It’s become all too easy to focus on the new and latest Houston restaurants to open and the up-and-coming chefs who lead them. But with all the buzz that goes with a splashy debut, we often overlook those tried-and-true restaurants that, in some cases, have been around for decades, even passing from one generation to the next.
Preservation Houston, the nonprofit established in 1978 whose mission is to protect the Bayou City’s landmarks and strengthen policies to preserve them, is celebrating 28 of those stalwarts who have contributed to the Bayou City’s culinary landscape. This April 14, they will officially celebrate the inaugural class of Legacy Restaurants in its Savoring History Program, designating five Houston restaurants whose stories illustrate particular aspects of the city’s dining heritage, from family continuity to cultural influence.
“This program celebrates restaurants that have helped define Houston’s identity,” Preservation Houston executive director Jennifer Kapral says. “These establishments are more than businesses. They are cultural anchors where memories are made, traditions are sustained and neighborhoods find their heart.”
The late, gracious gourmand Jackson Hicks, known affectionately as The Prince of Parties, was a nationally known Houston-based tastemaker who established his eponymous special events and catering firm Jackson and Company. He bequeathed the funds that make this Houston legacy restaurant program possible.
The top honor, dubbed The Jackson Hicks Legacy Restaurant of the Year, goes to Niko Niko’s Greek and American Cafe (2520 Montrose). Founded by Greek immigrants Eleni and Chrysanthos Fetokakis in 1977, Niko Niko’s started as a modest Montrose restaurant built from necessity and much determination.
Nearly 50 years later, it remains one of the few family-owned businesses to have watched the neighborhood transform around it.
The Fetokakis’s son Dimitri bears the torch today, carrying on his parents’ legacy and expanding upon it. He maintains the median in front of the restaurant, tends the nearby bus stop, and places a Christmas tree in Lamar Park each year in memory of his father. What began as a personal tribute has become a community tradition, with neighbors decorating the tree together.
Earning the Family Legacy mantle is Molina’s Cantina (7901 Westheimer Road). Founded in 1929, it’s recognized as Houston’s oldest family-owned and operated Tex-Mex restaurant, reflecting nearly a century of continuous family stewardship. From Raul Molina Sr.’s early days starting as a dishwasher to his present-day leadership, ushering in the third generation of family into the business, Raul III, Ricardo and Roberto Molina, the restaurant’s story mirrors the evolution of Tex-Mex food itself.
There’s no denying that the Community Impact award is aptly given to Kenny and Ziggy’s New York Delicatessen (1743 Post Oak Boulevard). The bustling 25-year-old Uptown deli is owned by the recognizable restaurateur Ziggy Gruber, whose deli lineage goes back three generations. Gruber has been particularly pivotal in preserving the Jewish delicatessen culture in Houston.
Cited for its Cultural Impact, China Garden Restaurant (1602 Leeland Street) can claim bragging rights as the city’s oldest Chinese restaurant. Established in 1969 by David and Marian Jue, China Garden introduced generations of Houstonians to Chinese-American food, all while serving as a welcoming spot for the city’s East Asian community.
The dining room — filled with traditional art, family photographs and vintage menus — remains intentionally unchanged. It represent a fixed point in a city defined by constant reinvention.
Finally, the designation of Historic Stewardship has been granted to Brasil (2604 Dunlavy Street). Long before many of us used the term barista, they were brewing specialty coffee drinks that had Houstonians hooked. Housed in a historic building constructed in 1930, Brasil represents both culinary innovation and architectural preservation.
Brasil has demonstrated how restaurants can steward not only flavors and traditions, but physical spaces that define a neighborhood’s character.
In addition to the special honors noted, Preservation Houston has recognized 23 additional restaurants across Houston as part of its inaugural Legacy Restaurant class.
The list includes:
— Abdallah’s Lebanese Cafe
— the breakfast klub
— Bubba’s Texas Burger Shack
— Cafe Piquet Cuban Cuisine
— Champ Burger
— Christie’s Seafood & Steaks
— Cream Burger
— El Patio
— French Gourmet Bakery
— The Hobbit Cafe
— House of Pies
— Kiran’s
— La Guadalupana Bakery & Cafe
— Lankford’s
— Mandola’s Deli
— Merida Restaurant
— Pizzitola’s Heritage BBQ
— The Raven Grill
— Rudyard’s British Pub
— Stanton’s City Bites
— Tacos A Go Go
— Treebeards
— Zydeco Louisiana Diner