Houston Restaurant Closings to Know Right Now, January 2025

The last Red Ribbon Bakery in Houston is gone, another French restaurant bites the dust, and Hughie’s closes

Houston’s restaurant scene kicked off 2025 with some surprises. The closing of The Woodlands restaurant Tris was likely the most shocking of them all, but diners also said “see you soon” to a longtime restaurant by Hugo Ortego; a beloved, family-friendly Kemah waterfront restaurant by Landry’s; and one of the city’s most low-key pubs. Here are some of the most noteworthy closings in January so far.

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

White Elm Brasserie

This Memorial area French restaurant closed on Sunday, January 26. CultureMap Houston reported that co-owner Christopher “Chico” Ramirez said the restaurant experienced a decrease in business and sales following the derecho and Hurricane Beryl and more than a 30 percent decline during Houston Restaurant Weeks. The restaurant closed ahead of its lease expiration in February. The restaurant first opened in 2020 as White Elm Cafe Bakery, which served pastries with a Mediterranean and French-leaning menu. In 2022, the restaurant repackaged itself as the White Elm Brasserie, shifting to a more upscale experience that included cocktails and full-service dining.

It’s been a tough run for French restaurants in the last year. European-French restaurant Eau Tour in Rice Village closed last summer and reopened as Milton’s, and PS21 closed abruptly in September after a year and a half in business.

Hughie’s

The Vietnamese-American restaurant located in the Timbergrove area closed its doors on Thursday, January 30 after eight years in business. Hughie’s announced the closure in an Instagram post. “It’s been a long journey from hardships to many many friendships, smiles and laughter at this location but unfortunately this chapter of our story will soon be coming to a close,” the post stated. A new location will open on North Shepherd, according to the post.

Red Ribbon Bakery

Known for its three-layered cakes that showcase fruity flavors like mango and ube, plus yema, a Filipino custard, Red Ribbon Bakery now only has one Texas location left in San Antonio. The remaining Houston location of this international Filipino bakery chain closed its doors in mid-December. The South Main outpost opened in 2014, and was followed by a second location on Westheimer Road in 2022, which had the chain’s first-ever drive-thru. That location later closed with little notice.

Proper Rose Garden

Katy’s afternoon tea room announced on Instagram that it’s closing its doors on Monday, January 27. “We’ve struggled for the past few years to overcome natural disasters, a global pandemic, rising costs of goods, rising cost of labor, and sometimes just plain bad luck,” Mike Jiang wrote. “We can no longer continue operating in our current location.” The owners added that they’re open to new opportunities and partnerships and exploring “ways to bring Proper Rose Garden back in a new form.” Proper Rose Garden opened in June 2020 during the pandemic, offering diners a different type of hangout that served a variety of teas, desserts, and sandwiches.

NoPo Café, Market & Bar

Houston-based restaurateur Ben Berg of Berg Hospitality closed his casual, all-day cafe in the North Post Oak area on Monday, January 13, after nearly four years in business. Culturemap Houston reported that NoPo, which served pastries, sandwiches, and burgers, will be replaced by a new commissary kitchen to support Berg’s other restaurants, which include Prime 131, the Annie Cafe, Turner’s, and Turner’s Cut. Bob Orzo of Bagel Bob’s NYTX, formerly NYTX, will also open a 20-seat, cafeteria-style bagel shop in the space in February, where he’ll serve hand-rolled bagels, bagel sandwiches, his homemade schmears, and cheesecakes.

Backstreet Cafe

Hugo Ortega’s longtime restaurant in Montrose officially closed its doors on January 2. The James Beard Award-winning chef and his team announced last year that they would close Backstreet Cafe and tear down its building, along with Ortega and his wife Tracy’s nearby home adjacent to the restaurant. Housed in a 1930s home, Backstreet, which first opened in 1983, was known for its epic patio and a menu filled with a diverse combination of Southern, Cajun, Creole, Latin, and Asian flavors. Ortega started as a dishwasher, moving up from busboy, then line cook, to eventually executive chef and co-owner. But good news: the Ortegas will rebuild a more modern rendition of the restaurant in the place of their old home. Slated for the fall, the new Backstreet will take the form of a two-story brick building featuring two bars, two kitchens, four private spaces, a drive-up valet, and an outdoor patio surrounded by brick walls.

Tris

On January 2, the owners of Tris announced the abrupt closure of The Woodlands restaurant after its chef, Austin Simmons, resigned. Culturemap Houston reported that Haydar Kustu, the director of business development and marketing for Tris’s management company, Black Forest Ventures, said the owners were surprised by the resignation. Simmons reportedly told them that he wanted to spend time with his family, but in a later report, Simmons told Culturemap he resigned due to issues with the lease and landlord and physical aspects of the restaurant, which were constantly in repair. “The space was remodeled twice by previous presidents and owners after the market closed. It was nothing but the easiest band-aid for the landlord. We spent way too much time fixing legacy issues in plumbing and AC. We had a flood from the building last year, and the response from the landlord after the Tris team squeezed for 8 hours to save the space was nothing short of a force out,” Simmons wrote in a statement to Culturemap. “It was clear they no longer wanted to be in the restaurant industry at this location. I did everything I could all year to negotiate the future space and lease issues to save Tris, but unfortunately, I got nowhere.”

Roka Akor

Japanese restaurant Roka Akor announced the closure of its Houston location on January 7, after eight years in business. “We are deeply grateful to the Houston community for the tremendous support and loyalty you’ve shown us over the years,” the team wrote in a statement, adding that it would shift its focus to its other locations in Scottsdale, Arizona; San Francisco; and Chicago. “We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our incredible Houston team for their dedication and hard work over the years and for their tireless commitment to hospitality and serving excellent food. You have been the backbone of our success and have made Roka Akor a cherished part of the community.”

Flying Dutchman

The longtime Kemah restaurant owned by restaurateur Tilman Fertitta officially closed its doors on December 31, just weeks after the Landry’s restaurant group announced that it would be closing its iconic Kemah restaurant Joe’s Crab Shack. The waterfront restaurant opened in 1976 and was one of the Kemah area’s best-known restaurants for its family-friendly atmosphere and seafood. “The Flying Dutchman has been a cherished part of our Kemah community, but we know it is the right time to bring new energy to this space,” Landry’s chief operating officer Terry Turney said to the Houston Chronicle through a spokesperson via email.

Front Porch Pub

Known for its massive draft beer selection and engaging steak and trivia nights, Midtown watering hole Front Porch Pub has closed. A “For Lease” sign by NewQuest was posted on the building during a recent visit, and Google lists the pub as “temporarily closed,” but no changes have been made to its website. Eater contacted the Front Porch Pub and NewQuest teams for comment to learn more about the closing and whether it will reopen elsewhere. Neither immediately responded.

Three Uncles Handmade Toast

This Chinese bakery chain’s Asiatown location in Bellaire closed sometime in December after the landlord terminated its lease, Chron.com reports. Lauded for its flavored breads and fanciful sandwiches filled with boba and durian, Three Uncles Handmade Toast opened in DiHo Square in 2022 to much fanfare and some criticism for its pricey bread-filled concoctions.