A legend is reborn. Truluck’s, the longstanding Galleria-area restaurant lauded for its signature Florida stone crab, has reopened its doors after receiving a multi-million-dollar renovation this summer. While the massive overhaul reveals glamorous updates to the dining room and bar, it also unleashes a new era for the hometown restaurant, which continues to surprise diners 33 years after it opened in 1982.
“As part of our mission, we’re never satisfied with simply maintaining the status quo,” said Dave Mattern, Partner & Beverage Director of Truluck’s in a press release. “This renovation is more than a facelift—it’s a rebirth. We wanted to preserve the soul of Truluck’s while creating an experience that resonates with longtime guests and appeals to a new generation and our upscale Uptown neighborhood that draws residents and visitors from around the world. Every detail, from the trees overhead to the wine in your glass, has been designed to elevate your evening.”
Over the summer, the restaurant enlisted Dallas-based designer Bruce Russo and Houston’s Tanner Construction to refurbish its sprawling interiors and transform it into a space that reflects the effortlessness of Mediterranean al fresco dining. After a brief closure from July 27 to August 13, Truluck’s reemerged in fine form.
Eyecatching black and white piano key tile floors lead guests harmoniously from the entryway to the dining room, where all eyes are drawn to towering olive trees that anchor the room. Supple leather booths are paired with tables, sans any white tablecloths, as the restaurant offers a subtle departure from its fine dining roots and leans into an approachable aesthetic. The dining room now also houses a semi-private dining area for up to 56 guests, coined the TRU Dining Room, that can be enclosed by moveable screens.
Truluck’s bar, which lies beyond the glass walls of the wine room, matches the look and feel of the dining room to an extent. Sizable chandeliers have been added overhead, and the space is fitted with its own set of smaller olive trees. The room’s dark tables and bar stools, contrasted by the uplit bar, dictate a more dramatic appearance.
The dedicated bar area has long attracted visitors who favor a casual drink in lieu of a table in the main dining room. With the addition of a full bar menu listing items like blue crab guacamole served on a tiered platter, hot and crunchy shrimp, filet mignon sliders, and, for the first time, a small selection of sushi rolls, Houstonians have even more reason to venture in.
Truluck’s popular daily happy hour remains, during which guests can take advantage of half off cocktails and spirits, wines by the glass, and oysters from 4 to 6 p.m. And, in keeping up with the trends, a variety of miniature martinis, playfully called tiny ‘tinis, and a number of zero-proof cocktails, give way to the mindful drinking movement.
While much has changed, much remains the same. Houstonians can take comfort in knowing Truluck’s signature Florida stone crab continues to be the crown jewel of the menu, alongside hand-cut steaks and classic seafood plates of Texas redfish, Norwegian salmon, and Chilean seabass. And, even with its splashy new look, the restaurant manages to exhibit the nostalgic charm and wistful elegance that only time-honored restaurants can capture.
5350 Westheimer Rd., Houston, Truluck’s Ocean’s Finest Seafood and Crab
