The Most Anticipated Restaurant Openings in Houston

This summer, Houstonians eagerly anticipate four notable restaurant openings, ranging from a sophisticated Creole debut to a cult-favorite smash burger establishment.

Boo's Burgers

Address: 2510 Navigation Boulevard, East End

Principal individual: Chef Joseph Boudreaux

Anticipated launch date: July 2025

Photo: Instagram Boo's Burgers

After around four years of appearing throughout the city, chef Joseph Boudreaux has ultimately secured a permanent location for his creation, Boo’s Burgers. Boudreaux will establish a burger stand on Navigation Boulevard’s Esplanade, featuring his renowned smash burgers alongside his preferred dining establishments. Newcomers can anticipate crispy-edged smash burgers adorned with molten American cheese, smoky remoulade, shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and house-made pickles. Boudreaux states that the new burger establishment will furthermore include fries and beverages, and in the future, will serve as a venue for community gatherings.

Oru

Address: 746 W 24th Street, West University

Principal entities: Comma Hospitality; Samee Ahmed, Saber Ahmed

Commencement Date: July 2025

Comma Hospitality, the organization responsible for Neo and Kira, will inaugurate its third restaurant this summer, presenting an innovative interpretation of Japanese food. The 24-seat hinoki counter restaurant, located in a gable-roofed structure with large windows, will serve a selection of sushi, selected sampling, and seasonal cuisine. The initial menu preview features Madai nigiri accompanied by freeze-dried crème fraîche and chives, a witty homage to the classic lox bagel; swordfish crudo enhanced with kimchi tamari; Alaskan black cod meticulously slow-cooked over charcoal with seaweed butter; and banana caviar ice cream. If it resembles Neo or Kira, the menu's dish descriptions will inadequately convey the food's merits — you must experience it personally to appreciate its subtleties. Beverages comprise drinks infused with Japanese ingredients, sake, and wines intended for matching.

Oru Yiayia’s Greek Kitchen

Located at 2410 Richmond Avenue, Upper Kirby.

Principal entities: Pappas Restaurants

Anticipated date: August 2025

Photo: Julie Soefer

Pappas Restaurants has addressed Tex-Mex, barbecue, burgers, steak, wine, seafood, diner fare, and Creole cuisine. It is now honoring its Greek origins. The esteemed local restaurant company will inaugurate Yiayia’s Greek Kitchen in August, with a Greek theme and menu that honors the family matriarch, Yiayia Mary, and the yiayiades (grandmothers) of Greece, offering a diverse selection of meze-style shared appetizers. The menu will feature Greek and Mediterranean cuisine, like prime rib-eye souvlaki with blistered tomatoes; dolmades composed of beef, lamb, basmati rice, grape leaves, and pistachios; kalamata olive bread; and classic moussaka.

Augustine’s

Location: 2615 Riverside Drive, Riverside Terrace District

Principal participant: Chef Dominick Lee

Anticipated launch date: Summer 2025

Photo: Shawn McCarnney

This new Creole restaurant, distinct from Hotel Saint Augustine, is scheduled to debut this summer at the Black-owned boutique Hotel King David, situated in the Riverside Terrace area in Third Ward. Appropriately, New Orleans native and chef Dominick Lee, previously of Poitín, will helm the kitchen, offering “progressive Creole” cuisine that is grounded in heritage yet infused with a contemporary flair. Although the menu remains undisclosed, Lee has been hinting at dishes during exclusive dinners and prominent pop-up events, including a notable autumn collaboration with chef Aaron Bludorn’s Navy Blue team. Lee has organized exclusive supper club events and dinners at the hotel with fellow chefs, including Boudreaux of Boo’s Burgers, Top Chef: Houston finalist Evelyn Garcia, and current Top Chef winner Tristen Epps. Eater has sampled Lee’s pork muffuletta accompanied by crispy cracklins, airy beignets, crab soup featuring hand-rolled fregola, and a rendition of Lee’s grandmother’s okra stew topped with fried okra. If these dishes are indicative of Augustine’s menu, it promises to be one of the most thrilling debuts of the summer.

The Local Spot

Located at 6450 Cross Creek Bend Lane, Fulshear.

Principal entities: Eat Local Concepts

Anticipated inauguration date: Summer 2025

The hospitality firm responsible for the local restaurant franchises Local Table and Hungry’s is broadening its scope with the introduction of a new family-oriented eatery. The Local Spot, located in the former Italian Made Cafe space, will debut in Fulshear’s Cross Creek Ranch area, serving casual American cuisine, cocktails, and a menu that includes entirely new dishes alongside popular selections—such as fettuccine with cream sauce, pizza, salads, and kebabs—from its affiliated restaurants.