12 Houston Restaurant Closings to Know Right Now, November 2024

The Turkey Leg Hut in Third Ward and Penny Whistle Pub in Montrose are the latest Houston restaurants to close

As Houston gears up for a busy holiday season, many local restaurants are still reeling from summer when the derecho and Hurricane Beryl hit Houston hard, leaving millions without power. More changes are afoot that are causing restaurants to shutter. Construction for the Texas Department of Transportation’s Interstate 45 expansion project, which could extend well into 2038, is forcing several businesses in its pathway to create an exit strategy. Restaurants like Kim Son, Tout Suite, and Neil’s Bahr have decided to relocate or close altogether. But not all closings happening are finite. Restaurants like Shabu Squared, Joe’s Crab Shack in Kemah, and Kau Ba are closing with the intention to rebrand, while restaurants like Eden Plant Co., Fu Fu Cafe, and Penny Whistle Pub are on to what owners deem bigger and better. Here’s a rundown of some of November’s most interesting (and heartbreaking) closings.

The list is by no means comprehensive. Have information on another closing? Send all tips to houston@eater.com

Turkey Leg Hut

This Third Ward dining institution known for its massive, soulful turkey legs has closed its 4830 Almeda Road restaurant after its landlord officially terminated its lease. Houston Chronicle reported that a bankruptcy court judge signed an order on November 22, which granted Turkey Leg Hut’s landlord CNPH Properties, LLC, to take action against the restaurant, which owed them $109,790 at the time of filing.

Turkey Leg Hut has been embroiled in years of controversy and legal troubles since its opening, including multiple lawsuits for unpaid goods and services, a very public and messy divorce, and at least one mysterious fire. More recently, Turkey Leg Hut shutdown in September after the Houston Health Department issued more than 30 health code violations that were largely associated with unsafe food storage practices. In March, founders Nakia Holmes and Lynn Price were ordered by the court to pay more than $900,000 to a former business partner after reportedly failing to pay out his shares, and Holmes, now the sole owner, declared bankruptcy. She later stated in a 341 meeting of creditors that the restaurant failed due to mismanagement of funds and alleged that her now-estranged husband Price continuously stole money from the restaurant and mistreated staff, which led to its demise. Price has denied any wrongdoing.

Turkey Leg Hut originally opened in 2017 with much success and excitement. Holmes and Price originally launched Turkey Leg together in 2015, hosting it in the parking lot across from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. In 2017, they opened their first brick-and-mortar in the Third Ward, which became a mainstay for many local celebrities and a pit stop for tourists.

Penny Whistle Pub

This Irish pub in Montrose officially closed on Saturday, December 1, after five years in business. Owners announced the closure on social media in late November, stating that it would no longer reside at its 1625 Richmond Avenue. “However there are big plans for this place here in the coming months,” they wrote.

This isn’t the first time the restaurant has undergone a transition. Penny Whistle’s space originally housed the Harp, another Irish pub, for 19 years before undergoing new management and a remodel in 2018. The Penny Whistle opened in its place in March 2019 in time for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration and became a integral part of the community, known for its themed nights dedicated to karoake, chess, and more.

“We want to thank every single person that has come through our doors, all of our regulars who treat us like family, and all of our staff past and present for their time! WE LOVE YOU MONTROSE,” owners wrote.

Kim Son

Following the closure of its Stafford location in September 2023, this beloved Vietnamese restaurant will close its East Downtown flagship at 2001 Jefferson Street next year due to the Texas Department of Transportation’s pending Interstate 45 expansion. Owners told the Houston Chronicle that though the transportation department hasn’t set a date on when construction will affect its current space, the restaurant, which will have one remaining outpost in Bellaire’s Asiatown, is already preparing.

Various other restaurants have similarly closed ahead of the expansion and construction. Agricole Hospitality, the restaurant group behind EZ’s Liquor Lounge and Coltivare in the Heights, abruptly announced in September that it had closed its Tex-Mex restaurant HiWay Cantina, cocktail bar Lightnin’s Good Times, and pizzeria Vinny’s in East Downtown due to the transportation project.

Shabu Squared

Shabu Squared, the hot pot restaurant that deemed itself Houston’s “first gourmet shabu” dining establishment, announced Monday, November 18, on Instagram that it would officially close its doors. Few details were given about its timeline, but the Shabu Squared team invited diners to join them in the “final months” as they prepare to open a new restaurant. Eater Houston has reached out for more details.

Eden Plant Co. — East End

Following its third anniversary and the anticipated grand opening of its second outpost in Downtown’s Post Houston on Saturday, November 16, this plant shop and coffee shop announced that its newest location would also mark the closing of its East End shop. “Still, the best is yet to come,” the owners wrote. “We can’t wait to welcome you to our new home, where we’ll continue to grow and share even more amazing moments together. Thank you for being the heart beat of our growth journey as we continue on forward!”

Eden Plant Co. originally opened in 2021 in the Plant in Second Ward, offering a haven where diners could enjoy coffee drinks while surrounded by plants they could purchase.

Fu Fu Cafe and Fu Fu’s Restaurant

After more than 18 years in business, these Chinese restaurants closed their original locations in Bellaire Asiatown’s Dun Huang Square on Friday, November 15. The owners have consolidated the businesses into Fu Fu Dim Sum and HotPot, a new restaurant located in a “bigger and better space down the street” at 11810 Bellaire Boulevard. “Thank you for all your support, your loyalty, and the wonderful memories you’ve helped us create here,” they wrote. “… We will see you at our new location.” According to the restaurant’s Instagram, the aptly named Fu Fu Dim Sum and Hot Pot serves dim sum, hot pot, and seafood.

Tout Suite

This Houston-born coffee and pastry shop announced in a release on November 12 that it will soon close its Downtown Commerce Street location and open a new location in the walkable residential area called the Mill in EaDo next summer. The decision to relocate comes ahead of the state’s Interstate 45 expansion and improvement project.

Kau Ba

This Montrose Viet-Cajun restaurant’s closure caused some controversy. Kau Ba announced on its now-defunct Instagram page in early November that it was temporarily closing its doors to revamp and offer a new dining experience. Days later, the Michelin Guide named the closed restaurant a Bib Gourmand at the inaugural Texas Michelin Guide Ceremony in Houston, and that same night, representatives of a new restaurant, Alora, announced that it would take over Kau Ba’s former location. Diners were left confused, and eventually, the Michelin Guide stripped Kau Ba of its honor. “Upon further investigation, our team has discovered the restaurant has been permanently closed since our Inspection team’s visits occurred,” Michelin said in a statement on Thursday, November 14.

“This is a heartbreaking situation, but we understand and respect Michelin’s decision to remove Kâu Ba from its selection,” Tran told Eater in an emailed statement. “Exercising an abundance of caution from a legal position, I am not able currently to share further details of our situation but I do hope to follow up soon with more information. Until then, on behalf of the entire Kâu Ba team, we want to thank the entire culinary community for the recognition and support. Kâu Ba is proud of the dishes we created and look forward to sharing very soon what’s next.”

The Bunny Tea

This bubble tea store located in Asiatown’s Dynasty Plaza officially closed its doors on Friday, November 8. Owners announced its closure on Instagram, where it noted that it was “the end of the road” for the shop. They thanked their customers and posted a heartfelt note to their team for their service. “While it breaks our hearts that we won’t be working together anymore, we know that the bonds we’ve built will last. Thank you for everything—you’ll always be a part of our journey, no matter where life takes us.”

Neil’s Bahr

Due to the Interstate 45 expansion, this comic-geared gamer bar and hangout announced in October that it will close its bar at 2006 Walker Street in East Downtown after more than a decade and relocate less than a mile away to 3409 McKinney Street. Owner Neil Fernandez wrote in an Instagram post that the buildout for the new location has begun with the goal of opening sometime this winter. The final closing date of the original Neil’s, however, is still unknown. “The last days of the original will be determined by the opening date of the new one!” he wrote.

“I’m as excited as I am terrified for the relocation. I was much younger and more energetic my first go around… Since then I’ve gotten married, become a father, gained and lost countless friends along the way. I’m not the same man I was in 2013, but I’ll be damned if I let the government stop me from what I do best,” he wrote.

Joe’s Crab Shack

The Kemah Boardwalk outpost of this seafood restaurant has closed. Terry Turney, chief operating officer for Landry’s, the restaurant group that owns Joe’s Crab Shack’s locations, said the restaurant officially closed on Monday, November 4, to prepare for “an exciting renovation.” Turney did not state what the renovation would entail. “We will share more details of what plans we have for the space in the coming months,” Turney wrote. Joe’s Crab Shack has more than 20 locations around the country, including outposts in Arizona, Florida, and Utah. There are four remaining locations in Texas, with the closest now in Galveston.