Texas Distillers. These partnerships give us more ways to share our ciders and connect with our customers.”

Kwiatkowski and Mat Smith founded City Orchard in 2020. Its current, 8,000-square-foot facility offers 82 seats; a 50-foot, marble-top bar; and 24 taps pouring cider and beer. Its ciders use fruit grown on family-owned farms in West New York’s apple country. Its core menu also includes Mr. Green, a single-varietal cider made with Rhode Island Greening apples.

Gulf Coast Distillers opened Tejas Brewery in 2024. Its located at 2101 Summer Street, formerly home to Buffalo Bayou Brewery. Even with the move, City Orchard remains an independently-owned business, according to a release.

“We’re proud to welcome City Orchard and bring more of Houston’s craft beverage talent together. We see tremendous opportunity to grow alongside one another and give our guests even more to come out and enjoy,” said Carlos de Aldecoa, president and CEO of Gulf Coast Distillers.

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