As a child growing up in Cy-Fair, Jason Howard said he would go into the city of Houston for fine dining options due to a lack of them in the area. Years later, he was able to bring his ideal restaurant close to home.
Howard opened Jaxton’s Bistro at the Boardwalk at Towne Lake in May 2016. The restaurant, named after Howard’s son, was designed to give Cy-Fair residents a new eatery that was convenient and upscale, he said.
Howard said he was inspired by the time he spent working at Tony’s, a high-end Italian restaurant in Houston’s inner loop.
“Having grown up in the fine dining industry, I would find myself always going back to town to go out to eat, to go to some cool hip spots in town,” Howard said. “Then, the Boardwalk began to come around … I checked it out, and it turned out that the vision lined up with the vision that I had.”
Jaxton’s menu is inspired by European cuisine and American food based on Howard’s personal background and restaurant experience.
“My mother is French, so I’m half-French, and French is actually my first language,” he said. “At Tony’s I learned, obviously, a ton about Italian cooking. I kind of wanted to combine those backgrounds.”
Howard said he aimed to create an atmosphere that was comfortable but elegant. A patio area offers lakeside seating and the inside of the restaurant has a focus on artistic design.
In an effort to adapt with customer feedback, Jaxton’s recently adjusted its hours, modified the menu and reduced the pricing of various menu items, Howard said.
“People were coming to us for their special occasions and their anniversaries and birthdays and their graduations, which is great. We love that,” he said. “We also want people to be comfortable enough here that they can drop in on a Tuesday night when they don’t feel like cooking and know that they can have a great experience.”
In the future, Howard said he plans to bring more live performances and add more options to the menu. He said he is open to suggestions from diners.
“Being a local, I consider Jaxton’s to be for the people, by the people,” he said.
9955 Barker Cypress Road, Ste. 104, Cypress
832-653-2297
www.jaxtonsbistro.com
Hours: Mon. 4-9 p.m., Tue.-Wed. 4-10 p.m., Thu. 4 p.m.-midnight, Fri. 11 a.m.-midnight, Sat. 10:30 a.m. midnight, Sun. 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m.
