You’ve seen the bumper stickers from Texas transplants: “I wasn’t born in Texas, but I got here as fast as I could.” 

In the Spring Branch Management District, a parallel saying comes from Houston restaurant owners who didn’t open their first locations in the neighborhood but have now chosen the booming District as the ideal location to open new operations. The area is attracting foodies from all ages and walks of life who want to diversify their dining experiences.

The Blind Goat is one of the area’s newest establishments that’s delighting the palates of restaurant goers.  

Fanfare from the news media and foodies surrounded the opening of celebrity chef Christina Ha’s Spring Branch District outpost of her restaurant, The Blind Goat. Ha first opened The Blind Goat in 2019 at a downtown food court.

After moving into a Spring Branch home, Ha and her husband, John Suh, decided it was the perfect spot for not just a new The Blind Goat, but also a second eatery, The Stuffed Belly, a free-standing gourmet sandwich shop.

“I … foresee Spring Branch to have a lot of growth potential in the next five to 10 years,” Ha said. “Many people I know have moved from inside the 610 Loop to Spring Branch, and we have a lot of friends who were already living here or who moved into the area shortly after we did.”

The Blind Goat opened in late February at the Spring Branch Village shopping center and features a variety of delightful menu items such as Green Papaya Salad, Bánh Mì, G.O.A.T. Curry, Texas BBQ Brisket Fried Rice.

Other eateries have found success after debuting in other parts of town.

Feges BBQ, which began at Greenway Plaza, opened a second location in Spring Branch in 2021 — the year it was named among Texas Monthly's “50 Best BBQ Joints in Texas.” The restaurant is also active in cooking for local festivals and events and is committed to giving back to the community, recently offering a ‘kids eat free’ night and a ‘veterans eat free’ afternoon.

Spring Branch Village features Cosmic Ice Cream, which opened its original location in Webster, Texas. For wine and coffee enthusiasts, a branch of Houston’s local, quirky coffee and wine bar, Slowpokes welcomes people to sit back and savor. Award-winning JINYA Ramen Bar recently opened there, too.

Alli Jarrett, owner of Harold’s in the Houston Heights eatery and the Texas Restaurant Association’s 2022 Outstanding Restaurateur of the Year, opened Low Tide Kitchen & Bar last year at 2030A Bingle Rd. She had first brought the Low Tide concept to a downtown food court.

Jarrett said she saw a demand for more restaurants in the Spring Branch community not only as places for people to eat and make memories but also to create jobs.

“I’m bullish on the neighborhood and . . . I want Low Tide to be a part of a growing Spring Branch community and become a part of its fabric,” she said.

Remember Spaghetti Warehouse? The iconic restaurant opened downtown in 1972 and closed due to flooding from Hurricane Harvey. 

The owners have brought their heavily revised concept to the Spring Branch District in 2019. Reborn as Warehouse 72, the restaurant is at the Marq’E Entertainment Center, 7620 Katy Freeway, and features colorful murals of women from the Houston area, and has a bar program, complete with cocktails, sangria, premium Italian wines and local and national beers.

Berg Hospitality Group moved its corporate offices to the Spring Branch District in May 2020 and later opened NoPo Café, Market & Bar next door.

The business also runs B&B Butchers & Restaurant in Houston and Fort Worth; B.B. Lemon, B.B. Italia Kitchen & Bar, The Annie Café & Bar, Turner’s and Trattoria Sofia here.

NoPo’s location “really is an ideal, central location that is affordable and very easy to get to with its close proximity to the Heights and the Galleria area,” said group owner and founder Benjamin Berg.

So, what are you waiting for? Your next culinary adventure awaits. Whether you're drawn in by one-of-a-kind dishes and flavors or the uniqueness of Texas culture and people, plan to enjoy them in the Spring Branch foodie scene as soon as you can!