The Biggest Houston Restaurant and Food News Stories of 2024

In Houston, the Michelin Guide, restaurant openings and closings, Turkey Leg Hut drama, and weather disasters dominated our news feeds

2024 was a bittersweet year for Houston’s dining scene. The year kicked off with several exciting openings and announcements of new restaurants. Summer, typically a slower month for the dining scene, felt like a mad dash. Despite dozens of restaurant openings, devastating weather disasters left many restaurants scurrying to recover while others were forced to close for days. In the fall, all eyes were on the Michelin Guide, which officially launched its inaugural Texas Michelin Guide with a ceremony in Houston, which honored 30 restaurants in Space City, dishing out six stars to the Houston area.

And though the year is not quite yet over, we thought it’d be the perfect time to reflect with a round-up of some of the most exciting and noteworthy moments, according to you — the readers. Here are Eater Houston’s most-read news stories of 2024:

10) Turkey Leg Hut Co-Founder Lyndell Price Charged in Connection With Bar Fight

News and drama surrounding the now-closed Turkey Leg Hut in Third Ward captivated readers, so much so that it was three of the 10 most-read stories this year. The controversial co-founder Lyndell Price, who originally opened the restaurant with his estranged wife Nakia Holmes, was the center of much of it, with reports of him getting into a bar fight just days after Holmes fired him and several other employees. The Third Ward restaurant, known for its turkey legs laced with soulful sides, was also embroiled in various legal issues and disputes with former employees, with many claiming they were not paid for their services.

9) Olympian Simone Biles’s First Meal Back in Houston Didn’t ‘Miss’

Following a successful run in the summer Paris Olympics, where Simone Biles received three gold medals and one silver, the Spring native arrived back in Houston. The Olympian’s first dining pitstop? Stick Talk Cajun-Hibachi in Midtown, where she ordered two portions of chicken fried rice with vegetables and spicy garlic butter, as well as an extra side of noodles. Biles, the most decorated gymnast in U.S. history, gave the restaurant her stamp of approval with the hot take that Stick Talk “never misses.”

8) Following Divorce Announcement and Layoffs, Fire Causes Even More Drama for the Turkey Leg Hut

Once again, Turkey Leg Hut captivated readers in its last year of news after a mysterious fire destroyed its business office in March. The fire occurred around the same time the restaurant filed for bankruptcy and weeks after the owners announced their divorce. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

7) Houston Restaurants Open Following Tropical Storm Beryl

Hurricane Beryl barreled through the Houston area in early July, leaving more than 2 million people without power and at least four people dead. Dozens of restaurants around the Houston region were affected, with many closing for several days. Eater Houston jumped into action, keeping track of which restaurants were open and operating and which were helping out in the community. Many restaurant owners say the dining scene is still recovering.

6) Singer Kelly Rowland Returns to Houston to Dine at Her Favorite Soul Food Restaurant

Houston hometown hero and former Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland visited Houston in September and made a beeline for Third Ward restaurant Houston This Is It Soul Food to enjoy her favorite meal: pepper steak patties served over rice with a healthy pour of brown gravy. The restaurant offered a $14 Kelly Rowland special that week in her honor.

5) Following Divorce Filing, Nakia Holmes Seemingly Takes the Turkey Leg

The Turkey Leg Hut drama saga seemed never-ending this year, starting with the owner’s very public divorce and co-founder Nakia Holmes firing her estranged husband, Lyndell Price. Holmes accused Price of being “abusive emotionally and mentally.” The restaurant officially closed in November.

4) Eater’s Michelin Star Predictions for Houston

Following the Michelin Guide’s announcement that it would finally launch in Texas, Eater Houston had some thoughts about who might win recognition, and we weren’t far off. We conservatively predicted four out of six of the Michelin one-star restaurants, including Le Jardinier, March, Musaafer, and Tatemó, plus three of the Bib Gourmands, including Nancy’s Hustle, Nobie’s, and Street to Kitchen. Fortunately, Houston received even more recognition than that.

3) Houston Restaurant Openings

Diners kept close tabs on Houston’s restaurant openings, which included some of the city’s best new establishments, including Ishtia, an Indigenous tasting menu restaurant in Kemah; the Marigold Club, a stunning French American restaurant in Montrose; and Late August, an Afro-Mexican restaurant tucked into the Ion in Midtown.

2) Houston Restaurant Closings

Along with openings came several closings, including Damian’s Italian Cucina, which closed after 41 years due to dwindling clientele following the pandemic. Several more restaurants closed, with some citing Houston’s harsh summer of heat and weather disasters as a major cause.

1) Here Are Houston’s 2024 Michelin-Starred Restaurants

In November, the Michelin Guide held its first-ever Texas ceremony in Houston, where it recognized 30 restaurants in the region. Six restaurants, including Spring barbecue joint Corkscrew BBQ and Montrose’s Spanish restaurant BCN Taste and Tradition, received one Michelin star. Seventeen restaurants were given Bib Gourmands, and seven Houston restaurants were listed as recommended. For a handy visual guide to all the starred restaurants and the Bib, check out this Eater Houston map.