1. Mezze #1
Riad El Khaliabi is originally from Syria and opened his first restaurant in Moscow, Russia. In November 2022, he brought his Middle Eastern flavors to Conroe with his family restaurant Mezze #1.
- 1205 Grand Central Parkway, Ste. 100, Conroe
- www.mezze1.com
2. Dragon Bowl C
Every day before work, San Cheng began his morning routine with an episode of anime. Desiring to bring something new and authentic to downtown Conroe, Cheng opened Dragon Bowl C in July 2022—a noodle bar restaurant themed after the anime "Dragon Ball Z," he said.
- 118 Simonton St., Conroe
- www.dragonbowltx.com
3. OMG Wings
After living in Texas for five years, Brian Peary realized there were no restaurants nearby that resembled his favorite Illinois-style wing joint. So, on Aug. 5, 2022, Peary opened OMG Wings in Conroe.
- 1201 N. Loop 336 E., Conroe
- Instagram: @omgwingstx
4. Aladdin Kebab House
Aladdin Kebab House opened Sept. 2, 2022, in Willis. In doing so, owners Sheikh and Nasreen Iman created a mixture of Pakistani, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine drawing from their homeland and heritage to craft a menu of variety, flavor and spice.
- 13721 FM 1097, Willis
- www.aladdinkebabhousemenu.com
5. Kale & Kettle
Heidi Smith opened Kale & Kettle in August after finding a lack of healthy food options in Montgomery County.
“I like good food, and we are starving for that out here,” she said. “So I decided to do it myself.”
- 15865 Hwy. 105 W., Stes. 3-5, Montgomery
- www.facebook.com/kaleandkettlecafe
6. Hunger Crush Cafe
Hunger Crush Cafe offers a variety of dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, such as French toast, hamburgers and Cajun catfish. The cafe gives quarterly donations to the Montgomery County Food Bank as well as 2 1/2 meals to the food bank for each Hunger Board menu item ordered.
- 15250 Hwy. 105 W., Ste. 160, Montgomery
- www.hungercrushcafe.com
7. The Table at Madeley
Frank Jackson said he and his wife, Bel, were looking for a way to support local Texas-based artists. After being in the music business professionally since 1998, he said he decided to open up a food truck venue where he could incorporate his love for live music.
- 316 Madeley St., Conroe
- www.conroetable.com
8. Bubba T’s Cajun Kitchen
Bland and Andra Brown opened Bubba T’s in Willis on Feb. 14, 2018. The couple began with a Cajun- and Creole-inspired restaurant in Spring, and after 8 years they expanded their vision to Willis.
- 400 W. Montgomery St., Willis
- www.bubbats.com