In a vivacious food city like Houston, restaurant closures can come in droves, just as restaurant openings do. This month, the news of several time-honored restaurants, including two Rice Village stalwarts permanently ceasing operations, leads the gambit.
Here are five Houston restaurant closures to know right now:
Helen Greek Food and Wine
Just a few months short of its milestone 10-year anniversary, Helen Greek Food and Wine closed its doors in Rice Village on Sunday, May 18. The taverna, tucked among the many shops that line Rice Boulevard, earned a James Beard nomination for Best New Restaurant in 2016 for its modern approach to Greek cuisine and impressive selection of regional wines chosen by its sommelier Evan Turner. Turner played a significant role in developing the Greek concept, including opening a follow-up location in the Heights, before he departed in 2017. The Heights outpost closed in 2020 and Helen’s Rice Village locale remained mostly under the radar since. A post made to social media citing the restaurant’s closing date and offering well wishes to the staff and customers marked the end of an era.
Thai Village
Thai Village Restaurant, a mainstay on Times Boulevard in Rice Village for 35 years, served its last meal on Saturday, May 31. An announcement was shared to the restaurant’s website over the weekend, after which news swiftly spread across local foodie Facebook groups. The family-owned eatery had become a tried and true choice for Thai comfort eats among area residents, and survived more than three decades of change in the ever-evolving Rice Village district.
B.B. Lemon
Berg Hospitality’s Washington Avenue diner, B.B. Lemon served its last meal on Sunday, June 1. News broke when an announcement was posted to social media, with a note of gratitude paid to the community for supporting the restaurant over the last seven years. B.B. Lemon was situated just across the street from its sister restaurant, B&B Butchers and Restaurant, and had since debuted a second outpost in the Downtown Tunnel, which will remain open for business as usual.
Bistro Menil
After a decade of serving Houstonians in the serene environs of Menil Park, chef Greg Martin shared a post to Bistro Menil’s social media stating that the restaurant’s final day of service will be Sunday, June 22. The restaurant seamlessly fit into a zen pocket of Montrose, steps from the Menil and Rothko Chapel, and had become a favorite for its European-inspired menu, cask wine, and afternoon tea service.
Artisans
Just over a year after debuting its new Galleria-area location on Westheimer Road, Artisans owner Jacques Fox posted a shocking announcement on Thursday, May 29 on social media that the restaurant would cease operations at 2 p.m. that very same day. The post made note of the restaurant’s long history in Houston, having opened in Midtown back in 2012, before relocating to Uptown, and went on to thank the customers, suppliers, and restaurant partners for their support over its 14-year run.
Sweet Bribery by Craft Creamery
Steve Marques and Kimberly Kaase, the husband and wife team that launched Craft Creamery in Montrose in 2021 before taking over Sweet Bribery in the Heights a couple of years later, served their last scoops on Saturday, May 31. The couple swiftly made a name for themselves when they originally launched their creamery in Montrose, with imaginative flavors like jalapeno cornbread, Oaxaca hot chocolate, and barbecue brisket, and began hosting ice cream omakase nights. With such unique flavors that have yet to be replicated since, their absence n Houston will surely be felt.
