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Aggie favorite chicken fingers spot trumpets 2nd Houston-area outpost with a reveille-filled party

Layne's Chicken Fingers is opening in Garden Oaks this weekend.

Photo by Becca Wright

One of Aggieland’s favorite restaurants is opening inside the Houston city limits. Layne’s Chicken Fingers will open this Saturday, February 25 in Garden Oaks.

Located next to the Halal Guys at 3008 Ella Blvd., the 1,200-square-foot restaurant will only be open for to-go service. Diners have the choice of walking in and ordering at a counter or utilizing a drive-thru lane.

Layne's chicken fingers Garden Oaks mural The interior features a mural.Photo by Sergio Trevino

The restaurant will serve Layne's tightly focused menu of chicken tenders, chicken tender sandwiches, Texas toast, crinkle-cut fries, potato salad, and milkshakes. All of its self-described "Soon to be Famous" chicken fingers are cut by hand, marinated, and breaded on-site. They can be paired with one of four dipping sauces: Layne’s Secret Sauce, described as "the perfect blend of tangy, spicy, zesty, and peppery flavors;" buttermilk ranch; barbecue; and honey mustard.

The Garden Oaks location follows up on a Katy location that opened in 2021. It will enter a competitive marketplace that’s near a number of fast food chicken restaurants include Raising Cane’s, Popeyes, KFC, and El Pollo Loco. Despite the number of nearby choices, franchisee Masroor Fatany, a graduate of Texas A&M who also owns seven Halal Guys restaurants across the Houston area, expresses confidence that his restaurant will find an audience.

“This location is the perfect next step for the Layne’s legacy,” Fatany said in a statement. “We’ve seen such incredible growth and demand for Layne’s across the state and our expansion into H-Town just made sense. We can’t wait to open up for drive thru and walk up service on Ella Blvd.”

Layne’s will celebrate its grand opening with a ribbon cutting at 10:30 am. Festivities include a DJ, giveaways, and sampling from 11 am-2 pm.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to open another location in the Houston area,” Layne’s partner Matt O’Reilly added. “With the massive success we’ve seen at our Katy location, we are excited to bring our chicken fingers inside city limits.”

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Coastal-inspired Houston restaurant will shutter after 3 years in Montrose

Photo by Kirsten Gilliam

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A Montrose restaurant devoted to fresh and healthy fare will soon serve its final meal. Graffiti Raw will close on December 31.

Located next to Uchi in the Montrose Collective mixed-use development, Graffiti Raw opened in early 2023. It is part of the Big Vibe Group, the hospitality company behind Coppa Osteria in Rice Village and Flora, the stylish Mexican restaurant in Buffalo Bayou Park.

Graffiti Raw took inspiration from coastal destinations such as Big Sur, Mexico, and the Mediterranean. True to its name, the menu included raw items such as tartare and ceviche alongside classic fare such as steak frites, chicken schnitzel, and crab fried rice.

“Since opening, Graffiti Raw has been a place for connection — from shared meals to vibrant

nights that reflected the creative energy of Houston. The Big Vibe Group is grateful to the

guests, team members, partners and the Montrose Collective community who helped shape the experience,” the company said in a statement.

Big Vibe emphasizes that both Coppa Osteria and Flora “remain central to the company’s long-term vision, with an emphasis on growth, consistency, and elevated hospitality.” It made a similar commitment to those concepts when it closed Gratify, a neighborhood bistro in Rice Village, back in 2024.

Montrose has seen a number of openings and closings, with additions such as jazz supperclub Doc’s and wine shop/bar Montrose Grocer. Paulie’s, a neighborhood staple for more than 25 years, will also close on December 31.

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