Hip Restaurants Invade Rice Village as the Shopping Mecca Undergoes a Dramatic Transformation: It’s Out With the Old (Pub) and In With New Gourmet Sandwiches, Salads and More

They say it takes a village to raise a child — and it may take Rice Village to raise your expectations for casual Houston eats. Rice Village is in the midst of a serious, multi-million dollar revamp, refining its restaurants and upping its offerings.

Recently, you saw cult burger classic Shake Shack roll right on in. You saw Hopdoddy Burger Bar, another patty paradise with a heavy fan following. Who could forget SusieCakes, the all-American, nothing-preservative bakery on Amherst? Then Steel City Pops came in this summer to round out the dessert angle with its chilly sweets on sticks.

But that was only the beginning. Now, tasty transplants from Dallas, Washington, D.C. and SoCal are on the way. Get ready to say hello to elevated wine bar Sixty Vines, salad extravaganza Sweetgreen and finally, Mendocino Farms, the shop taking what’s between the bread to the next level.

Dallas’ fave Sixty Vines gets kudos for its clever and almost casual set-up. It may sound sophisticated and it is in a way, but it also brings a fun format. The wine is on tap. And not just a house red and house white. You’ll find taps for Grenache, Syrah and everything in between.

It’s the way for everyone to get the exact glass they want, and at the exact right temperature. No more tableside fights will be triggered by having to choose between chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. Sixty Vines is big on lunch, brunch and dinner with shared plates, boards and pastas. It’s slated to open in late spring of 2019 at 2518 University.

The wine bar is moving into the space formerly occupied by a Gymboree. Expect some dramatic remodeling, with Sixty Vines emerging as a 9,000-square-foot, multi-level restaurant with a solid view of the Medical Center skyline.

Southern California charm is also headed straight to your Rice Village plate with the arrival of Mendocino Farms in 2019. The sandwiches are supposed to be a work of food art, with a set menu and seasonal ’wiches differing from location to location.

The menu may vary, but one thing’s for sure — you’ll get responsibly raised meat along with vegan and gluten-free options. That’s all thanks to Mendocino Farm’s artisanal partners providing local bread, salami and poultry.

To get a taste — the California Plaza Mendocino Farms branch has Pachamama Spanish Bocadillo with chorizo, goat cheese and Manchego spread and pickled tomato relish. You’ll find the Peruvian Steak Sandwich with spicy aji Amarillo marinated steak and Oaxacan cheese across many of the sandwich shops’ locations. Mendocino Farms will open at 5510 Morningside next year.

Sweetgreen is a fresh, fast casual spot known for its springy salads and hearty grain bowls. The chefs partner up with local farms to bring the best ingredients to the salads, whether that’s peaches, red peppers or watermelon.

The warm bowls pack even more oomph, with proteins like roasted chicken, sesame tofu, steelhead fish and grains like black lentils and organic wild rice.

If you’re more of an off-menu type, you can build your own bowl from the base up.

A Rice Village Goodbye

Sweetgreen comes at a cost, since it’s taking over an old business at 5555 Morningside. It’s see you soon, Sweetgreen, and so long to The Gorgeous Gael. The alliterative Irish pub shuttered just this past Sunday.

“It is with great sadness that we announce our closing to the community we’ve come to know and serve since 2014,” a Facebook post from the bar notes. “Our closing is due to unforeseen circumstances that were not within our influence or control.”

The Rice Village pub history stretches back further than four years, though. Older generations of Guinness fans and more veteran dart players will recall that the pub used to be Brian O’Neill’s, its identity for about two decades before 2014.

It’ll get a third life when it’s rebranded again as Hugh O’Connor’s as it moves into the Marq-E Entertainment Center off the Katy Freeway. Hugh O’Conner’s is expected to open late this month.

Rice Village is certainly changing. Even if people still haven’t completely embraced the metered parking (and free parking garage) switch. New restaurants are usually embraced with a little more gusto. This revamped Rice Village is certainly more foodie orientated.