A beloved Houston restaurant’s revival begins this Friday, August 1, when Pappas Restaurants begins welcoming diners to Yiayia's Pappas Greek Kitchen. Located in the former Pappadeaux at 2410 Richmond Avenue, Yiayia’s is an update of Yia Yia Mary's Mediterranean Kitchen, the family’s Galleria-area Greek restaurant that closed in June 2020.
The new name also indicates the restaurant’s more upscale approach. Similar to when the company transformed Little Pappas Seafood House into Little’s Oyster Bar with a new design and more upscale menu, Yiayia’s sheds some of Mary’s more casual elements — sorry, gyro sandwich fans — in favor of more seafood, elegant design, and a comprehensive wine list loaded with Greek selections.
“Little’s made us realize that we can take a risk and do something more,” Pappas chief marketing officer Christina Pappas tells CultureMap. “We’re giving something the consumer and the neighborhood can really appreciate.”
That process began with a comprehensive renovation to the former Pappadeaux space. Former patrons will immediately notice that the bar has been relocated to the right of the entrance. Behind it, seats at the oyster bar offer a view into the kitchen. In another dining room, a wall was torn down to allow light in through west-facing windows. Tucked into a corner is the family wall that honors the family’s matriarch, Yiayia Mary, including a painting of her and photographs from her life.
A painting honors the family's matriarch.Photo by Eric Sandler
“What you’re seeing is our design team. They did most of this internally. My sister, Evy Pappas, and her design team are really talented,” Pappas says. “We made this Greek key that’s the ‘yiayia.’ They put it on the floor, which is awesome. There are some inlays in the floor that are these details that have been really fun to make everything perfect.”
The Pappas Restaurants culinary team took a similar approach to creating a new menu. Led by research and development concept chef Michael Fikaris, the menu includes both upgrades to favorites from Yia Yia Mary’s and an expanded range of seafood offerings that’s partially inspired by the success of Little’s Oyster Bar.
“The whole culinary team started to work through the food,” Pappas says. “How do we differentiate ourselves in the market of Greek food in Houston? We don’t have a lot, and what we have is good but it’s casual. Why don’t we bring a new, different style of Greek dining to the Houston market?”
The oyster bar powers a tidy selection of raw seafood dishes. Diners may opt for raw oysters that get a Mediterranean spin courtesy of a pomegranate mignonette, Gulf snapper crudo with capers and basil, or cold-boiled shrimp with tarama, a Greek dip made with cured roe. The signature beef and chicken souvlaki remain, but they’re made with higher-quality proteins and served with blistered tomatoes, pickled fennel, and tzatziki.
Many of the entrée portions are large enough to be shared, or they can be consumed as a hearty meal for one. Similarly, the apps, dips, and cold seafood items are designed for the table. Of course, diners are welcome to order individually if they prefer.
Pappas notes that the company had lengthy discussions about which Greek names to use on the menu and which to translate. She says chef Fikaris argued strongly for using as many Greek names as possible and put his foot down for Tyrokafteri, a red pepper dip that’s part of the expanded mezze section.
“We still want it to be authentically Greek,” she says. “We started everything with the Greek words, but I didn’t want someone not to order something because they can’t say it. The intent is for everyone to feel comfortable.”
A revised beverage list will also help people feel comfortable. Executive wine director Robert Smith has created a wine list with almost a full page of Greek white wines as well as well-chosen red and orange wines from the country. Bartender Oliver Brooks utilized Greek spirits such as ouzo and mastiha in the restaurant’s cocktails, which include a frozen spritz, a vesper, and a Greek spin on the gin and tonic.
Initially, the restaurant will be open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday. Long-term plans include dinner six nights per week and brunch.
“I think there can be a brunch here. We have an amazing patio. I see room for growth and additional shifts,” Pappas says.
Photo by Julie Soefer
The mezze selections celebrate Greek flavors.
