A powerful line of severe thunderstorms swept through southeastern Texas and Louisiana on Thursday evening, causing the deaths of at least four people, and leaving more than 800,000 Houstonians without power and electricity. The storm battered the Houston metropolitan area, and winds reported as high as 78 mph damaged local businesses, shattered windows in high-rise buildings, and toppled transmission towers that hold power lines — leaving numerous Houstonians without power for over 12 hours.
As city workers work to clean roads and highways, The Harris County Sheriff’s Office and National Weather Service encouraged everyone to stay off the roads. The Houston Independent School District (HISD) canceled classes for the day, and many businesses are also weathering the impact. Some restaurants and bars are facing extensive damage, and many restaurants have announced closures on Friday due to ongoing power outages. Some Houston chefs are providing hot meals to those in need as the city recovers from the storm.
As locals wait to regain power, Eater Houston will be tracking the establishments that have closed for the day, restaurants that are still open for business, and restaurants that have suffered extensive damage from the storm. We’ll also update this story with information on any food service and donation efforts to support those in need of hot food and services. Check back to this space for more information as it becomes available.
Who’s Helping
- Bar Bludorn, which is closed for dinner service due to power outages, will host a parking lot cookout on Saturday, May 18. The cookout will begin at 3 p.m. and will continue until food is sold out. The restaurant is accepting donations.
- On Saturday, the Spring Branch location of Underbelly Burger is offering free burgers to those in need of a hot meal. The power is out — so the team will cook from a grill trailer in the front of the restaurant. There’s a limit of one free burger per person; burgers are free, or customers may pay what they can afford with cash or through Venmo. The shop will sell burgers beginning at 12 p.m. until food is out.
- The Southern Smoke Foundation is offering assistance to food and hospitality workers and is accepting donations to support industry workers impacted by the storms.
![What’s Open and What’s Closed in Houston After Severe Storms (1) What’s Open and What’s Closed in Houston After Severe Storms (1)](https://i0.wp.com/cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4_I30UnyyiRd5x_dC6OzW3go8Ls=/0x0:3024x4032/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:3024x4032):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25453218/Underbelly_Burger_Offering_Free_Burgers_Houstonians_In_Need_.jpg)
- On Friday, chef Evelyn Garcia of Jūn shared in an Instagram post that the Heights restaurant lost power, but she and her team had food and gas to cook with. The chef served hot meals on Friday afternoon, and is accepting virtual donations.
- On Friday, Erin Feges announced that the Spring Branch location of Feges BBQ lost power, but the team fired up the smoker and served free hot meals to the community.
Who’s Open
These restaurants have announced that they will be open for regular business hours
- Kolache Shoppe — All locations are open.
- Brennan’s of Houston — Brennan’s of Houston is open during its regular hours on Friday.
- Belly of the Beast — The restaurant will be open for dinner from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday.
- Spanish Flowers Mexican Restaurant — The Durham and North Freeway locations are open.
- La Mexicana — The restaurant announced that it’s open with power and a full bar.
- Taste Kitchen and Bar — The restaurant is open during its regular hours on Friday.
- Trash Panda Drinking Club — The bar will open at 4 p.m. on Friday.
- Dish Society — The West University and Katy locations are open on Friday.
- Duck N Bao — The Memorial location is open on Friday.
- Hongdae 33 (Chinatown) — Open on Friday.
- Bagel Shop Bakery — Open on Friday.
- New York Deli — Open on Friday.
- Hugo’s — Open on Friday.
- Caracol — Open on Friday.
- Xochi — Open on Friday.
- Pizaro’s — The Montrose location is open on Friday.
- The Original Ninfa’s Uptown — Open on Friday.
- Willie’s Grill and Icehouse — All locations, except Copperfield and Barker Cypress, are open on Friday.
- Molina’s Cantina — All locations are open on Friday.
- 8th Wonder Brewery — Open on Friday.
- Gatlin’s Fins and Feathers — Open with a full menu.
- Axelrad — Open on Friday.
- Buc-ee’s — All locations are open on Friday.
- Backstreet Cafe — Open on Friday.
- URBE — Open on Friday.
- Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen — The Elridge location is open on Friday.
- Etoile Cuisine et Bar — Following a power outage on Thursday night during the storm, the restaurant is open for lunch and dinner on Friday.
- State of Grace — Open on Friday.
- Kokoro — Open on Friday.
- Little Rey — Open on Friday.
- Cocody Restaurant & Bar — Open on Friday.
- il Bracco — Open on Friday.
- Doris Metropolitan — Open on Friday.
- Phat Eatery — Open on Friday.
- Christian’s Tailgate — Open on Friday.
- Slowpokes — The Levy Park and West University locations are open on Friday. Both locations offer WiFi, coffee, food, and cell phone charging stations.
- Lucille’s — The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner on Friday.
- Paradigm Brewing — The brewery is open and has available WiFi.
- Field & Tides — Open on Friday.
- Angel Share Houston - The bar is open on Friday and will offer ice, water, food, beer, and bar games. The bar has air conditioning, and visitors may charge their phones.
- Comfort Foodies — The restaurant is open on Friday and will offer meals at a reduced price of $9.95 from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- Betelgeuse Betelgeuse — The Montrose location is open on Friday.
- Catbirds — Catbirds is open on Friday.
- Late August — Open on Friday.
- Auden — The restaurant is open for dinner on Friday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- Cafe Piquet Cuban Cuisine — Open on Friday.
- Dandelion Cafe — The Bellaire location is open regular hours.
- NettBar Shady Acres — Open on Friday with full kitchen, bar, and air conditioning.
- Flora — Open on Friday.
- Artisans — Open on Friday.
- Platypus Brewing Houston — Open on Friday.
- Georgia James — Open for dinner service, 5 p.m. – 11 p.m.
- Gotti’s — Open on Friday.
- Creole Kitchen and Daiquiris — Open on Friday.
- The Savoy — The bar and grill is open on Friday with charging stations and cold brew on tap. The Savoy will open early at 2 p.m., and happy hour is extended through 10 p.m.
- Amrina — Open on Friday.
- HandleBar — Open on Friday.
- d’Alba — Open on Friday with limited capacity and limited staff.
- Burger Joint — The Heights location is without power, but a food truck stationed in the parking lot will offer a limited menu
- The Toasted Coconut — The restaurant and hidden bar, Quiote, are open on Friday.
- Nobie’s — Open on Friday.
- Red Lion British Pub — Open on Friday.
- Grand Prize Bar — Open on Friday.
- Truck Yard — Open on Friday.
- Brasserie 19 — Open on Friday.
- Common Bond Bistro & Bakery — The Montrose and City Place locations are open on Friday.
- El Bolillo Bakery — The Mission Bend, Pasadena, and Airline locations are open on Friday.
- Liberty Kitchen — The River Oaks location is open on Friday.
- Lyric Market — Open on Friday.
- Reel Luxury Cinemas — Open on Friday.
- Star Cinema Grill — The City Centre, Richmond, and Spring, Baybrook, Missouri City locations are open on Friday.
- State Fare — All locations are open on Friday.
- The Audrey — Open on Friday.
- Reserve 101 — Open on Friday.
- Equal Parts Brewing — The taproom is open on Friday.
- Potente — Open on Friday.
- The Upside Pub — The pub doesn’t have power but does have beer and wine on ice, plus mixed drinks.
- Porta’Vino — The Woodlands location is open on Friday.
- Koffeteria — The bakery is open on Friday.
- Burger Chan — While the burger shop suffered damage from the storm, it opened on Friday for lunch service.
- Mimo — The restaurant is open for dinner on Friday.
- Cochinita & co. — The restaurant is open on Saturday.
- Hamsa — The restaurant opened on Saturday.
- Eugene’s — Opened on Friday.
- Leighton’s — Opened on Friday.
- Raja Sweets — Opened on Friday.
- Puttery — Opened on Friday.
- Reset — Opened on Friday.
- Burger Bodega — Opened on Friday.
- Milk + Sugar — Opened on Friday.
- Comalito — Opened on Saturday.
- Houston Farmers Market — Opened on Saturday.
- Urban Harvest Houston — Joseph Boudreaux and chef Dominick Lee prepared breakfast sandwiches and pies on Saturday.
- Theodore Rex — Opened on Friday.
- Craft Pita — The West University location opened on Friday.
- 1891 American Eatery & Bar — Opened on Saturday.
- Sunday Press — The Hermann Park location is open and is offering free hot sandwiches and drip coffee.
- Nancy’s Hustle — Nancy’s Hustle will be open for dinner service on Saturday, 5 p.m. – 11 p.m.
- Henderson & Kane — Henderson & Kane will start serving a limited menu on Saturday at 12 p.m. The restaurant still has no power, but will serve ribs, pulled pork, sausage, turkey, and accompaniments until food is sold out.
- Backstreet Cafe — The restaurant is open.
- Navy Blue — The restaurant will open for dinner service on Saturday.
- Elro — The restaurant is open during its regular hours.
- Graffiti Raw — Opened on Saturday.
- M-K-T Heights — The property opened on Sunday.
- Blood Bros. — The restaurant opened on Sunday with a limited menu.
- Fluff Bake Bar — The bakery opened on Sunday.
- Rosie Canonball — The restaurant is open.
- Bludorn — The restaurant opened on Saturday.
- Gratify — The restaurant opened on Saturday.
- Saint Arnold Brewing — The brewery is open.
- Coltivare — The restaurant opened on Saturday.
- Pearl Bar — The bar opened on Saturday.
- Brass Tacks | Coffee + Bar — Brass Tracks will reopen on Monday after experiencing damage related to the severe storms.
- Rice Village Farmer’s Market — B’tween Sandwich Co.’s Michelle Wallace will sell breakfast and lunch sandwiches, including egg and cheese, and smoked lobster tail with Cajun butter.
- Gatlin’s Barbecue — The restaurant opened on Saturday.
- a’Bouzy Restaurant — The restaurant opened.
- Dough Zone Dumpling House — The Midtown location is open.
Who’s Closed
The following restaurants have announced closures due to the local storms and associated power outages
- Street to Kitchen — The restaurant is closed on Friday.
- Pappadeaux — The chain announced that many of its locations are closed due to power outages. Information is available on its website.
- Goode Co. Kitchen and Cantina — The Memorial and Heights locations are closed for lunch on Friday.
- Kenny & Ziggy’s — The deli is closed until further notice.
- The Blind Goat — The restaurant is closed without power until further notice.
- Stuffed Belly — The restaurant is closed without power until further notice.
- Gristworkz — The brewery is closed on Friday and until further notice.
- Duck N Bao — The Cypress location is closed on Friday.
- Dish Society — The Heights and Memorial locations are closed on Friday.
- The Original Ninfa’s on Navigation — The Navigation location is closed until further notice.
- Rainbow Lodge — The restaurant is closed until power returns.
- Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen — The Woodway location is closed until power returns.
- Balboa Surf Club — The restaurant is closed on Friday.
- Hungry’s — Both locations are closed on Friday.
- La Lucha — Closed until power is restored.
- Tatemó — Closed until power is restored.
- Superica — Closed until power is restored.
- The Warwick — The restaurant is closed on Friday.
- Xin Chào — The restaurant is closed on Friday.
- Be More Pacific — The restaurant is closed until further notice.
- Dandelion Cafe — The Rice location is closed and will reopen on Monday.
- EaDough Bakery — Closed on Friday without power; expects to open tomorrow at 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- 93’ Til — The restaurant is closed until further notice.
- Squable — The restaurant is closed without power on Friday.
- Better Luck Tomorrow — The restaurant is closed without power.
- Skokku Ramen — The restaurant is temporarily closed.
- Porta’Vino — The Heights location is closed without power.
- Ema — The restaurant is closed without power.
- Badolina Bakery & Cafe — The restaurant is temporarily closed.
- Bar Bludorn — Closed on Friday due to power outages.
- Craft Pita — The Briar Grove location is closed due to power outages.
- Baso — The restaurant is closed without power.
- Monkey’s Tail — The bar is closed without power.
- Wild Oats — The restaurant is temporarily closed.
This story has been updated to include additional information about restaurants, and local efforts to support those in need of food services.