The wait is almost over for Goode Company’s debut in the Heights. Kitchen & Cantina, the company’s Tex-Mex restaurant, will open for dinner on Tuesday, November 8 with lunch to follow on November 10.
For Goode Company Restaurants president and chef Levi Goode, the time is right to be in the Heights.
“I really enjoy all that the Heights has offered in the past and where it’s going,” Goode tells CultureMap. “Being that we’ve been in the community for as long as we have, just seemed like a natural fit to have Kitchen and Cantina here.”
Goode Co. first announced its plans to occupy the former Down House space at 1801 Yale St. last summer. Since then, the building has undergone extensive renovations to match the look of Kitchen & Cantina’s existing locations in Memorial and The Woodlands.
The biggest change is relocating the bar closer to the entrance, which more clearly divides the restaurant into a bar-forward “cantina” and the dining “kitchen.” In addition, the patio has been renovated and is now covered, giving it all weather utility. Diners won’t see the full kitchen renovation that allows for grilling over mesquite wood, but they will appreciate the flavor it adds to many of the restaurant’s dishes.
First opened in The Woodlands in 2017, Goode Co. Kitchen & Cantina serves Tex-Mex fare such as fajitas and enchiladas alongside Goode Co. classics like seafood campechana and grilled redfish on the half shell. The menu also nods to the Goode family's South Texas roots with dishes such as pork and green chile empanadas and grilled Texas quail.
“As far as what we have on the menu, a lot of it goes back to our time in the restaurant business and our border experiences. We used to have a hunting lease across the border. Going down there over the holiday season to hunt in Mexico was a memorable time for me,” Goode says.
“All those great memories inspired the food we do. We go to great lengths to make sure we’re putting our best foot forward on the hand crated nature of our food from rolling tortillas to fresh masa for our tamales. It’s been a labor of love. It’s something we’re really looking forward to sharing with the Heights.”
The cantina aspect isn’t limited to decor. Expect a range of mostly agave-based cocktails that includes eight shaken margaritas, frozen margaritas, palomas, and tequila-based takes on drinks like the Moscow Mule and Old Fashioned.
“Agave spirits [are some] of my favorites. I’ve spent a good deal of time in Mexico and developed an appreciation for the craft,” Goode says. “What’s available is really fantastic. It says a lot about the culture that it goes so well with this type of food.”
As noted above, the restaurant will be open daily for lunch and dinner beginning November 10. In a nod to the neighborhood, it will stay open late on Friday and Saturday nights to feed people looking for a bite after concerts at the nearby Heights Theater.
The past few months have been a busy time for Goode Co. Earlier this year, it opened Fish Camp, a new seafood restaurant in The Woodlands. More recently, it reopened the Cypress location of Goode Co. Barbeque.
Photo by Caroline Fontenot
Another look at the dining room.
