rise and shine

Houston breakfast favorite blossoms with new Heights location

A popular Houston breakfast spot has opened its new location in the Heights. Dandelion Cafe is now open daily for breakfast and lunch.

Located in the former Kraftsmen Baking & Café space, the new Dandelion offers a number of upgrades over the original location that opened in Bellaire in 2016. At 3,500-square-feet, it’s roughly six times larger than the original with total seating of 75 indoor and 20 on a shaded, dog-friendly patio. The extra space has also allowed Dandelion to add a full time baker to its roster.

“Considering we can probably fit the entire Bellaire location inside of our Heights kitchen, this is a huge and exciting upgrade in growth for us that will allow us to achieve things we’ve been wanting to do for years like offer market goods and grab-and-go items, and now we can finally do that,” co-owner and executive chef JC Ricks said in a statement.

While both the grab-and-go and market items are still pending, diners at the Heights location will already find the full menu from both Dandelion’s original Bellaire outpost as well as its recently-opened second location at Rice University. That covers everything from breakfast staples like avocado toast, breakfast tacos, and build-your-own omelets to lunch favorites like a club sandwich and the signature Super Food Salad.

Dandelion Cafe Heights The restaurant's award-winning chicken and waffles.Photo by Becca Wright

Most importantly, the menu features chef Ricks’ chicken and waffles that became a smash hit thanks to an appearance on Good Morning America last year. GMA returned to Houston after Hurricane Beryl to present Dandelion with almost $15,000 in financial assistance from the Southern Smoke Foundation and Cash App.

In addition to Ricks and co-owner Sarah Lieberman, diners may recognize the restaurant’s general managers. Jeff Buhrer spent more than 10 years working alongside Chris Shepherd in a number of management roles at restaurants including Underbelly, One Fifth, and Georgia James. Rommel Cariño has more than 20 years of hospitality experience, including time working for El Tiempo Cantina.

Considering the Heights location has been in the works for more than a year, everyone involved is excited to finally be open.

“It’s a dream come true to expand, connect with even more Dandy fans in a central location, and watch our vision come to life,” co-owner Sarah Liberman said.

Photo by Becca Wright

Dandelion Cafe has opened its new location in the Heights.

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an offer he couldn't refuse

Exclusive: Killen's Barbecue will soon shutter in The Woodlands

Killen's barbecue meat platter with sides

Photo by Robert Jacob Lerma

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Fans of Killen’s Barbecue’s location in The Woodlands have a days to make one last visit. The restaurant will close this Sunday, December 7, chef-owner Ronnie Killen tells CultureMap.

Open since 2021, Killen says that he’s in final negotiations to sell the location at 8800 Six Pines Dr. to Whataburger for a new location of the iconic Texas fast food restaurant. Neither the original location of Killen’s Barbecue in Pearland nor its Cypress location are affected by the closure of The Woodlands and will remain open.

“Whataburger made me a deal I couldn’t pass up. It would take 10 years to do that kind of revenue,” Killen writes in a text, adding that the company recently made a significant payment to keep the deal’s window open through the end of the year.

He added that the costs to operate the restaurant have gone up significantly. As one example, a cord of wood cost $175 when he opened the first Killen’s Barbecue in 2013. It costs $475 now, he writes.

If the deal falls through, Killen states that he could look for a new buyer or convert the restaurant into a second location of Killen’s Burger, the retro-styled burger joint he operates in Pearland.

The restaurant’s closure had been expected since February, when Killen sold The Woodlands’ location of Killen's Steakhouse. At the time, Killen said he also planned to find a buyer for his barbecue joint in the bustling suburb. He cited the driving distance from Pearland to The Woodlands as one reason he chose to divest both locations. He still operates Killen's Steakhouse in Pearland, comfort food restaurant Killen's near the Heights, Killen's Burger, and three other locations of Killen's Barbecue.

As it approaches its 13th anniversary in the spring, Killen’s Barbecue remains a vital part of Houston’s barbecue scene. The restaurant recently earned an honorable mention from Texas Monthly and holds a Bib Gourmand designation in the Michelin Guide. In July, it opened a new location at Hobby Airport.

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