Throughout the year, Community Impact has covered multiple local restaurants that serve unique, delicious food to their community. Here are all of the restaurants in the Heights, River Oaks and Montrose area that were profiled in 2022.

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