Back in early 2020, Eater reported that award-winning Houston chef Hugo Ortega was working on a brand new Mexican restaurant. Now, we’ve finally got more details on what exactly the forthcoming spot will look like.
Details about the restaurant, which will open in Uptown Park, have been scant to date, but a recent post to Urbe’s fledgling Facebook page provides a little bit more insight into this restaurant that will focus on the iconic street foods of Mexico. The name Urbe, or “city,” refers both to the cities of Mexico, “where street food plays such an integral part,” and to Ortega’s adopted hometown of Houston.
“Back in 2012, Chefs Hugo Ortega and Ruben Ortega wrote our cookbook on Mexican street food after traveling throughout their homeland of Mexico,” the post reads. “We all agreed that opening a casual street food concept felt like the obvious next step, but the actual next steps were opening Caracol, a Coastal Mexican Kitchen, in 2013 and Xochi, celebrating the food and culture of Oaxaca, in 2017, but we never forgot our desire to open a street food concept.”
An update posted to Uptown Park’s website indicates that it will be an all-day eatery, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus a case packed with pastries, a full bar and coffee menu, and a “robust to-go program.” Hashtags on the original Facebook post offer a touch more insight into the dishes one might expect — including “trompo” and “barbacoa.”
Ortega’s H-Town Restaurant Group, which he operates with wife and fellow restaurateur Travy Vaught, has not yet announced an opening date for Urbe. Stay tuned for more details.