Vaunted New Orleans Celebrity Chef to Open a New Houston Restaurant

Another celebrity chef is extending his reach to Houston. Following much speculation, New Orleans-based (and James Beard award winner) John Besh has confirmed that his Besh Restaurant Group is heading West for its first-ever Houston concept.

Eunice, a “Cajun and Creole brasserie,” will open in the Greenway Plaza area at 3737 Buffalo Speedway.

Chef-partner Drake Leonards, who currently mans the stoves at Besh’s Franco-German eatery Lüke in New Orleans, will oversee Eunice’s kitchen. Drew Mire, who serves as operations director and general manager at Lüke, is coming to Houston as managing partner of the restaurant.

“We are thrilled to join the diverse culinary landscape of Houston and pay homage to the cuisine of both Eunice, my hometown, as well as New Orleans,” says Leonards. “We’ve been fans of Houston for a while, and honored to now have the opportunity to share our culture, which is as much about hospitality as it is about food.”

Besh’s rise to fame began with the opening of his first restaurant, New Orleans’ August, in 2001. Since then, the French-themed flagship has blossomed into 12 thriving restaurants across New Orleans, San Antonio and Baltimore, including Besh Steak, Italian eatery PIZZA Domenica, Southern-inspired bakery Willa Jean and Shaya (helmed by chef Alon Shaya), whose Israeli-influenced fare took home Best New Restaurant honors at this year’s James Beard award ceremony in May.

Eunice is scheduled to open in the Fall of 2017.