the modern age

Houston Tex-Mex joint to shutter, but breakfast tacos will live on

Moderno Tacos & Tex-Mex campechana with chips

Moderno will close on October 24.

Photo by Kimberly Park

A West Houston Tex-Mex restaurant is saying adios after 12 years, but its beloved breakfast tacos will live on. Moderno Tacos & Tex Mex will close after service on Saturday, October 24, owner John Moore tells CultureMap.

Located in the same shopping center as Palazzo’s, Moore’s Italian restaurant, Moderno opened in the summer of 2014. It quickly earned a following for a mix of Tex-Mex and traditional Mexican fare that included queso, tacos al carbon, enchiladas, and campechana. Moore chose to let the restaurant's lease expire to focus on Palazzo's.

It also became a popular destination for breakfast tacos, powering commutes and morning meetings across the Energy Corridor and the Westchase District. Thankfully, those tacos will remain available at Palazzo’s beginning Monday, October 26. Hours will be 6:30-10:30 am Monday-Friday and 7:30 am-2 pm on Saturdays. Diners can pick up their tacos from a dedicated window by the restaurant’s side door.

“With Moderno’s lease coming to a natural conclusion, it made perfect business sense to streamline our footprint and direct 100 percent of our energy toward our strongest restaurant operations,” Moore said in a statement. “Moving our beloved breakfast taco business over to Palazzo’s Westchase a few doors down allows us keep many of our existing staff and to serve our loyal morning regulars without missing a beat while strengthening our core business.”

Moore operates two locations of Palazzo’s — one in Briargrove (2620 Briar Ridge) and a Westchase location at 10455 Briar Forest Dr. that will begin offering breakfast tacos.

“Our morning guests are family to us, and we wanted to make sure they still get the exact same breakfast experience they’ve depended on for the past 12 years — just a short distance away at Palazzo’s. The same recipes, same team, same tacos and homemade salsas just moved a few steps away.” Moore added. “Moderno is grateful to the community for a great 12-year run. We look forward to welcoming everyone to both of our Palazzo’s locations as we step into our next chapter.”

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a laugh riot

Houston comedy club perks up Washington with new coffee shop and cafe

Courtesy of The Riot Comedy Club

The Riot Cafe seats 50 people inside.

A recently-relocated Houston comedy club is adding a daytime component to its offerings. Beginning this Saturday, October 17, The Riot Comedy club’s cafe will be open daily for coffee, meals, and more.

Beginning at 7 am Monday-Saturday and 8 am on Sunday, the Riot Café will serve coffee made with beans supplied by Houston-based roasted Katz Coffee alongside a menu of pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and similar fare. At lunch, dinner, and late night, the menu will include items such as pizza, panini, and shareable dishes.

General manager Seth Fair also created The Riot’s beverage program, which includes coffee, beer, wine, and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails. The Roast, the venue’s signature cocktail, is made with mezcal, tequila, cold-pressed pineapple juice, lime juice, agave, and fire tincture. Zero-proof options include the Open Mic, made with Fever-Tree ginger beer, Southern Style Lemon Up, lime juice, and pineapple juice. Specialty juice shop MEP Cold-Pressed Juice supplies all of The Riot’s juices.

On a recent episode of CultureMap’s “What’s Eric Eating” podcast, The Riot owner Brian Grendon explains how the cafe sets itself apart from the other coffee shops on Washington Ave.

“We have wi-fi. We encourage you to stick around,” he said. “It’s really set up for comedians to come and write and congregate. Use our podcast studio. We are incentivizing people to come and hang out with us.”

Not only does the cafe offer 50 seats inside, it has a 20-seat covered patio that’s lit at night. In addition, online ordering and dedicated parking spots expedite picking up to-go orders.

“We wanted the café to have its own personality while still feeling like a natural part of The Riot,” Fair said in a statement. “The menu brings together a mix of familiar favorites and nostalgic items, along with comedy-inspired drinks, and partnering with Katz Coffee and MEP Cold-Pressed Juice was a great way to bring Houston local businesses into the mix.”

On Saturday, The Riot will celebrate the cafe's opening withcomplimentary light bites, coffee tastings and cocktail samples, a DJ, photo opportunities, and free refillable Riot coffee tumblers — good for $1 off coffee on future visits — for the first 50 people.

Courtesy of The Riot Comedy Club

The Riot Cafe seats 50 people inside.

The Riot occupied the upstairs room at Rudyard’s from 2022 until this summer, when it moved to a new home at 1925 Washington Ave. (next to Julep). The 2,200-square-foot room seats 170 people and hosts a mix of local, regional, and national acts.

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