Red Ox Bar & Grill, from Longtime Houston Restauranteurs, Is Closing

Near Northside favorite Red Ox Bar & Grill is closing its doors on April 15, reports Culture Map Houston. Red Ox opened three years ago, the brainchild of restauranteurs Lily Hernandez and Terry Flores, who have two decades of experience in the Houston scene.

CMH reports that the Red Ox space has been leased to Leo Coronel, owner of the Italian Cafe. This new locale will be “Rocco’s,” serving Italian-American standards — pizza, pasta, some salads — in what Coronel describes as a “wine bar atmosphere.”

Hernandez and Flores tell CMH that they had prepared to step away from the food scene after the 2013 closing of their previous restaurant, Bocados, and leasing the space to The Brick and Spoon (though the spot is now occupied by Good Dog Houston.) Then the opportunity arose to open a new spot in near Northside — the neighborhood where Flores grew up — and it was too good to pass up.

The duo say it’s time for a break from restaurant-running — Flores sees plenty of travel in her near future. That said, the two still own property that houses industry spots — including D&T Drive Inn — and haven’t completely ruled out a return to service.