traveling on

Houston restaurant touched by tragedy will close after 2 years in Montrose

Traveler's Cart will close on Friday, July 31

Photo by Jenn Duncan

A Houston restaurant at the center of a tragedy will soon serve its final meal. Traveler’s Cart will close after service on Friday, July 31.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Traveler’s Cart - Montrose (@travelerscartrestaurant)

“We’re incredibly thankful to everyone who has supported Traveler’s Cart,” director of operations Ryan Browne said in a statement. “While saying goodbye is never easy, we’re choosing to celebrate everything this restaurant has meant to our team and our guests. We hope the community will join us for one last meal before continuing the journey with us at Traveler’s Table.”

In the social media post linked above, the restaurant encourages diners to make one last visit this week to say farewell.

Traveler’s Cart opened in October 2024 as a more casual, more affordable version of its sister concept Traveler’s Table. The restaurant serves an eclectic mix of globally-inspired dishes, including falafel, roti canai with curry, butter chicken samosas, Thai fried chicken wings, and shrimp satay.

Initially, the restaurant offered counter service. In November 2025, Traveler’s Cart switched to full service to better meet diners’ expectations.

Sister restaurant Traveler’s Table remains open. It will participate in Houston Restaurant Weeks, where it serve a three-course, $55 dinner menu. Last year, Traveler’s Table made the third highest donation of all participating restaurants, contributing more than $24,000 to the Cleverley Stone Foundation.

The restaurant adds that it is looking to place its employees in jobs with other restaurants. Those with availability are encouraged to email Browne at ryan@travelerstable.com.

Traveler’s Cart founders Thy Mai and Matthew Mitchell died unexpectedly in May. The Harris County Medical Examiner determined that Mitchell shot Mai and the couple’s two children before taking his own life. Her family established the Thy Mai Foundation to protect women and children from gun violence.

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welcome back, chef

Superstar Mexican chef returns to Houston via new 3-year partnership

Courtesy of Pochitos Mariscos y Más

Chef Aquiles Chávez will roll out his menu on September 3.

A superstar Mexican chef is bringing a fresh perspective to a Houston restaurant. Pochitos Mariscos y Más will soon feature a new menu created by chef Aquiles Chávez.

$Pochitos Mariscos y M\u00e1s Aquiles Chavez$

Courtesy of Pochitos Mariscos y Más

Chef Aquiles Chávez will roll out his menu on September 3.

One of Mexico’s most prominent celebrity chefs, Chávez is known for his time as a judge on Top Chef Mexico as well as starring in shows such as Fox Life's El Toque de Aquiles, Aquilísimo, Motochefs, and Amazon Prime’s Sabores de Libertad. He opened Houston restaurant La Fisheria in 2012 before eventually parting ways with the restaurant.

Pochitos owner Juan Antonio Hernandez recruited Chávez for a three-year term. Beginning September 3, the chef will roll out a new menu that includes Gulf Coast fried seafood; grill and asado preparations; Cajun-influenced boiled seafood; Sinaloa- and Pacific-inspired cold dishes such as ceviches, aguachiles, and crudos; and Mexican-inspired sushi. Chávez will also oversee seasonal updates to the restaurant’s cocktail menu.

“Houston is one of those cities where so many cultures meet at the table, especially when it comes to seafood,” Chávez said in a statement. “We have an opportunity at Pochitos to bring together different techniques and traditions while keeping the food fun, generous and full of flavor. And because this is a three-year collaboration, we can keep evolving the menu and giving guests new reasons to come back.”

Open since 2024, Hernandez hopes bringing Chávez on board will make Pochitos a destination restaurant that draws diners from the inner loop as well as nearby suburbs such as Clear Lake and Webster. Other upgrades include new dining room seating, tables, and plateware; a dedicated kids’ menu; and fold-up windows to blend the restaurant’s indoor and outdoor environments.

Hernandez is the lead singer and composer for Houston Tejano/norteño group Obzesion. Aspects of that career have influenced Pochitos, such as its stage, DJ booth, and high-end AV equipment.

“I grew up in southeast Houston. This is home to me,” Hernandez added. “We could have taken this concept to another part of the city, but I kept coming back to one thought: why not here? Why shouldn’t this side of Houston have something people are willing to drive across the city to experience? I didn’t want Aquiles to come put his name on a handful of dishes and leave. I wanted him to challenge everything we were doing in the kitchen. That’s why we committed to this partnership.”

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