5 Houston Pop-Ups You Need to Know Right Now

Two burger joint chefs who go way beyond patties, a Viet-Tex barbecue pop-up, and a Native American chef with some of the most epic collaborations

In Houston, pop-ups have served as a popular launchpad for the city’s thriving dining scene. Acclaimed restaurants, including Michelin-starred tasting menu Tatemó, Bun B’s burger sensation Trill Burgers, and West African restaurant ChopnBlok, got their start by setting up shop more informally around town at various events, kitchens, and even other restaurants, only to turn into some of the most beloved restaurants in the city. Pop-ups and their catch-it-if-you-can element still remain one of the most exciting aspects of dining out in Houston, giving diners a chance to watch many chefs evolve. Here are some of the most exciting pop-ups you need to know right now.

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Borrowed Goods

Rice University graduates Willet and Diane Feng first opened Burger-chan (formerly Kuma Burger) in 2016 and quickly gained recognition for crafting smash burgers with unique flavors, including sambal mayo, seared spam, and kimchi relish. Now, Willie is going beyond burgers and flexing his culinary skills with a new Singaporean-inspired pop-up series, according to Chron.com. The Borrowed Goods series, which hosted an event in early April at the cocktail lounge Plume, will feature Singaporean-style dishes, including Hainanese chicken rice, wok-fried flat noodles, and duck kolo mee, where duck is served two ways with noodles tossed in duck fat. Interested diners can pre-order online for now. Otherwise, dishes are available for dine-in on a first-come, first-served basis at Heights’ Narwhal Jousting Club (4901 Rose Street).

The pop-up stems from the Fengs’ original idea for a Singaporean restaurant before they opened Burger-chan in Greenway Plaza. They kept some of that dream alive after reopening their storefront in the Galleria area, hosting the Anti-Burger Club pop-up series, or ABC — the acronym being a playful reference to the term “American Born Chinese.” It’s possible, however, that Borrowed Goods could become its own restaurant entirely. CultureMap Houston reported that the Fengs have taken a step back from Burger-chan, partnering with Silver Linings Hospitality and chef Ryan Stewart, formerly of the South African restaurant Peli Peli, as co-owners. This new move will help the Fengs focus on Borrowed Goods, which is fueled by Willet’s love of South Asian cuisine, developed after attending boarding schools in Singapore and Brunei.

Any pop-up by David Skinner

It seems like David Skinner, the chef behind Kemah’s Native American tasting menu restaurant, Ishtia, is always thoughtfully collaborating with someone. Some of his most epic collaborations include a 101-course “Around the World in 10,000 Bites” experience at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, which tapped some of the city’s most talented chefs, including chef Aaron Bludorn and Emmanuel Chavez. And in 2023, Eater Houston awarded Skinner the Best Collaboration Award for his work with the James Beard Award-winning chef Benchawan Jabthong Painter on the ambitious Native American and Thai tasting menu Th Prsrv, which chronicles both cuisines from their earliest stages. Since then, the “Willy Wonka of food,” known for his fanciful molecular gastronomy, has hosted pop-up dinners with other chefs in the area, including Jassi Bindra of Amrina in The Woodlands. In other words, if you get a chance to attend one of his pop-ups, do it. Spots are still available for Skinner’s upcoming 4 Hands pop-up with chef Mayank Istwal, the chef of Musaafer, Houston’s only Indian restaurant with a Michelin star. During this 10-course tasting meal, Indian and Native American cuisines will collide, with special attention paid to how these cuisines have interacted and exchanged influences.

4 Hands Series by Musaafer and Ishtia; 5115 Westheimer Road, Suite C-3500, the Galleria; 5:15 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 7. Tickets are $145 per person.

Burmalicious

It’s almost hard to believe that a chef who has been operating solely through pop-ups could be considered for the James Beard Award’s Emerging Chef category, but Suu Khin has done it. For years, the Burmese chef and MasterChef finalist has educated Houstonians on the rich and nuanced flavors of the Southeast Asian region with pop-ups around the city, offering dishes like Ohn-no Khao-swè, a chicken coconut soup with egg noodles, crispy noodles, and chile oil; Duck Puffs, pastry crusts stuffed with duck liver pate, caramelized onions, and mango sriracha; and Shwe Yin Aye (mango gelée, sago, pandan noodles, sticky rice, and jasmine coconut milk). This year, she’s popping up specifically at Third Place, the daytime coffee shop that Top Chef alums Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu recently launched in their Heights restaurant, Jun.

Jūn

Khoi Barbecue

Helmed by brothers Don and Theo Nguyen, this pop-up has captivated Houston diners with its ability to fuse barbecue with Vietnamese flavors. This translates into pho topped with brisket, whole hog smoked with Vietnamese spices and served over rice, and barbecue beef ribs dripping in coconut curry — a dish featured on Eater Houston’s iconic dishes map for years. Though diners might have caught the Nguyen’s at events like the annual Southern Smoke Festival, they can now find Khoi popping up in its own “headquarters” at 2911 Hardy Street in Northside. Check Khoi’s website for its next pop-ups, which are always from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., or sell out.

Burger Bodega

Abbas Dhanani is known for amplifying other Houston-area chefs through his Instagram account, but the chef-owner of Burger Bodega is also a mastermind behind collaborative pop-ups. Since the launch of Burger Bodega’s brick-and-mortar location on Washington Avenue, Dhanani has hosted various pop-ups, teaming up with other chefs to create new, limited-edition dishes. There have been smoky brisket-topped burgers from James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd, Taiwanese beef chopped cheese sandwiches from chef Nick Wong, a beef rendang smash burger made in collaboration with the late chef Alex Au-Yeung, and, most recently, an interesting shrimp burger dish that came from a partnership with Ope Amousu, the chef behind ChopnBlok.

This month, Dhanani teams up with James Beard Award finalist Thomas Bille, the chef of Michelin Bib Gourmand Belly of the Beast, to host a multi-course Burger Omakase. Little has been revealed about the menu so far, but a release states that the courses will go far beyond burgers, and Underground Creamery’s Josh Deleon will provide the dessert. If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, bad news: They’re sold out, but there’s no doubt that another Burger Bodega pop-up is on the horizon.

Burger Bodega