This week in eating

9 things to know in Houston food right now: Openings, closings, and more

From po’boys to fibermaxxing, Houston eateries and chefs continue to flex their culinary chops. Read on to find out how Brennan’s of Houston is commemorating its anniversary, which two restaurants are now under one roof, and which Houston classic has added breakfast enchiladas to its menu.

Openings and Closings

Maggie’s Coffee has opened in Energy Tower II, an office building in the Energy Corridor. Named after Mac Haik’s beagle, the former football pro’s restaurant group developed the project, with Gin Braverman as designer. The cafe sources its beans from Independence Coffee Co. in Bastrop and offers bites from local Kraftsmen Bakery. Open Monday–Friday from 7 am–3 pm, Maggie’s Coffee is located at 11720 Katy Freeway.

Crawfish Cafe and Pho Prime, two concepts from Houston's Mamba Hospitality Group, have combined into a newly renovated, 10,000-square-foot space in Chinatown. The full-service, dual-concept restaurant provides diners with menus for both Crawfish Cafe’s New Orleans–inspired fare and Pho Prime’s traditional Vietnamese dishes. The two dining rooms feature cultural accents from Vietnam and New Orleans, including two 20-foot, side-by-side murals by Houston artist Donkeeboy. The restaurant is open daily from 11 am-10 pm at 11209 Bellaire Boulevard.

Pie Tap Pizza has tapped out of its only Houston location. The Dallas-based restaurant announced on Facebook that it had closed as of Friday, March 6. Open less than a year in the Novel Residences luxury apartment building, the restaurant made its pizza with dough that uses a 96-hour fermentation process.

Events

Thursday, March 12

Bayou City Po’boys on Parade
Local chefs are putting a spin on the classic sandwich for this six-week pop-up presented by Blue Plate Mayo. The event kicks off at Blood Bros. BBQ on March 12 from 12–2 pm and wraps up April 2 at Eunice with a crawfish boil. Winnie’s, Killen’s in the Heights, BB’s Tex-Orleans on White Oak, and Josephine’s are also participating.

Monday, March 16

Eastward Bound: A Farewell Collaboration
There’s only one night left of this two-night event featuring a five-course meal that showcases the flavors of Burma, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Suu Khin of Burmalicious, Sherman Yeung of Tobiuo Sushi, Willet Feng of Borrowed Goods, and Christine Ha of The Blind Goat and Stuffed Belly are joining together to honor their Asian heritage and bid farewell to Feng and his wife Diane as they leave Houston for a new endeavor in Taiwan. Tickets are $100 per person for the Monday, March 16 dinner, which begins at 5 pm. The Blind Goat (8145 Long Point Road) is hosting the event.

Throughout March

Brennan’s of Houston Anniversary
The Houston mainstay is celebrating its March 5, 1967 opening with a $67 three-course menu featuring turtle soup, pecan-crusted Gulf fish, and demi strawberry shortcake. Diners can pair the meal with a $67 bottle of Chardonnay or Cabernet. The special is available for lunch, brunch, and dinner throughout March. Brennan’s of Houston is located at 3300 Smith Street.

Hai for Her at Uchi and Uchiko
Hai Hospitality is honoring Women’s History Month with the launch of its fifth annual Hai for Her initiative. Uchi and Uchiko are offering a special banana sundae for March, with a percentage of proceeds benefiting Girls Inc. The $11 dessert combines banana sorbet with candied coconut, coconut caramel, crispy plantains, black sesame salt, and brûléed banana. Uchi is located at 904 Westheimer Road., and Uchiko is at 1801 Post Oak Boulevard.

New Menus

Bellagreen
Joining the “fibermaxxing” movement, Bellagreen’s spring menu is fiber-forward with dishes like gluten-free lemon blueberry cheesecake with a coconut hemp crust and the Golden Glow roasted veggie bowl with quinoa and pumpkin seeds. The seasonal menu is available through May 31. The restaurant’s gluten-free mac and cheese has also returned as a permanent fixture, along with a “build your own mac” option with vegetables and proteins.

Goode Co. Taqueria
The Tex-Mex restaurant has overhauled its menu for the first time in seven years, with a fresh lineup featuring street tacos, tostadas, loaded fries, and a crispy chicken sandwich. Breakfast offerings include the Saddle Up Enchiladas topped with two eggs and the LG Special taco with chorizo, egg, refried beans, and cheddar. The menu is available now at 4902 Kirby Drive.

banana sundae hai hospitality hai for her

Photo by Hai Hospitality

Uchi and Uchiko are offering an $11 banana sundae for March, with a percentage of proceeds benefiting Girls Inc.

news-you-can-eat openings closings

What's Eric Eating Episode 590

Aaron Bludorn dishes on his new neighborhood tavern in The Woodlands

Photo by Claudia Casbarian

Bar Bludorn is now open in The Woodlands.

On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” chef and restaurateur Aaron Bludorn joins CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss the new location of Bar Bludorn in The Woodlands. Announced last year, the restaurant officially opened to the public this Friday, October 2.

It’s the fifth restaurant for Bludorn Hospitality Group, the company Bludorn operates with his wife, Victoria Pappas Bludorn, and their business partner, operations specialist Cherif Mbodji. It joins the company’s flagship, French-inspired fine dining restaurant Bludorn; Navy Blue, a seafood restaurant in Rice Village; Perseid, a French-influenced restaurant at the Hotel Saint Augustine; and Bar Bludon’s original location that opened in the Memorial Villages in 2023. Bludorn, Perseid, and Bar Bludorn all hold Recommended designations in the Michelin Guide.

As Bludorn explains, one primary factor drew the company to The Woodlands.

“We noticed a lot of people from The Woodlands come to Bludorn and even Bar Bludorn,” Bludorn says. “Having enough people tell you that over and over again, you feel so grateful they’d travel for a great meal. I wanted to give them a way they wouldn’t have to travel so far for a great meal.”

As a music fan, Bludorn has attended several concerts at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. He likes that Bar Bludorn’s location in The Woodlands Waterway allows diners to have dinner at the restaurant prior to making a five minute walk to the venue to see the performance.

While the interior in The Woodlands looks similar to the Memorial original, it does offer a couple of key improvements. First, the bar is larger, allowing more people to walk in for a burger or steak. Second, it offers a 50-seat private dining room (Memorial doesn’t have a private room at all).

Photo by Claudia Casbarian

Bar Bludorn is now open in The Woodlands.

The menu has some notable changes, too. The beignets are topped with lobster instead of the country ham served at Memorial, and the pasta selections includes pappadelle with lamb ragu and a take on carbonara made with duck confit and duck egg yolk. The short rib pastrami has been replaced with a Cuban sandwich. Bar Bludorn's signature fried chicken is joined by a roast chicken — both are served are served as whole or half birds with a choice of two sides and three sauces.

“When you have a restaurant that’s a neighborhood restaurant, there’s a desire to have a healthy component,” Bludon notes. “We’re launching a roast chicken. Now, you can get a half fried/half roasted chicken with a ton of different sauces, and you can pick your own sides. I’m told we do chicken really well, and I wanted to double down on that here.”

Leading the kitchen is chef Adolfo Lopez, while Malik McLemore, a veteran of both Bludorn and Navy Blue, heads north to serve as general manager.

“Bar Bludorn is meant to be a neighborhood restaurant. It’s meant to sink into the community and be part of everyone’s dining habits. It’s a place you can become a regular very easily. We’re excited about that opportunity here, for guests to take ownership of this restaurant,” Bludorn adds.

Notably, Bar Bludorn isn’t the company’s only opening for 2026. A still-unnamed project in San Antonio will debut before the end of the year, Bludorn shares, although he declined to reveal any details about its menu. He adds that BHG is seeking more opportunities beyond the Bayou City and its suburbs.

“For now, until we come up with a concept that’s different, we’re happy where we’re at in Houston, he says. “As we look to where we’re at today, we’ve got a really strong foundation as a group. We’re looking take more opportunities like we have in San Antonio and other places throughout the state, but they’re just conversations at this point.”

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