Chef Chris Williams says there’s a difference between opening a restaurant and “turning it on.”

The James Beard Award finalist, known for his soulful mainstay Lucille’s, made another mark on the restaurant scene in March 2024, after opening Late August in Midtown’s multiuse space, the Ion. Drawing from his travels, childhood, and experience as a chef, the Afro-Mexican restaurant builds on Williams’s personal exploration of West African influence on the cuisine of Southern Mexico. And in November, just several months after opening, the inaugural Texas Michelin Guide recognized Late August as one of its “Recommended” restaurants. 

Still, Williams knew, even after more than four years of planning, Late August wasn’t living up to its full potential. He wanted to kick things up a notch—to fully “turn it on” and show the restaurant in his fully realized vision. 

Williams and his staff set out to learn more about the Ion building, observing how it functions day-to-day. That led Williams to realize the changes he wanted to see, and nearly a year later, this past September, typically one of the worst and slowest months for the dining scene, Williams redesigned the interiors and reworked the entire menu.

“We wanted to shrink it, make it more intimate, and we wanted to extend the experience, as opposed to being a very transactional [experience of] ‘here's your appetizer, here's your entree, here's your dessert piece’,” Williams says. “I just want to lean into making a space that was conducive to what I like, which is to sit and try a little bit of everything and hopefully enjoy the company that I'm with.”

Late August debuted its new look on September 17, with a renovated dining room and lounge area featuring three distinct experiences: a tasting menu with seven to nine courses, a cocktail lounge that serves the entire a la carte menu, and a private dining room that offers family-style dishes. 

The restaurant still caters to the Ion community and its tenants, many of whom are entrepreneurial from the tech and corporate worlds. But when crafting each dish, Williams and his team focused on their mission to showcase Afro-Mexican interpretations. Take the gumbo, for example: Williams replaces the traditional okra with nopales and adds chorizo to pay homage to the Mexican cuisine. Other highlights include mustard green memelitas, and the ultimate Afro-Mex dish: pork carnitas served with refried black-eyed peas and piri-piri. Newer interpretations include the Baby Escovitch, a market fish plated with pickled farm vegetables and habanero vinegar. Lunch, served from 11am to 3pm, promises other fun fusions, including oysters dressed with a mole crunch, beef chorizo smashburgers, fried chicken, and tender rib tacos with homemade corn tortillas. All a la carte items are also featured on the snack menu, meaning diners can enjoy all of the dishes no matter where they sit.

The tasting menu, which has percolated in Williams’s mind for months, is another addition. Given that the Ion district is a transient part of town, the chef said it’s been essential to incorporate some education to remind people of Late August’s mission and how to access it. “[We thought] if it’s gonna be a slower pace, then let’s go ahead and deepen the experience with the guests that we’re blessed to have,” Williams says. “We want to do a tasting menu that is approachable. We're not trying to push people too far. We want them to see themselves in the food.” 

Executive chef Sergio Hidalgo, the longtime protégé of Pappas Restaurants chef and Ninfa’s alum Alex Padilla, leads the $95 tasting menu, crafting plates driven mainly by the produce from Lucille’s 1913’s garden in Kendleton, Texas (Williams launched the farm as a part of his collective, which focuses on fighting food insecurity and waste). While Hidalgo doesn’t want to reveal too much, diners can expect a progression of bold flavors. There’s tuna agua chile and a banana-pudding-stuffed churro.  “We purposefully, on the tasting menu side, try to reel it in and then open up the palate,” Hidalgo says.

Featured beverages and wine pairings, starting at $55, showcase wines from Black, Brown, and female winemakers who use organic and sustainable practices, and pastries like red velvet tres leches, a rich abuelita lava cake, and peanut butter chocolate entremets from chef Jennifer Parson, a relative of Williams who recently spent three years harnessing her craft in Taiwan. 

For the design, Williams leaned into what he gravitates towards as a diner and emulated it in his own space. Taking on the role of designer and builder was “terrifying,” he says. “But with that first slam of a hammer to break up that banquette, once we committed to that, we knew that it was on.”

The front space of Late August now focuses on the dining experience, while the back bar area now features a lavish but laid-back lounge area, outfitted with couches and small tables, ideal for diners looking for a relaxed place to dine and enjoy a cocktail menu that Williams says was an all-hands-on deck situation. “There is no one person who’s responsible for making the cocktails and coming up with the recipes,” Williams says. “Everybody had the opportunity to share their voice and their perspectives.” 

The result is a refreshed menu featuring four new drinks, including the Healer, a green juice mixed with cucumber, jalapeño-infused tequila, and spiced agave; the Impala (vodka, Chambord, coconut cream, orgeat, and grenadine); the mezcal-based Together in Spirit, made with citrus and agave; and the white rum-fueled Curandero, featuring smoked paprika. Several originals make a comeback, including the avocado sour, made with mezcal and green chartreuse, and clarified sips such as pomegranate margaritas and old-fashioneds. 

Late August isn’t the only restaurant to recently undergo a revamp. Truluck’s Ocean’s Finest Seafood and Crab recently reopened in Uptown after a multi-million-dollar renovation.  The 33-year-old restaurant glamorized its interior to make diners feel as if they’re walking into the Mediterranean, complete with olive trees, piano-key tile floors, marble-inspired finishes, leather booths, and a refreshed bar area.

Also new to Truluck’s is a semi-private dining space with seating for up to 56 diners, plus the introduction of sushi and the option for full or half-portion entrees and desserts. Overall, the seafood establishment stays true to its roots, serving up signatures like its Florida stone crab that’s now in season again, South African cold-water lobster, and hand-cut steaks. 

“We wanted to preserve the soul of Truluck’s while creating an experience that resonates with longtime guests and appeals to a new generation and our upscale Uptown neighborhood that draws residents and visitors from around the world,” Dave Mattern, partner and beverage director of Truluck’s, said in a written statement. 

“This renovation is more than a facelift—it’s a rebirth.”