What’s better than one Cochinita & Co.? Two. 

Chef Victoria Elizondo, a two-time James Beard semifinalist, opened a second location of her beloved East End Mexican restaurant on Fulton this month—in the same space where a four-month pop-up left Northside regulars asking when she’d come back permanently. The menu mirrors the original: build-your-own breakfast tacos, chilaquiles, and tamales in the morning; cochinita pibil, tostaditas, and quesadillas for lunch—BYOB, and open until 3pm.

Houston Chronicle reports that three Bangladeshi sisters pooled their life savings to open this coffee shop on San Felipe in mid-May, and the drinks reflect the flavors they grew up with: rose, mango, lychee, cardamom, and chaa—the spiced tea that gets shaken with espresso and cinnamon in the rani rush latte. The bubblegum-pink space, designed by one of the sisters, is anchored by a chandelier and art commissioned from a local Bangladeshi artist depicting women floating on boats, riding Bengal tigers, and perching in jackfruit trees.

Most Houstonians associate Mac Haik with car dealerships, but his legacy runs deeper than that—he helped shape the Energy Corridor as we know it, caught the first touchdown pass ever thrown in the Astrodome, and played for the Houston Oilers back when that meant something. Now, his family’s restaurant group is channeling all of that into Kirkwood, a modern clubhouse that opened May 11 inside Energy Tower II. Gin Design Group translated that history into the space beautifully: an Astrodome replica greets you at the door, and Oiler-era nods are woven throughout, making the room feel less like a restaurant and more like a love letter to Houston. Chef Stephen Chiang, who came up at Per Se and the NoMad before making his mark locally at UB Preserv and The Blind Goat, leads a menu of upscale American fare that delivers where it counts. The truffle Parmesan ravioli is the kind of dish that follows you home. The steaks are serious business, and the Club holds its own. Cocktails play into the theme with an Oiler 86—Kirkwood’s riff on a French 75 that’s a nod to Haik’s old jersey number.

Frederick McBride, a former orchestra director turned commercial fisherman, has spent years providing fresh-caught Gulf Coast seafood to well-known Houston restaurants. Now, he’s opened his own establishment in the same neighborhood he grew up in. Best known as Captain Fred, McBride opened his flagship fast-casual seafood spot on May 7 in Third Ward. The concept is as straightforward as it gets: Captain Fred and his team catch black drum and blue crab in Galveston Bay, bring them straight to the kitchen, and fry them up. The menu is intentionally tight—fried fish, fried popcorn shrimp, fried crab fingers, po’boys, and crab cake sandwiches, each served with two sides and a drink for under $20. McBride tapped local chefs for various parts of the menu. Chris Williams of Lucille’s helped craft the crabcake recipe. James Beard Award-winning Chris Shepherd provided guidance on the remoulade, and chef Joe Cervantez on the tartar sauce, which rounds out the plates.

The Heights was famously dry for decades, giving rise to a network of secret drinking clubs operating just under the radar—and Bar Daphne, which opened May 4 inside Hotel Daphne, takes that history as its starting point. The 50-seat cocktail bar from Austin-based Bunkhouse Hotels has its own dedicated entrance on the corner of Ashland and 20th St and operates as its own thing, no hotel stay required. Dark green walls, walnut millwork, and a Murano chandelier set the mood inside. The cocktail menu draws from the hotel’s art collection—each drink named after a work on the walls—with highlights like the Somewhere to Light, made with tequila, sotol, lemongrass, honey, and yuzu. Pair it with the salt-and-vinegar chips, caramelized onion dip, and smoked trout roe, and settle in.

Comma Hospitality—the group behind omakase restaurant Neo and the beloved vinyl listening bar Kira—opened its third concept in just two years on April 21. Located next door to Kira in River Oaks District, the yakitori and izakaya spot is rooted in binchotan charcoal cooking and the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, which embraces imperfection as a form of craft.

Skewers are meant to be the main attraction, with meticulously sourced whole chickens butchered in-house, yielding juicy cuts of oyster, neck, and tail, all grilled over Japanese charcoal. Beyond yakitori, the menu gets more playful—a  menchi katsu curry, a Wagyu burger that is worth the visit alone, and an udon carbonara dish that almost every patron at the bar ordered on a recent visit. The light and airy space is a nice contrast to the dark and immersive Kira next door, and makes for an easy visit for drinks and snacky foods.

Chef Benchawan Jabthong Painter of Street to Kitchen—better known as Chef G—has built a reputation on unapologetic Thai cuisine with spice levels she won’t alter for anyone, Madonna included, earning her the 2023 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Texas. Street to Kitchen, the East End restaurant she and her husband, Graham Painter, grew from pop-ups and homesickness into one of Houston’s most celebrated dining destinations, is just the beginning. Now, the two are back with something entirely different. Hosted in an intimate space next door to STK, Jantra is an eight-seat tasting concept where Chef G plates dishes untethered from cuisine, geography, and expectation. Graham’s beverage pairings follow the same instinct—flavor, contrast, memory, and storytelling over conventional wine service. It’s not a Thai restaurant. It’s not any one thing. That’s the point.

Army Sadeghi and Brandon Duliakas—the team behind Clarkwood and Melrose—opened their most ambitious project yet on May 4 at 1111 Westheimer. The inspiration came from time spent in Mexico City, and the goal was simple: give Houston a place where food, cocktails, and design feel like one thing rather than three. The cocktail program was developed with mixologists from Handshake Speakeasy, the world’s no. 1 bar in 2024, while Michelin-starred chef Emmanuel Chavez handles the menu—tuna tostadas and empanadas on the snackier end, a whole grilled sea bass with house-ground corn tortillas and salsa trio for something more substantial.

Anthony Russo built Russo’s New York Pizzeria into a 50-plus-location chain, but his newest project is something else entirely. Anthony’s New York Italian, which opened in early May in the former Pie Tap space on Westheimer, draws from his family’s roots—his father grew up in Naples, his mother in Sicily, and his parents ran an Italian restaurant in Galveston for nearly two decades. The menu reflects that heritage: lobster fra diavolo, bone-in veal Parmesan, a 24-ounce prime porterhouse, frutti di mare over pappardelle, and pizza baked in imported Italian ovens with house-made dough and imported mozzarella. All pasta, sauces, and sausage are made in-house.

Bari Hospitality Group—the team behind Bari Ristorante and Georgia James—opened this Montrose restaurant in early April, drawing from across the Latin world: Peruvian ceviches and crudos, Argentine beef, Yucatán octopus, coastal Spanish seafood, all plated with European technique. The space was designed by internationally acclaimed Carlos Castroparedes and received a full transformation—polished interiors and warm textures that match the energy on the plate.

Fans of Mimo, the beloved East End Italian restaurant from sommelier Mike Sammons and chef Fernando Rios, have been missing the sandwiches ever since the restaurant pivoted to dinner-only service. La Rosa brings them back. The tiny counter inside Tlaquepaque Market keeps the menu tight—a mortadella sandwich with fior di latte, pistachio pesto, mostarda, and garlic aioli; a vegetarian fritter sandwich; and a rotating daily special, all on a telera roll from El Bolillo. Rotating gelato flavors from SweetCup seal the experience.

Chubby Group, the wagyu-focused hospitality company behind Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House, opened Wagyu House on May 1 in the former Peli Peli space in the Galleria. The Japanese barbecue concept is all-you-can-eat, but tiered—four pricing levels (silver, gold, diamond, black diamond) determine your access to domestic, Australian, or Japanese A5 wagyu cuts, with prices ranging from around $55 to $100. Every tier includes unlimited appetizers like gyoza, shrimp tempura, and sushi. A membership program at $58 a year gets you lower pricing and priority reservations—and according to the team, pays for itself after a couple of visits.

Daniel Chang and Roveen Abante—the duo behind Uptown Sushi and Sushi Rebel—are opening this sports bar and cocktail lounge in late May in the former Duchess space at Uptown Park. The concept shifts gears throughout the day: upscale sports bar at happy hour, nightclub energy later, with DJs, bottle service, and LED lighting built for both. The food leans globally inspired—brisket nachos, Korean Buffalo chicken tenders, wagyu smash burger, steak frites—and a VIP membership program offers perks like private liquor lockers and priority reservations.

Rouxpour owner Mack McDonald is stepping up with a 16,000-square-foot steakhouse set to open in July inside the 5POP office tower on Post Oak, according to CultureMap Houston. Executive chef Carlos Andrade, a Brennan’s of Houston veteran, is leading a menu of prime beef, raw and chargrilled oysters, sushi, and seafood, with luxury add-ons like caviar and truffles. Three private dining rooms—including a 60-seat Estate Room with its own bar—offer plenty of options for more intimate gatherings.