interim location identified

New York Times-recognized Houston soul food cafe closes before big move

Viola & Agnes is known for its expertly fried catfish.

Photo by Eric Sandler

One of Houston’s most acclaimed soul food restaurants has temporarily closed as it prepares to move to a new location. Viola & Agnes’ Neo Soul Cafe’s time in Seabrook has come to an end, but diners can still get their fill of chef-owner Aaron Davis’ cooking.

In a lengthy social media post, Davis explained that the restaurant’s location at 3659 NASA Rd 1 never worked as well as he hoped it would.

“When I moved into that location after the first shift I knew it was too big for what I wanted to do (thats what she said) but I wanted to make it work. I tried for years to speed up service and to keep the maintenance in order but it was way more then I could do alone,” he writes.

Towards that end, Davis has identified a new, still unspecified location for Viola & Agnes’ new home. He’s raised more than $8,500 on GoFundMe to help with expenses associated with the move.

Viola & Agnes moved to its most recent location in 2022. Davis quickly earned raves for his updated take on soul food classics, including a top flight gumbo, expertly fried catfish, and daily specials that could range from oxtails to baby back ribs. The New York Times named it to its 50 best restaurants of 2024 list, and Davis earned a nomination for Chef of the Year in the 2025 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.

For now, Davis is working at Durb’s Restaurant in League City from 11 am until sold out, Monday through Friday — roughly six miles from Viola & Agnes (109 Meadow Pkwy). Diners can call 281-643-0323 for the day’s menu. Durb’s will maintain its regular hours of being open on Saturday and Sunday.

CultureMap has contacted Davis for more information about Viola & Agnes’ new location. We will update this article when we hear from him.

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the modern age

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

Moderno Tacos & Tex-Mex campechana with chips

Photo by Kimberly Park

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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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