This new restaurant from Benjy Levit—owner of Local Foods, Eau Tour, and Lee’s Den—in partnership with El Topo chef Tony Luhrman opened on April 9 in the former El Topo space. Maximo makes nixtamalized tortillas in-house for its various taco offerings, from barbacoa and crispy fish to veggie options like sweet potato and mushroom. The menu also features burritos and tortas, plus salads and other entrees.

Aaron Bludorn, the owner of acclaimed restaurants Bludorn and Navy Blue, has added another concept to his roster. Bar Bludorn opened its doors in Memorial in late March, in the space formerly home to Jonathan’s the Rub. The tavern-style spot is led by executive chef Alexandra Peña, who was previously the executive sous chef at Navy Blue. The classic and upscale neighborhood tavern is open for lunch, dinner, and cocktail service. Menu items include a unique take on classic carbonara, seafood dishes, fried chicken, a Wagyu short rib pastrami sandwich, and an enticing dessert lineup.

Uptown Park’s newest restaurant, Duchess, officially opened its doors in late February. Its all-day menu derives from the coastal cultures of the Mediterranean, Asia, and South America, with many dishes cooked over a wood-fired grill. Guests will have the option to choose from various appetizers and main plates such as bucatini with mussels, pan-seared snapper, steak frites, and prosciutto with fresh campanelle pasta, among other items. For those who enjoy a sweet treat after dinner, the restaurant also features a Duchess Rose with white chocolate mousse, white chocolate feuilletine, strawberry compote, fresh strawberry, elderflower foam, and micro basil.

Levi Rollins didn’t let the closure of Urban Eats stop him. In a social media post, he announced the official opening of his next creation: Salt & Sugar. Located in Spring Branch, the Houston "nosherie, delicatessen, and patisserie," as he's coined it, isn’t far from Rollins’ old home. The new eatery features made-to-order sandwiches and salads, as well as baked goods and other sweets. According to the restaurant’s post, all items on the menu will be made with locally sourced, artisanal ingredients.

NBA star James Harden is ready to bring Thirteen back to life. The restaurant, which made its debut in March 2021, closed its doors last October for a redesign of both its food and experience. Now, the restaurant is ready to welcome back its diners. With inspiration from Harden’s global travels, the new and improved Thirteen is led by chef Siddartha Cadena, who's from Texas. Cadena’s menu includes salmon tiradito, scallop tataki, smoked hamachi tacos, housemade dumplings filled with lobster and prawn, and three steak options. There's also a reimagined dining room and lounge that feature a three-tier bar display, LED lighting, quartz tables, plush booths, and a new bar program with Instagrammable cocktails.

This popular Spring Branch restaurant is ready to expand with a second location in Houston. Upon walking in, diners will be greeted with the same spirit of the original location, including the same orange walls, colorful piñatas, and decor from Jalisco, Mexico. The new spot plans to offer the same menu items, including the restaurant’s beloved birria tacos, quesabirria, and authentic homemade salsas. Diners can also look forward to several new items, like elote and a certain dessert surprise.

Goodnight Hospitality—a partnership between master sommelier June Rodil, James Beard–recognized chef Felipe Riccio, and investors Bailey and Pete McCarthy—is working on finally opening its next posh dining concept, the Marigold Club, replacing the old Goodnight Charlie's space. With an anticipated spring opening, the all-day restaurant's menu is inspired by the continental cuisine of both London and Houston. Chef and restaurant partner Austin Waiter will bring seafood towers, refined takes on beef Wellington, and vadouvan and caviar tea sandwiches. And for those who indulge, an extensive list of wine and Champagne will also be available.

A big-deal chef is coming back to Houston this year, and we love to see it. Dominick Lee had left to work in New York City in 2021 after his Sawyer Yards restaurant Poitín closed during the pandemic. Calling Houston his “second home,” he’s now back and working on the opening of Augustine’s, which is currently planned to debut this fall in the upcoming Hotel King David in Riverside Terrace. Lee is calling the food at his new concept “progressive Creole,” a modern version of the melting pot cuisine that developed through Indigenous people, formerly enslaved Africans, Spanish, Italian, French, and German immigrants.

Prolific local restaurateur Levi Goode of Goode Company Restaurants will open Credence, one of two new standalone projects, this summer. The concept is inspired by the ranches of South Texas and will feature live-fire cooking, with dishes that Goode has created from family recipes of his grandmother and father. Credence will emphasize seasonal ingredients and local suppliers in its offerings. For example: a fire-roasted seafood tower, hearth-roasted swordfish, and dry-aged duck.

This upcoming cocktail bar and restaurant from Goode Company Restaurants nods to the Texas oil boom of the early 1990s. The reservation-only concept, slated to open in summer 2024, will feature classic cocktails (with a twist), premium Champagne, spirits infused in-house, and an expansive Old World wine selection. Foodwise, Sidecar leans big into classic American fare like dry-aged steaks.

The owners of the Burger Joint and the Taco Stand will be bringing a new pizza restaurant to the Heights in fall 2024. Pizza Palace will feature fresh pizzas (of course), pastas, salads, and gelatos—all made in-house. The pizza will be a mashup of two popular styles—Neapolitan and New York—and will be chewy, sporting thin and crispy crusts. The restaurant will be open from 11am to midnight daily and will feature a full bar.

Culinary Khancepts, the group behind Liberty Kitchen and State Fare Kitchen & Bar, has announced that they will be opening a new dining concept in River Oaks Shopping Center in spring 2024. The restaurant, Leo’s River Oaks, will be led by Underbelly Hospitality alum Tim Reading, who was previously the executive chef of the now-closed GJ Tavern. Leo’s will feature an upscale menu full of steaks, seafood, and an expansive wine selection. It will be open for brunch, lunch, and dinner.

The Blossom Hotel will soon become home to Molihua, the latest concept from chef Ho Chee Boon, who has experience in Michelin-starred restaurants. The restaurant will serve dim sum as well as Japanese cuisine and dessert. Molihua will be on the second floor of the hotel and be overseen by chef Ho in tandem with celebrated international chef Hideki Hiwatashi, who has also worked at Michelin-starred restaurants.

Autry Park, the shiny new Montrose development now home to Auden and Annabelle Brasserie, will soon welcome another buzzy new concept, Mayahuel. Slated to open this June, the restaurant is a partnership between Culinary Khancepts (Liberty Kitchen, State Fare, the Audrey, and Leo’s) and chefs Luis Robledo and Atzin Santos. The Mexico City–inspired restaurant and bar is named after the Aztec goddess of agave and fertility and will feature a menu that spans everything from Mexican street food to regional dishes.

Popular Montrose smokehouse the Pit Room is finally expanding. In spring of this year, the restaurant will be opening a new location in Memorial City. Since size matters when it comes to barbecue, the Pit Room decided to go all-in on its new digs. The location will include an over 2,000-square-foot patio. It will also feature a larger kitchen with space for a sausage-grinding station. Our favorite thing about the new space? It will include an ice cream sandwich bar, something we would like to find in a lot more restaurants around town.

The team behind Marmo and Loch Bar will be adding a modern Japanese concept to its portfolio in June of this year. Housed in the former Ouzo Bay in River Oaks District, and redesigned to sport a more traditional Japanese aesthetic (think lots of soft wood paneling and clean lines), Azumi will feature a main dining area as well as a sushi bar and an omakase tasting room. The space’s famously Mediterranean blue outdoor terrace will also be getting a facelift.