New Live-Fire Steakhouse With an All-Star Team Of Houston Chefs Is Headed to Rice Village — Benjamin’s Is Coming

With a Barbecue Twist and Surf and Turf Like No Other

By Laurann Claridge // Nov 9, 2026

The team assembled to launch the new steakhouse Benjamin's in Rice Village. “With a space that’s held so much life over the past few years, and so much of the team having worked together over many months, Benjamin’s has the potential to feel like a very ‘lived-in’ new restaurant,” says owner Benjy Levit. (Photo by Jessie Mann)

Stylish restauranteur Benjy Levit and his talented partner Dylan Murray plan to open Benjamin’s, a new modern steakhouse in the space that used to be home to Benjy’s restaurant, in Rice Village this spring. That is the very spot where Levit’s illustrious restaurant career began.

Currently, the first outlet of Levitt and Murray wildly successful farm-to-table, fast-casual restaurant chain Local Foods resides on the bottom floor of what will be transformed into Benjamin’s. While the the second floor is home to Milton’s, their American trattoria, and Lee’s, its Italian-slanting companion bar.

Local Foods Group’s team of power players working the front and back of the house will contribute to Benjamin’s under the direction of Levit and culinary and creative director Seth Siegel-Gardner, alongside the recently-hired Ryan Lachaine (the former chef/owner of the recently shuttered and adored Riel restaurant) who will serve as the executive chef of Benjamin’s.

The steakhouse spin of this Houston restaurant means live-fire cooking coupled with the barbecue expertise of Siegel-Gardner and his colleague, sous-chef Andy Thompson, who spent time tending the smokers at Truth BBQ. A Mill Scale Metalworks grill will serve as the heart of Benjamin’s kitchen, where fresh takes on favorites — think surf and turf composed of Denver steak Milanese with uni and lobster bucatini and steak au poivre. That’d be a 20-ounce huitlacoche-rubbed dry-aged Flannery ribeye with truffle au poivre sauce.

Classic steakhouse sides made modern will include creamed spinach gnudi with bone marrow vinaigrette and smoked schmaltz French fries with crown-dill ranch. While sweet endings will include a hearth-roasted chocolate soufflé with caramelized banana ice cream.

Real Houston Restaurant History

Benjy’s opened in 1995, back when President Bill Clinton was ensconced in the White House, AOL brought us onto the World Wide Web, OJ Simpson stood on trial for a double murder and Clueless played in movie theaters. But Benjy and his team — celebrating 31 years in the competitive and often unforgiving restaurant business — credit their longevity to their ability to stay relevant, timely, hyper aware of culinary trends and to quickly evolve as the tastes of Houston diners do.

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To date Local Foods Group has racked up some significant national recognition including a Michelin Guide Texas Bib Gourmand nod in 2025 for Maximo’s. Bon Appétit Magazine named Lee’s one of the country’s nine best new bars in 2026. And both Milton’s and Lee’s earned James Beard Award Semifinalist honors in 2026 (Lee’s for Best New Bar, and Milton’s culinary duo Siegel-Gardner and Kent Domas for Best Chef: Texas).

Benjamin’s will be the group’s 11th restaurant.