Houston restaurant Backstreet Cafe closed its 40-plus-year business to prepare for relocating and renovating to a new River Oaks location, right down the street from the original location, according to a spokesperson for Backstreet Cafe.

Looking back

Backstreet Cafe's original location at 1103 S. Shepherd Drive was originally a 1930s home, transformed into a neighborhood restaurant in 1983.
Originally used as a home in the 1930s, the home was transformed into a neighborhood restaurant in 1983 (Courtesy of Backstreet Cafe)
Originally used as a home in the 1930s, the location was transformed into a neighborhood restaurant in 1983. (Courtesy of Backstreet Cafe)
Backstreet Cafe was founded by Tracy Vaught, offering mainly soups, salads and sandwiches early on. Hugo Ortega, a James Beard Award-winning Houston chef, joined the eatery as a dishwasher in 1987. He has since risen to co-owner, and he and Vaught were married in 1994.

Today, the husband-and-wife team run several Houston-area restaurants under the umbrella of H Town Restaurant Group, with Backstreet Cafe being known for its diverse menu—with Southern, Cajun, Creole, Hispanic and Asian influences—and use of fresh ingredients.

The details


Backstreet Cafe had its final day of service at its original location Jan. 2 due to the house the restaurant was located in being too old, spokesperson Paula Murphy said.

Murphy said the revamped location will be located at 1201 S. Shepherd Drive, the office location for the couple's H Town Restaurant Group and a short walk from the original location. Murphy said the new location is expected to be larger than the original location. The original location was 4,500 square feet, while the new location will be 6,600 square feet and is expected to have a second floor.

According to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, construction on the new location is expected to begin June 6 and end Nov. 3. Murphy said they hope to reopen in the fall.