Tex-Mex Stalwart Spanish Village Will Permanently Close After Nearly 70 Years

Welcome to AM Intel, a (mostly) daily round-up of Houston’s hottest bits of dining intel.

Trying to stay on top of Space City’s endlessly vibrant dining scene? Keep up with the hottest new openings, essential eateries, and more by subscribing to the Eater Houston newsletter, and following us on Twitter and Facebook.

Spanish Village will permanently close this week after almost 70 years

Spanish Village, the Almeda Road Tex-Mex restaurant that’s been open since 1953, will close for good on Saturday, July 17. Owner Abhi Sreerama made the announcement in a Facebook post last week, citing a variety of issues, including the age of the building that houses the restaurant.

For nearly 70 decades, the restaurant was one of Houston’s best-loved Tex-Mex spots, known for its margaritas, egg-topped enchiladas, and a vegan menu created by Sreerama’s wife, chef Ishita Chakravarty. Sreerama bought the restaurant in 2018 from longtime owner John Medina.

In the Facebook post, Sreerama wrote that he has set up a GoFundMe to help support the restaurant’s staff. He also wrote that he is in discussion with a handful of potential buyers who might keep the Spanish Village name and recipes alive. Until then, the restaurant is open for reservations-only dining through July 17.

Harris County General Store BBQ reopens this week in EaDo

Barbecue restaurant Harris County General Store, which used to be nestled under the railroad overpass at Navigation Avenue, was only open for a year, in 2018. But in that time, the relatively hidden restaurant garnered a loyal following of meat lovers, thanks to owner Daniel Hinojosa’s expertly-smoked ribs, sausage and brisket. Now, the restaurant is set to reopen, in a bigger location that will hopefully also be more visible to passers-by.

Harris County General Store BBQ will celebrate its grand re-opening at 5434 Lawndale Street, starting at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 14. The new restaurant boasts 3,280 square feet of indoor dining, a massive back yard, and a revamped menu that Hinojosa has honed at pop-ups and festivals over the past few years.

Diners can expect Central Texas-style barbecue dishes like beef brisket, pork spare ribs, and house-made sausage, plus pork belly, tamales, broccoli cheese rice, elote, and more. Check out the full menu at hcgsbbq.com.

Palace Social brings burgers, bowling and more to Bellaire

One of Houston’s most iconic bowling alleys, Palace Bowling Lanes on Bellaire Boulevard, has been reimagined for the 21st Century. The revamped entertainment center, now called Palace Social, opens today, July 12, complete with 8 bowling lanes, a 159-seat open area restaurant and lounge, a 3,900-square-foot arcade, two multi-sport simulators from Full Swing Golf, an e-sport lounge, and a whole host of other amenities and entertainment features.

The restaurant serves up Southern-inspired dishes created by Ryan Hildebrand, formerly of Triniti and FM Kitchen, with a beer, cocktail and wine list developed by Jennifer Caldwell of Goodnight Charlie’s. The restaurant is currently open for dinner, and will eventually serve lunch and brunch as well.

Palace Lanes first opened on 4191 Bellaire Boulevard in 1955. It closed in 2016.