Hope springs eternal, especially in the world of Houston restaurants. Despite a recent string of high-profile closures, entrepreneurs continue to see opportunities to open a diner\u2019s new favorite restaurant.<\/p>\n
And why not? The year has welcomed a number of exciting new arrivals, from Bryan Caswell\u2019s comeback Latuli, to new Heights eateries Camaraderie and Agnes & Sherman, to the Texas-influenced French fare at Chardon or the eclectic Indian-fusion of Kitchen Rumors. <\/p>\n
Since this fall doesn\u2019t offer the usual crush of new openings, we\u2019re expanding the list to include both establishments that will open by the end of the year as well as some that should arrive in the first quarter (or two) of 2026. As always, opening projections are a moving target. Any of these estimates could be off by a few months due to construction delays, permitting hassles, etc. Similarly, this list is not intended to be comprehensive, but it should give restaurant enthusiasts a few things to look forward to.<\/p>\n
Without further ado, here are the 20 new restaurants and bars we\u2019re most excited about.<\/p>\n
Fall 2025 openings<\/strong><\/p>\n Hypsi 1111 Oru Murray\u2019s Pizza & Wine Donna\u2019s \u201cAt Donna\u2019s, guests will find a welcoming space that celebrates inclusivity to everyone who walks through the door for a cocktail, and a team dedicated to creating experiences that feel personal and lasting. Just as my grandmother opened her door to all with warmth and grace, our bar will be a place where neighbors and newcomers alike are invited to sit, sip, and feel at home.\u201d<\/p>\n Eastwood Station<\/strong> Pinkerton\u2019s Barbecue Willow\u2019s Smokehouse & Tavern \u201cUltimately we want this to be an environment where our neighbors will look forward to winding down their day, time and time again. Like Cheers but with Lone Stars and brisket sandwiches,\u201d Villarreal explains.<\/p>\n Eastbound Barbecue Doc\u2019s Jazz Club<\/strong> Moon and Soleil Candente – Bellaire Tacos A Go Go – Heights and Briargrove D\u2019Alba Craft Kitchen & Cocktails – Magnolia\/The Woodlands<\/strong> The Burger Joint<\/strong><\/a>\/The Taco Stand<\/strong><\/a>\/The Pizza Place<\/strong> January and beyond<\/strong><\/p>\n Angie\u2019s Pizza Charolais by Chef Austin Simmons Kirkwood Long Weekend<\/strong>
<\/strong><\/a>Chef Terrence Gallivan (The Pass & Provisions, ElRo Pizza & Crudo) will make his triumphant return to the Houston dining scene with this Italian restaurant that will be located inside the Hotel Daphne, Bunkhouse Hotel\u2019s new boutique property in the Heights. Plans call for an extensive pasta program alongside freshly-baked breads and main entrees such as steak and whole-roasted fish. A mozzarella cart will roam the dining room with various cheeses and add-ons such as pickled vegetables, aged vinegars, and cold pressed olive oil. Hypsi will initially open for dinner with lunch service to follow.<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/a>Melrose owners Army Sadeghi and Brandon Duliakas are once again teaming up with Tatem\u00f3 chef Emmanuel Chavez on a new bar that will be located next to the historic Tower Theater on Westheimer. It will feature an interior design inspired by Mexico City, alongside a tapas-style menu that will include wagyu empanadas and a Contramar-style grilled whole fish. A specially-designed bar will allow patrons to watch bartenders make their drinks.<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/a>From Comma Hospitality \u2014 the team behind omakase concept Neo and hand roll restaurant Kira \u2014 comes this 24-seat, Japanese-inspired restaurant that will serve an a la carte menu of sushi, crudo, and seasonal dishes. While final dishes are still under development, potential options include madai nigiri with recado negro, masu nigiri topped with freeze-dried cr\u00e8me fra\u00eeche and chives, chutoro with Osetra caviar, and Alaskan black cod cooked over charcoal with seaweed butter. The beverage offerings will include Japanese-inspired cocktails, sake, and wine.<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/a>This new project from the team behind salad concept Leaf & Grain will open in the former Texadelphia space near Memorial City Mall. As its name implies, the new restaurant will serve pizzas and small plates along with wine and cocktails. For now, the team is being tight-lipped about the exact style of pizza they\u2019re planning to serve, so we\u2019ll all be surprised when it opens in October or November.<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/a>Coming to the former Ready Room space on White Oak, the new bar from Anvil owner Bobby Heugel and veteran bartender Jacki Schromm has a name, but other details are still pending. Schromm dropped a few hints on Instagram<\/a>, writing that it will honor her grandmother, the bar\u2019s namesake.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Chris Zettlemoyer and Amanda Mendez will build on the success they had at Figo Sugo in Bravery Chef Hall with this new concept in the East End. For Eastwood Station, they\u2019re turning a former train caboose at 4109 McKinney into a modern Italian restaurant that will serve freshly made pastas, Roman-style pizza al taglio, and sandwiches built on bread that\u2019s made from pizza dough alongside a full coffee program. When it opens this fall, expect creative specials such as braised short ribs, Detroit-style pizza, and collaborations with its neighbor, Willow\u2019s Smokehouse and Tavern. <\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/a>A staple of Texas Monthly\u2019s list of the state\u2019s 50 best barbecue joints, pitmaster Grant Pinkerton will bring his classic beef brisket, candy paint ribs, and smoked duck and sausage jambalaya to the former 59 Diner space (3801 Farnham) this fall. Like both the original location in the Heights and its San Antonio outpost, the new Pinkerton\u2019s will pair its barbecue with cocktails, beer, and a well-chosen wine list.<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/a>Pitmaster Willow Vilarreal and his partner Jasmine Barela will turn their pop-up into a brick-and-mortar restaurant at this new concept in the historic L.M. Greco building (4109 Mckinney). Expect all the Central Texas-style barbecue and sides the duo is known for, alongside burgers, wings, sandwiches, and bar bites. Pair them with cocktails, craft beer, micheladas, and a range of spirits.<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/a>This project in the former East End Backyard space (1105 Sampson St.) unites Killen\u2019s Restaurants alumni Ryan Penn, Ryan Powell, Luis Lopez, and Jake Granville. Already drawing crowds to pop-ups, the quartet is serving dishes such as rosemary salt-spiced brisket, Tex-Italian sausage, Cuban-style mojo pork, and soon-to-be-famous hatch chili mac & cheese lasagna.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Slated to open in November in historic Tower Theater space (El Real\/Acme Oyster), this restaurant comes to Houston from Doc Watkins, the bandleader and owner of San Antonio\u2019s Jazz, TX. The concept aims to offer a classic jazz supper club experience, complete with live music, an expansive menu of classic American fare, and plenty of cocktails. <\/p>\n
<\/strong>The Bastion Collection, the hospitality group behind Michelin-starred French restaurant Le Jardinier, has revealed its plans for the former La Table space above its Galleria-area Italian restaurant Tavola. Moon will be an intimate cocktail bar, while Soleil will be a private events venue. Caf\u00e9 Natalie, an independent catering company, has partnered with The Bastion Collection to operate both spaces.<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/a>Houston\u2019s only Tex-Mex restaurant in the Michelin Guide has claimed the former Mandito\u2019s space in Bellaire for its second location. Slated to open before the end of the year, diners can expect the same menu as the Montrose original, including wood-grilled meats, classic Tex-Mex enchiladas, and the signature birria tacos.<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/a>The popular taco restaurant has claimed the former Lola Neighborhood Diner and Killen\u2019s STQ for two new locations that will open by the end of the year. Both locations will feature Tacos A Go Go\u2019s familiar menu of street-style tacos, breakfast tacos, and family packs from sister concept Fajitas A Go Go. New to these locations will be bars, both of which will serve a cocktail menu created by Anvil owner Bobby Heugel.<\/p>\n
<\/a>The Garden Oaks restaurants known for its family-friendly atmosphere and scratch-made food is coming to the former Philipose\u2019s space (32823 FM 2978 Rd). Expect the restaurant\u2019s successful happy hour and lively brunch to be big draws, as will the pizzas, pastas, and steaks. <\/p>\n
<\/a>Chef Matthew Pak and his business partner Shawn Bermudez have a lot on their plate for the next six months. First up, the Montrose location of The Taco Stand, the duo\u2019s fast casual taqueria, is on track for an October opening. The Burger Joint will open its Kirby location in January, with the Gessner locations of both TBJ and TTS to follow in the spring. All of which means that the Pizza Place, the duo\u2019s pizzeria that will be located next to the Heights locations of TBJ and TTS, won\u2019t open until after everything else, which could be summer 2026.<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/a>Known for the critically-acclaimed but short-lived restaurants Cafe Louie and Louie\u2019s Italian American, chef Angelo Emiliani \u2014 a protege of legendary pizzaiolo Chris Bianco \u2014 will return to the Houston dining scene with a pizzeria in the Heights. Located at 1002 W 11th., the restaurant will serve pizza, pasta, and small plates alongside a top-notch bar program. Sadly, we\u2019ll have to wait until next spring or summer to taste what Emiliani is planning.<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/a>For his first restaurant since resigning as the executive chef of Tris, Austin Simmons is going all in on beef. When it opens in Hughes Landing in January, this new restaurant will serve beef from Chef & Rancher, the wagyu-hybrid that Simmons developed with rancher Larry Ludeke. Diners will have a say in how Simmons cooks their steaks \u2014 choosing, for example, cast iron or live fire. They\u2019ll also be able to take meat home via the restaurant\u2019s adjacent butcher shop.<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/a>Mac Haik Restaurant Group will honor its founder\u2019s legacy as a Houston sports legend and successful real estate investor with this modern supper club that\u2019s slated to open in early 2026. Located in the Energy Tower II at 11720 Katy Freeway, the restaurant, led by executive chef Stephen Chiang (Relish Restaurant and Bar, the Petroleum Club), will serve classic American fare such as steak frites and seafood platters, while a cocktail program will center on Old Fashioneds. The design by Houston\u2019s Gin Design Group will feature a wraparound bar with automotive-inspired details (a nod to Haik\u2019s car dealership roots), leather and dark wood accents, and an Astrodome-inspired art installation.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Located in the former King\u2019s Bierhaus space in Lazybrook\/Timbergrove, this cowboy-inspired restaurant will serve a wood-fired menu built around steaks, seafood, and wild game such as quail and elk. A 20,000-square-foot outdoor patio will include a kids\u2019 play area, TVs for watching sports, and a stage for live music. It is currently on track for a February opening.<\/p>\n