March: 93’ Til
As someone who has been working in a restaurant since he was 16, Lung Ly said he fell in love with the industry and has always had a goal of opening his own place.
After traveling to Tokyo in 2018, Ly said he visited some of the city’s abundance of record bars—venues where people gather to drink while also relaxing to music played on vinyl. The experience, he said, inspired him to open his own.
Ly would eventually open 93’ Til in December 2020, naming it after the Souls of Mischief song, “93 ‘til Infinity.” Today, he said the Montrose location is exactly what he wanted.
93’ Til
1601 W. Main St., Houston
281-846-6405
www.93-til.com
Hours: Tue.-Thu. 4-10 p.m., Fri.-Sun. 4-11 p.m., closed Mon.
June: Yale Street Grill
Yale Street Grill, a Heights staple on the corner of 21st and Yale streets, has kept Houstonians coming back since 1923, but it was not always because of the food.
“It used to be a post office,” Manager Juan Salazar said. “It’s always had that counter and a cooking area.”
Yale Street Grill
2100 Yale St., Houston
713-861-3113
www.facebook.com/yalegrill
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 7 a.m.-5 p.m.
July: Lankford Grocery & Market
Lankford Grocery & Market has been a Montrose-area staple since 1937, when it started out as a grocery stand.
The venue, now a restaurant for the community, is owned by Paul and Jessica Prior, the third generation to run the beloved spot.
Lankford Grocery & Market
88 Dennis St., Houston
713-522-9555
www.lankfordgrocery.weebly.com
Hours: Sun.-Wed. 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Thu.-Fri. 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat. 7 a.m.-8 p.m.
August: Hando
Despite beginning his time in the restaurant business at the age of 16, Hando co-owner Jason Andaya said sticking in the industry was not always in his future plans.
In 2014, Andaya was a part of a startup company in Los Angeles when he was asked by a friend to take over a restaurant. Although he swore he would never go back to the service industry after graduate school, he agreed to the endeavor. It was during Andaya’s time in California—where hand roll bars are popular—that he became inspired to open a similar concept in Houston.
In December 2019, Andaya, alongside longtime friend Raymond Chan, opened Hando, a sushi hand roll bar, in the Heights.
Hando
518 W. 11th St., Ste. 500, Houston
713-393-7425
www.handohtx.com
Hours: Sun.-Thu. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
October: Southern Yankee Crafthouse
Alex and Patrice Porter had a vision heading into the start of their new business concept on West Alabama Street: a restaurant focused on beer, food and comfort. Their gastropub, called Southern Yankee Crafthouse, offers a laid-back environment with indoor and outdoor seating and a full bar.
Beer is a family business for Alex. He said his father has been homebrewing since he was 10, and his younger sister, Sydney Porter, is the head brewer for Southern Yankee.
Southern Yankee Crafthouse
1312 W. Alabama St., Houston
346-320-2806
www.crafthousehtx.com
Hours: Sun.-Thu. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-midnight
