there's the rub

Houston eatery known for lobster tacos picks Cypress for 4th location

One of Houston’s top neighborhood restaurants is coming to Cypress. Jonathan’s the Rub will open its fourth location in Bridgeland, the 11,500-acre residential community on Fry Road south of Hwy 290.

Slated to open in the fall of 2025, the new Jonathan’s the Rub will be one of six new tenants at Village Green, a 70-acre mixed-use development within the 925-acre Bridgeland Central district, developer Howard Hughes Holdings Inc announced in a release. Others, which could open as soon as spring 2025, include:

Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café, the French-inspired cafe known for its crepes, panini, waffles, and more
Crust Pizza Co., the Texas-based pizza chain that serves thin crust, Chicago tavern-style pies
Venetian Nail Spa, an elevated salon with more than 70 locations across the country
Teal Poppy, a woman’s clothing boutique
Gelato & Co., an Italian-inspired gelato shop with a location in Katy

Courtesy of Jonathan’s The Rub

Jonathan Levine, center, with his family: grandson Jay, daughter Jessica, and son Sam.

Bridgeland is already home to a number of restaurants, including Local Table, the Mediterranean-inspired concept from the families behind Houston favorite Hungry’s.

Turning to Jonathan’s, the restaurant will occupy over 5,500-square-feet indoors, giving it space to host private events, as well as over 2,600-square-feet of outdoor seating on two patios. Like its siblings in Memorial, Spring Branch, and the East End, it will be open daily for lunch and dinner with brunch on the weekends. Expect a menu built around chef-owner Jonathan Levine’s signature “new Houston” cuisine, a kicked-up take on comfort food that includes everything from lobster tacos and blackened shrimp and grits to Italian American classics and steakhouse fare.

"We were looking for the 'next frontier' that aligned with our brand,” Levine said in a statement. “We first looked at Bridgeland in 2021, when development within Bridgeland Central had not started. We did our homework and made the decision when we learned it was a Howard Hughes project."

Village Green will also be home to a 100,000-square-foot H-E-B grocery store and One Bridgeland Green, touted as the Houston area’s first mass timber office building. Slated to open in summer 2025, the sustainability-focused, three-story office building aims to achieve LEED® Gold Certification.

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bring on barnaby's

Favorite Houston comfort food spot picks Garden Oaks for 10th location

Courtesy of Barnaby's Cafe

Barnaby's Cafe is coming to the Stomping Grounds this fall.

Earlier this week, real estate developer Bryan Danna promised “big news…very soon” about a new tenant for the former LuLoo’s Day & Night space at his Stomping Grounds development in Garden Oaks. That news is that Houston favorite Barnaby’s Cafe has claimed the space for a new location that will open later this year.

When a Barnaby’s decal appear on the restaurant’s door a couple of days ago, news of the restaurant’s imminent arrival spread quickly on social media. It will be Barnaby’s tenth location, joining outposts in Montrose, River Oaks, the Heights, and more.

The restaurant will occupy a 2,250-square-foot space at the Stomping Grounds. It will offer a to-go window for people hanging out in the development’s green space as well as a gated, dog-friendly patio. Houston artist Roberto Cervantes will contribute works to the restaurant’s interior.

Founded in 1992 by restaurateur Jeff Gale, Barnaby’s is known for its wide-ranging and affordable menu of classic American fare, including salads, sandwiches, breakfast items, and dinner entrees. Customer favorites include the Lebanese chicken fattoush salad, chipotle black bean burger, baby back ribs, and green eggs, which are scrambled with spinach and artichoke hearts. Dogs can snack on a special “puppy menu” of ground beef, sliced chicken breast, or scrambled eggs over brown rice.

Stomping Grounds green space A to-go window will expedite orders for people in the Stomping Grounds' green space.Courtesy of Stomping Grounds

“Bringing Barnaby’s to Garden Oaks and Oak Forest has been on my wish list for more than a decade, so I’m incredibly grateful that Jeff Gale and his team saw Stomping Grounds as the right fit,” Danna said in a statement. “Jeff and I go back to his first Heights location, which was one of Barnaby’s first big moves north of Montrose, and I have always respected what he and his longtime team have built. Thirty years in the restaurant business is a serious accomplishment. You do not make it that long unless you know how to take care of people, build loyalty, and become part of the neighborhood.”

When it opens this fall, Barnaby’s will be open daily from 11 am to 9 pm. It will join other restaurants at the Stomping Grounds, including Fat Cat Creamery, Tex-Mex restaurant La Mex, Bollo Woodfired Pizza, casual sushi restaurant Himari, Little Sister Cake Shop, and High Five Mini Bar. Earlier this week, casual Vietnamese restaurant Pho Prime announced that it had claimed the space formerly occupied by The Pho Fix for a new location that will also open this fall.

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