Mi Cocina shutters

Dallas Tex-Mex staple shutters only Houston location after less than 2 years

The Mambo Taxi has rolled out of Houston.

Courtesy of Mi Cocina

A Dallas-based Tex-Mex restaurant has quietly closed its only Houston location. Mi Cocina shuttered on Thursday, March 20.

A note on the restaurant’s website addressed to “Dear Valued Guests” reads as follows:

Thank you for your support of Mi Cocina in Houston. As we wrap up operations at this location, we want to express our sincere appreciation to everyone who dined with us and to our incredible team who brought the Mi Cocina experience to life.

Thank you for being part of our journey. Effective Thursday, March 20th, this location is closed. Please visit any of our 23 locations in DFW or Tulsa, OK. We hope to serve you again in the future.

Mi Cocina opened the Houston location in November 2023 near River Oaks District (4410 Westheimer Rd.). It was the company’s third attempt at establishing a foothold in Houston, following a Memorial location that opened in 2004 and a Woodlands outpost that opened in 2011. Prior to the opening, Edgar Guevara, president and CEO of Mi Cocina parent company M Crowd Restaurant Group, told CultureMap that the company felt confident that the third time would be a charm.

“I don’t know what happened with the past openings we had in Houston. I think when you’re going into a market you want to pick someplace that’s similar to where you operate,” Guevara said at the time. “I happen to like the location we’re in. That’s why we landed there. It was data driven and then there were similarities to what we do in Dallas.”

A Dallas staple for more than 30 years, Mi Cocina is known for its upscale Tex-Mex fare and the Mambo Taxi, a frozen margarita with a swirl of sangria. Signature items include the brisket tacos, Mama’s tacos, and the Rico salad that’s topped with sliced chicken fajitas.

CultureMap has contacted Mi Cocina’s representatives for more information about the company’s decision to close the restaurant. We will update this article when they reply.

news-you-can-eat closings

What's Eric Eating Episodes 518 and 519

Meet the men behind River Oaks' new destination for bowls and broth

Photo by Becca Wright

Find Honest Mary's in the River Oaks Shopping Center.

On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” Honest Mary’s founder Nelson Monteith and COO Andrew Wiseheart joined CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss the Austin-based restaurant that just opened its first Houston location in the River Oaks Shopping Center (2047-A West Gray St).

Monteith shares that he started the restaurant in 2017 in order to fulfill his vision of a restaurant which could serve food that’s fast, fresh, and affordable. A trained chef who operated pioneering Austin restaurant Contigo, Wiseheart joined the group to bring both culinary expertise and operational acumen to the grouping company.

Part of what sets Honest Mary’s apart is that diners can add cooked vegetables to the rice and proteins at the heart of every bowl. The “Market Sides” section includes an array of roasted vegetables — including sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, beets, and Brussels sprouts — as well as black beans, maple-glazed carrots, and green lentils. Bowls can be further enhanced with toppings such as Texas pecans, crispy chickpeas, goat cheese, avocado, and apples as well as sauces such as creamy poblano, cashew lime crema, sesame vinaigrette, spicy peanut, chimichurri and apple cider vinaigrette

Monteith explains that looking at the ingredients on display usually inspires him when he’s deciding what to eat at Honest Mary’s.

“I will almost always look at the line and see what looks fresh and good,” Monteith says. “Today, I got the salted kale with white rice. Then, I got garlic-pepper steak. I added on lentils — they’re my go-to in the winter. They blend everything together, and I love it Then Brussels sprouts looked green. I got some jalapenos. Avocados, cause that’s healthy. Then I got the chimichurri sauce.”

Honest Mary’s is also known for its hearty broths, a classic chicken and a vegetarian option made with seaweed and mushroom. Sandler raves about the chicken broth to Wiseheart, who shares how it’s made.

“We spent six or seven months testing recipes and drinking it ourselves to see if it’s a good idea,” Wiseheart says. “I talk about it as a great complement to the menu. It’s healthy. It’s really simple. Most of the kitchens I came up with were rooted in French cuisine. This is just chicken stock with salt in it.”

Listen to the full episode to hear more about Honest Mary’s plans for additional locations in Houston and Dallas. Then Monteith asks a Sandler a few questions about the Houston dining scene.

In this week’s other episode, Sandler and co-host Mary Clarkson discuss the news of the week. Their topics include Home Slice Pizza opening a new location in the Heights; the closures of Brett’s BBQ Shop in Katy and Killen’s Barbecue in The Woodlands; and Esquire including ChòpnBlok on its list of America’s best new restaurants.

In the restaurant of the week segment, the two friends discuss their recent meal at Hypsi, the Italian restaurant in the newly-opened Hotel Daphne. Listen to the episode to hear their favorite dishes and other thoughts on the meal.

-----

Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hear it Sunday at 9 am on ESPN 97.5.

Photo by Becca Wright

Find Honest Mary's in the River Oaks Shopping Center.

news-you-can-eat podcasts interview