Openings and Closings: Sparrow Italia is Coming, Cyclone Anaya’s Tanglewood Departs

Sparrow Italia, 2000 Post Oak Boulevard, will be one of the new tenants at Central Park Post Oak, a 17-acre mixed use development from Midway that broke ground this past April. The project is expected to be completed by Fall 2026, with the restaurant’s debut following soon after. Another high-vis restaurant, The Henry from Fox Restaurants, will also join the development. 

The Italian steakhouse is part of the Noble 33 hospitality group and was first launched in London’s Mayfair district in 2022. It expanded with a second restaurant in Miami in 2024. In addition to its upcoming Houston location, there are plans to open Sparrow Italia in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood. 

The Italian-inspired menu features dishes like grilled branzino with Sicilian pistachios and Mikey’s Spicy Rigatoni alla Vodka. Its signature The B.I.G. Meatball is a half pound of A5 wagyu in arrabiata sauce. Sparrow’s steak selection offers premium cuts including a six-ounce prime rib cap and a massive 34-ounce prime Fiorentina. 

Leading the cocktail program is Juan Carlos Santana, beverage director for Noble 33. His accolades include being a Michelin Guide “Exceptional Cocktails” award-winner and he is also a certified sommelier. Patrons can expect Italian inspiration in beverages like C.R.E.A.M., a clarified milk punch with basil and tomato juice or The O.D.B., a vodka martini infused with Calabrian chilis, housemade spicy pickle brine, Cocchi Americano and chili oil. 

When the Houston location opens, it will join another Noble 33 concept, Toca Modera, which opened its Houston spot in 2024. The restaurant group also plans to open a location of Meduza Mediterrania off Allen Parkway in 2026. 

Mamba Hospitality Group launched this month under the ownership and operation of Kiet Duong and Julie Nguyen. The married couple founded their Viet-Cajun concept Crawfish Cafe in Bellaire in 2013 and have since added four more locations across the Houston Metro area.

Earlier this year, they debuted Pho Prime, a Vietnamese Restaurant with three locations. However, the duo closed the Galleria spot this past August along with their original Bellaire location of Crawfish Cafe in June, in order to renovate the Bellaire space and create a dual concept location for both. The Bellaire space is shooting to open in late December or early January. The couple also operate Ocean Palace, a large dim sum restaurant in Bellaire.

The new dual concept space is just the beginning of the Mamba Hospitality expansion. For 2026, there are plans to grow the corporate team and to build an infrastructure that can support its very busy crawfish season. Going forward, Duong and Nguyen, along with team members Xenia Martiniez, Vanessa Huynh and Luis Martiniez, plan to implement a rewards loyalty program as well as initiatives for a Viet-Cajun catering service and a franchise expansion in 2026. 

Maison Chinoise, 1958 W. Gray, is slated to open this winter in River Oaks. The contemporary Chinese restaurant comes from Lombardi Family Concepts, a Dallas-founded company that operates local establishments like Lombardi Cucina Italiana and Toulouse, as well as Texas restaurants like The Baci Room in Austin and Lounge 31 and Taverna in Dallas. It also opened its first location of Maison Chinoise in Dallas. 

Leading the kitchen will be executive chef Jordan He. Raised in China, the chef has spent more than a decade working in world-class fine dining restaurants such as Wing Lei at Wynn Las Vegas and taking on leadership roles with renowned hospitality companies like Hakkasan Group. The menu will offer dishes like Imperial Peking Duck and xiao long bao. 

The space has been designed by NDD Design, a Houston firm, that has created a contemporary interior inspired by traditional Chinese aesthetics. The 3,700 square-foot restaurant will also feature a 900-square-foot-patio. 

Coco Crepes & Coffee, 24818 Morton Ranch, is now open in Katy and will celebrate its grand opening October 16. Located at The Market at Katy Park, the 2,500 square-foot cafe anchors the strip center corner and features floor-to-ceiling windows, a warm interior and an open patio. 

For the grand opening, the first 100 guests through the door October 16 will receive free small drip coffee for 100 days.  The shop will also be giving out free t-shirts and hats while supplies last. Guests will also receive a choice of a free Duffin, Nutella Crepe or Berry Berry Smoothie from 7 a.m,. to 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The menu at Coco offers sweet crepes like Cinnamon Roll and S’mores, plus savory versions such as Merguez Moroccan Sausage and Chicken + Spinach. There are also waffles, soups, salads and paninis. 

It’s the 10th location for the locally-owned concept founded by chef and restaurateur Youssef Nafaa in 2005. Nafaa owns and operates Bella Restaurant Groups known for Mia Bella, ZOA and Mi Luna. 

Cyclone Anaya’s, 5761 Woodway, has closed its doors after more than 20 years of operation in the Tanglewood area. The shuttering does not affect the other six locations.

We have reached out for more information regarding the sudden closure. 

Truboy BBQ, 8035 Highway 6, opens October 9 in Missouri City. It’s the first brick and mortar for the hala barbecue company that has previously been focused on shipping its smoked brisket and ribs nationwide. 

Founded by Houston native Jereis Khawaja, the project originally began when the young entrepreneur and aficionado of smoked meats began packaging ready-to-eat barbecue for Denver Broncos tailgates while living in Colorado. It soon blossomed into a larger business model with wholesale shipping across the U.S. and Canada. Truboy now provides supplies to more than 70 restaurants including Abu Omar, Mad Dogs and Dripped Birria. 

The new storefront will have both dine-in and take-out options including a grab and go market with frozen meals. For guests, there are build-your-own options in which diners can customize meals with a choice of BBQ sliced brisket, chopped brisket or pulled chicken. There are sandwiches, melts, burritos, paratha wraps and bowls. 

For take and bake, there are brisket eggrolls, beef ribs, jumbo brisket tamales and more. There are also spices, treats and plenty of Truboy merch.

The grand opening begins at 1 p.m. with a ribbon cutting, followed by a public opening at 3 p.m. For grand opening day, all menu items are 25 percent off. 

Slip Sliders, 1801 Binz, has opened in the Museum District. The quick-service restaurant puts a twist of its own on the slider sandwich from burgers to chicken tenders. The Backyard Burger is a classic while The Signature Slip adds a smear of its house sauce. Another beef slider, Hickory Dickory, is topped with bacon and onion rings. 

On the chicken side is the Southern Comfort, a crispy fried chicken slider with lettuce and pickles, along with the Buffalo & Blue. There are also seafood sliders like the Shrimp Shack, a crispy shrimp cake topped with mayo and avocado, and the Captain Jack salmon slider. For vegetarians, there’s the Happy Cow, featuring a house-made veggie patty made with lentils, mushrooms and beets. 

The veggie patty is a recipe from owner Rasheed Refaey’s family and he says that the team at Slip Sliders is passionate about doing things the right way. “From freshly ground beef loins to house-made sauces prepared daily, our goal is to create sliders that satisfy everyone who craves a good burger.”

Besides a variety of sliders, the restaurant offers Cajun cheese fries, truffle parmesan fries, fried cheesy pickles and fresh salads. Beverages include soft drinks, agua frescas and hand-spun milkshakes. There are hot beignet bites with dipping sauce for dessert. 

Kirkwood, 11720 Katy Freeway, is expected to open in March 2026, so we’ve been told, but in the meantime its executive chef and culinary director Stephen Chiang is all over town collaborating and popping up at festivals, most recently last weekend’s Chefs for Farmer’s event.

One of his first showcases will be at The Lymbar, 4201 Main, with chef and owner David Cordua October 15. The talented duo have created a multi-course wine dinner in partnership with DAOU Vineyard that will take place at The Lymbar as a one-night-only experience.

Some of the dishes include a starter of brandade de bacalao, paired with DAOU Chardonnay 2023, followed by duck confit nachos and DAOU’s Reserve Merlot 2024. Guests will also indulge in lobster ballotine with a pairing of DAOU Reserve Cabernet 2021. There will also be braised short rib and a trio of sweet and savory bites.

The October 15 dinner begins with arrivals at 6 p.m. and is $110 per person, excluding tax and gratuity.

Restaurants Reported Open September 2025:

Black Rock Coffee Bar, 9437 FM 1960 Bypass W., opened September 5

Black Rock Coffee Bar, 1811 Grand Pkwy, opened September 25

Blue Claw seafood, 13232 Northwest freeways, opened September 21

El Tiempo Cantina, 2360 S. Loop W., opened September 8

Flipp’N Chcikens, 211 W. Crosstimbers, reopened late August

Freebirds World Burrito, 20330 Fort Bend Parkway Toll Rd., opened September 18

Hacienda Los Arcos, 4625 Kingwood, opened late August

Local Spot, 6450 Cross Creek Bend, grand opening September 1

Piada Italian Street Food, 2630 Pearland Pkwy, opened August 28

Raising Cane’s, 1529 Highway 6, opened September 6

Saltgrass Steak House, 300 Gulf Gate Mall, opened September 16

Truluck’s, 5350 Westheimer, reopened mid-September

Restaurants reported Closed September 2025:

Bosscat Kitchen, 4310 Westheimer, closed September 28

Ostia, 2032 Dunlavy, closed September 13

Pinstripes, 3300 Kirby, closed mid-September

Salad and Go, all Houston locations, closed September 19

This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.

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