Rice Village’s wait for buttermilk lobster bites and shrimp and crab lemon risotto will end next week. Liberty Kitchen & Oysterette will open its newest location next Wednesday, November 5.
Located in the former Gratify space at 5212 Morningside, the new Liberty Kitchen will be the restaurant’s third outpost, joining its siblings in River Oaks and Memorial. Like those locations, the new Liberty Kitchen will serve a seafood-oriented menu that features dishes such as fried shrimp, gumbo, cioppino, and Texas redfish on the half shell.
New for this location is a Chef’s Table menu of seasonal dishes that will rotate throughout the year. At opening, selections will include braised octopus with Sichuan cucumbers, green curry mussels, seared monkfish, and spiced rack of lamb.
Culinary Khancepts — the hospitality group behind Liberty Kitchen, State Fare, Leo’s River Oaks, and others —tasked its in-house Star Commercial Construction Group and Laura Loreman Interiors with redesigning the 3,500-square-foot space. Details include Kelly green leather booths, chandeliers, and two patios.
“It was exciting to reimagine the brand in a way that feels cohesive with what’s come before while giving Rice Village its own lively personality,” designer Laura Loreman said in a statement.
Liberty Kitchen will celebrate Rice Village’s grand opening with a special brunch service on Saturday, November 15. Look for live music, cocktail specials, and dishes such as a caviar omelet.
In addition, all three Liberty Kitchen locations will serve Gulf Coast oysters on-the-half-shell for $1 all day, every day from November 5 until December 31.
“Rice Village is a vibrant mix of families, students, and professionals — it has a pulse all its own,” Culinary Khancepts CEO Omar Khan added. “We’re thrilled to bring Liberty Kitchen’s coastal spirit and approachable energy to this part of Houston.”
The restaurant opens at 11 am Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner and 10 am Saturday and Sunday for bruch and dinner. Happy hour is served from 3-6 pm Tuesday through Friday and from 4 pm until close Sunday and Monday.