Mark’s American Cuisine In Montrose Will Shutter After Nearly 19 Years

At the end of this month, Montrose will lose one of its longest standing restaurants. After nearly 19 years of serving up fine dining fare in a remodeled 1920s church, Chef Mark Cox has decided to shutter Mark’s American Cuisine on Westheimer.

The Houston Chronicle reports that Mark’s American Cuisine will serve its last meal on May 29th. After the closure, the building will be converted into a space for private events.

"It was a tough decision," said Cox. “But I'm proud to say we accomplished everything we set out to do with this restaurant. Mark's has received many honors and it has many fans, but the restaurant business is always changing, going in new directions.”

In this case, that direction appears to be the opposite of fine dining. The new trend – casual eateries offering upscale fare – can be seen across the country, and Houston is no exception. Even critically acclaimed establishments like Justin Yu’s Oxheart have ditched the white tablecloths in favor of a renewed focus on casual service.

Fortunately, it appears that this isn’t the last that Houston has seen of Chef Mark Cox. With his newfound free time, Cox plans to work on new restaurant concepts that can work in the space that currently houses Mark’s American Cuisine.