The Saddest Houston Restaurant Closings of 2024
RIP Damian’s and Nippon
Subject to the ever-changing landscape and economy, the restaurant business anywhere can be tough. But in Houston, it can feel particularly challenging. More than 40 restaurants in the city have closed, with many citing this summer — a season filled with scorching temperatures and two devastating weather events — as a major factor. While many restaurants are still working to recover, others have had to say goodbye. Here are some of the restaurants Houston diners are saddest to lose this year:
Elro
Though there’s still time left to visit, this cozy restaurant in Montrose that serves a novel menu combination of hot pizza and cold crudo is on the outs. Chef Terrance Gallivan, who formerly ran the two-part pizza, pasta, and Italian-tasting menu restaurant Pass & Provisions, says a harsh summer and rough economy contributed to his decision to close the restaurant on New Year’s Eve. Gallivan is intent on going out with a bang, and one can only hope there will be a reunion between him and Seth Siegel-Gardner (now with Local Foods Group and Italian restaurant Milton’s) for a blast from Pass & Provisions past.
Turkey Leg Hut
Despite Turkey Leg Hut generating some of the year’s most-read stories, the drama surrounding this Third Ward restaurant was getting exhausting. Still, the restaurant will certainly be missed. Controversy aside, Turkey Leg Hut was one-of-a-kind — a beacon in the Black community that drew in tourists, celebrities, and locals alike with its unique and celebratory panache and massive turkey legs dressed in well-seasoned creations.
Damian’s Cucina Italiana
The Mandola family’s Italian restaurant in Midtown closed in August after 41 years of service. Fortunately for Houston diners, the owners announced the closure two months in advance, giving them time to say goodbye. In its last days, Damian’s was at capacity, its dining room overflowing with Houstonians congregating for the last time over silky spaghetti carbonara, grilled veal chop, and wine.
Nippon
Houston’s oldest Japanese restaurant, known for its menu of fresh sushi, bento boxes, and noodle soups, officially closed in November after 38 years of business in Montrose. The owners, married couple Naomitsu and Emi Yoshida, were planning to retire after the closing.
Urban Eats
Many diners were crushed after hearing that this Washington Avenue restaurant was closing. An outpouring of support followed the owners’s January announcement that they had taken on “substantial debts” following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing costs of supplies, labor, and food. Owners were able to pay some of their past-due bills and their team, but in the end, it wasn’t enough to sustain the restaurant. Urban Eatz’s landlord ultimately terminated the lease, closing the restaurant in January.
Ingenious Brewing Company
This Humble brewery closed in January after roughly six years, leaving a void in the Houston area beer scene. Ingenious, known for its pucker-inducing sours and beer smoothies, closed after owners and team members said the brewery suffered from the economic and sociological changes following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
