Looks like 13 Houston area restaurants were added to the Texas Michelin Guide. No new stars for Houston, however.

Our Gulf reporter Chris Gray spoke to some folks in the Galveston business community who were feeling strain amid a rash of closures and movements (article is free!).

The city council in Oklahoma City will discuss a project agreement this week to revamp an intersection off I-40 to eventually make room for a new Buc-ee's. It would be the first Buc-ee's in Oklahoma.

Looks like Truth BBQ may be starting expansion outside Texas. On Thursday, a Charleston city committee heard plans for a Truth BBQ to renovate an old restaurant space in the city.

KAMP is closed. ALife Hospitality Group announced Sunday that after six years, the popular restuarant and club spot in Uptown is done.

Neighbors were complaining about loud music/noise, specifically late into the night and early morning hours, along with parking issues. The city had been on them previously, too, for safety concerns.

This has been making the rounds. Tough news.

Always liked the ribs here. Fried chicken was pretty good, too. First time I went in there it felt like one of the old New Jersey/Philly diners I used to go to as a kid. Was like stepping into a time machine.

This Progress Pride flag mural had been up at UT Dallas for more than three years.

Last week, Libs of TikTok posted a photo of the mural wondering why it was still up after SB 17. A Republican state rep. called it out on Twitter. A day after that, students said the mural was painted over.

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Full story:

Students at the University of Texas at Dallas in Richardson were shocked this weekend to learn that a notable Pride flag mural inside one of the school's student centers had been suddenly removed. Now, many are wondering whether it happened because right-wing media and politicians had called attention to it.

In December 2022, UT Dallas Student Affairs installed a Progress Pride flag mural on the second floor of the school's Student Services Building Addition (SSA). At the time, UT Dallas Vice President of Student Affairs Gene Fitch touted the mural, which featured stripes representing Black, Brown and Transgender individuals, along with a purple circle symbolizing intersex individuals. Below the flag was a UTD text logo and a message from Student Affairs: "You Belong Here."

"I hope you appreciate this symbol of welcome to ALL who engage with Student Affairs and with UTD!" Fitch wrote on Instagram in December 2022. "We want you to know You Belong Here."

The flag mural had remained inside the SSA for the last three years and change, but by July 3, students noticed the mural was gone; in its place was white and gray paint. The independent student newspaper at UT Dallas, the Retrograde, broke the news of the mural's removal, and students responded angrily on Reddit.

The Retrograde reported that the mural removal could be tied to UTD Student Government's proposed changes to the SSA's second floor. Student Government had announced a call for proposals on Instagram in April.

But the timing of the mural's removal was curious to others because the popular far-right social media account Libs of TikTok featured it in a post on June 29.

"Welcome to UT Dallas. This is what greets you at the student services building," read Libs of TikTok's post. "Is this is a violation of SB17 Greg Abbott??" 

Texas Senate Bill 17, which took effect Sept. 1, 2025, prohibits universities from, according to the University of Texas at Austin's Risk and Compliance Services office, "treating individuals differently or providing special benefits based on protected characteristics." It also prohibits universities from using state-appropriated funds to support programs that promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) practices.

The Mercury, a student newspaper at UT Dallas with university oversight, reported on the mural's removal, adding that master's student David Blackman II claimed he had sent photos of the mural to Libs of TikTok. Blackman told the Mercury he had "no issues with there being a mural, but it cannot be funded by the university. That makes it illegal." 

On July 2, three days after Libs of TikTok's post and a day before the mural's removal, the Dallas Express—which the Texas Observer has described as a source for "right-wing, astroturf news"—reported on the mural's presence. The Express cited protests by state Rep. Brian Harrison (R-Waxahachie), who claimed on X that the state isn't doing enough to ban "DEI and transgender indoctrination."

Harrison followed up on Monday morning, celebrating the removal of the mural "after I demanded the mural be removed."

"Proud to have forced another public university to reduce their transgender indoctrination!" Harrison wrote. "I will not stop exposing how the Texas government is taxing Texans out of their homes to fund DEI and transgenderism."

However, it's still unclear whether the mural was removed because of a full-scale second-floor renovation or after the Libs of TikTok post. UT Dallas has yet to respond to Chron's request for comment.

Meanwhile, on Sunday night, a student was seen drawing a Pride flag in chalk outside the SSA, according to The Retrograde. By Monday morning, The Retrograde reported that the flag was gone.

Looks like On The Border locations are closing ...

Story:

A major Tex-Mex chain's comeback from bankruptcy appears to be coming to an end. Chron has learned that multiple, if not all, On The Border Mexican Cantina & Grill locations are shuttering across Texas and nationwide. The moves come just one year after it was taken over by Houston hospitality empire, Pappas Restaurants, Inc.

Multiple restaurant managers confirmed the news to Chron Thursday evening, saying their location as well as all the other On The Border locations would close after this Friday. Some managers we spoke to said they hadn't heard the news. One manager who did confirm the news said individual restaurants were being told at different times depending on their "hierarchy."

"After Friday we are permanently closing. We are trying to stay open for Thursday and Friday but after that, we're closing," one restaurant manager told Chron.

Several locations across several states have reportedly shut their doors over the last month, including some in Colorado, Illinois and Texas, according to media outlets.

Chron has reached out to Pappas representatives and will update the story when we hear back.

These closures come just one month after the family-owned and operated restaurant group officially welcomed On The Border into its dining portfolio, after acquiring the struggling Dallas chain in a bidding war in 2025. In its May 1 announcement, Pappas Restaurants Inc. said that On The Border had "undergone a sweeping menu overhaul rooted in the same culinary standards that have defined the Pappas name across Texas for decades."

"On The Border has been woven into the fabric of Texas dining for decades, a place where generations of guests have gathered, celebrated and returned for the Tex-Mex they love. Now, it's part of our family," said Pappas Restaurants Chief Marketing Officer Christina Pappas. "This brand carries a deep heritage and a loyal community that we are proud to welcome to the Pappas family. We're delighted to honor that history with the quality and hospitality that Pappas is known for, while continuing to evolve the brand for loyal guests, both old and new."

Looks like another ChòpnBlọk is on the way, this time in Memorial City.

Our story by Chyna Blackmon:

One of Houston's Michelin-rated restaurants appears to be making major moves. Permit filings indicate that ChòpnBlọk is not only planning to expand its first brick-and-mortar restaurant, but there may be another ChòpnBlọk on the way.

While the fast-casual West African concept from chef Ope Amosu has not officially announced an additional location, a permit filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation on Tuesday points to a new ChòpnBlọk opening at 1085 Gessner Rd. in Greenside Memorial, the new mixed-use development in Memorial City.

According to the filing, the project includes an estimated $1.25 million interior build-out of a 3,757-square-foot restaurant space within an existing core-and-shell building. Construction is expected to begin in September and be completed by November.

This filing comes less than a week after another TDLR permit was submitted for a "ChopNBlok Expansion" of its brick-and-mortar restaurant at 507 Westheimer Rd. Not many details were indicated about the scope of work for this possible expansion, but the estimated $200,000 renovation is anticipated to be done between August and October.

When reached by Chron for information regarding the two filings, a representative for ChòpnBlọk declined to confirm. TDLR filings are subject to change. A representative for Greenside Memorial referred Chron to ChòpnBlọk's representative.

If ChòpnBlọk's is in fact moving to Greenside Memorial, it would be its third location, joining its Montrose restaurant and food stall at POST Houston. It would join the community hub's growing lineup of dining and drinking options, including Kirby Ice House, Mia's Table and Torchy's Tacos, as well as forthcoming tenants Leemoo Health Bar, Honest Mary's and Pizzana.

Since its pop-up days in 2018, Amosu's James Beard Award-nominated concept has become a staple of Houston's culinary scene, offering what it describes as a "contemporary approach to traditional West African cuisine."

TikTok is going crazy with a video of the Texas Flyer stopped with riders sitting around in midair. Happened over the weekend at Pleasure Pier.

The search for a 10-year-old Richmond child who went missing Sunday evening off Surfside Beach came to a tragic end Tuesday afternoon.

Texas Equusearch founder Tim Miller told KPRC the body of Joshua Lahai had been found around 1:30 p.m. near Oyster Street and Beach Drive in the tiny Brazoria County village and popular seaside destination. Multiple reports list his age as 11; Texas Equusearch lists his age as 10.

Lahai had reportedly been swimming with another child about 150 yards from shore when he was hit by a large wave around 5:30 p.m. Sunday. The other child safely returned to shore, but Lahai never did. He was last seen wearing a pair of multicolored shorts, which were recovered Monday afternoon.

Besides Equusearch, which arrived at the scene Sunday night, multiple law-enforcement agencies assisted in the search, including the Surfside Police Department, Brazoria County Sheriff's Department, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, a visibly choked up Surfside Beach police chief Phillip Hester said that earlier that day, a fisherman who was wade-fishing about 150 yards into the water "felt something bump up against his leg while he was fishing." An officer then swam out and recovered Lahai's body, he said.

Lahai's father had just headed back to Houston to collect himself when his son's body was found, so Hester said he informed him over the phone.

"I don't like doing phone notifications, but I didn't want him getting this second hand, through the media or people talking; it's going to go all over everywhere," the chief said. "I called him [and] we had a 10-minute conversation before we did anything."

Lahai's body was found approximately a half-mile to three-quarters of a mile west of where he had initially gone missing, Hester said. The boy had been visiting the beach with his family and friends, including fellow members of the Southwest Broncos of the Fort Bend Youth Football League. The league issued the following statement Tuesday morning:

"In times like these, the little league football community comes together as one family. We stand with the Southwest Broncos during this difficult time and send our thoughts, prayers, strength, and love to their players, coaches, families, and supporters. May we continue to uplift one another, and remind our youth that this community is built on more than football. It's built on unity, compassion, and brotherhood."

"We hate that Joshua perished, but we made a commitment to the father that we were going to find him," Hester said. "A lot of my guys put in time off duty, took time away from their family to come out here because we made a promise and they wanted to help me keep the promise."

John Whitmire on his $60,000 podcast this week said Houston's police force is the largest it's ever been. Story below:

By Molly Wilhelm

While conversations around overtime spending, ICE involvement and officer controversies have dominated recent headlines surrounding the Houston Police Department, city leaders say one thing stands out as a positive: the department is now the largest in history.

"Morale in each department is at an all-time high," Houston Mayor John Whitmire said on his podcast, 901 Bagby: Inside the Mayor's Office. "HPD now has 5,400 officers. That's the most in Houston's history.

Whitmire offered a clearer picture of the department's staffing growth, saying the HPD has grown by hundreds over the last two years.

"Since I've been sworn in, we've increased HPD by 800 officers," Whitmire said. "100 cadets have been sworn in (and) 600 firefighters."

'A minute matters:' Declining response times

Whitmire said law enforcement's response time has gotten better since he assumed the office.

"Response time on Code 1, the most serious crimes, is 5.6 minutes," Whitmire said. "I was robbed at gunpoint in '92, begged for my life in my garage, so I know what a minute matters."

In February, the Houston Chronicle reported that response times improved slightly after roughly $1 billion in taxpayer funding boosted HPD pay by 36.5 percent in raises and shifted officers from community affairs to patrol.

The average response time decreased from 6.2 minutes in 2024 to six minutes in 2025, according to the Chronicle. Slight declines were seen for Priority 1 and 2 calls, while more significant improvements were seen with Priority 3, 4 and 5 calls.

"We're … still not satisfied with those crime statistics but we're headed in the right direction," Whitmire said.  

Declining murder rate, suspended cases

Podcast host Owen Conflenti referred to one specific metric as a "big public safety win" for the city and its departments: the murder rate declining by roughly 36 percent based on first quarter comparisons.

The murder rate declined 36.4 percent between the first quarter of 2025 and 2026, according to HPD's March 2026 statistics report. The number fell from 77 in the first quarter of 2025 to 49 in the first quarter of 2026, according to a recent report from the Master Cities Chiefs Association.

"I'll be the first to admit that crime is down across our nation," Whitmire said, adding that Houston has tackled its own unique challenges.

In particular, the mayor touched on a substantial case backlog and retention challenges.

"My second month of being sworn in, I had a call that we had 260,000 … suspended HPD cases that had never been investigated or pursued," Whitmire said. "That was an extreme situation. It took leadership—we had to take 80 officers off the street to spend full time for several months investigating those cases."

Whitmire also said the department was struggling with retention and recruitment.

"We had that challenge and we were certainly understaffed," Whitmire said. "HPD and Houston Fire, morale was at an all-time low, we were losing more officers to retirement than we were able to recruit. All of that has changed."

Just found out that Hidden Omakase was damaged after a someone drove a car through the place. No injuries reported.

Story below.

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By Chyna Blackmon

One of Houston's Michelin-recognized restaurants has been forced to temporarily close after a car crashed through the dining room.

Hidden Omakase, located at 5353 W Alabama St. in the Galleria area, is temporarily pausing operations to repair damage left from a vehicle that drove straight through its windows, its team announced Monday in a social media post.

Video of the aftermath shows a car smack in the middle of the Japanese restaurant that opened in 2021. It left shattered glass, downed walls and broken furniture after having smashed through the space.

"A car decided to skip the reservation list and come straight into Hidden Omakase. Everyone is safe, and we're incredibly thankful for that. We'll be temporarily closed while we clean up, repair the space, and make sure everything is back to the standard y'all know us for. All upcoming reservations will be rescheduled, and our team will be reaching out directly to guests," the post read.

"Thank you for all the love and support already. Hidden Omakase will be back soon, preferably with guests entering through the front door only."

Details of the incident are still unknown. The restaurant and Houston Police Department have yet to respond to Chron's request for more information.

Photos of the restaurant taken about an hour after its social media post show the car had been removed from the property.

Hidden Omakase is one of Houston's more popular and revered restaurants. In 2024, Michelin designated it for its Texas guide book. The restaurant is typically closed on Monday.

The director of Houston Public Works told Owen Conflenti on Mayor Whitmire's podcast recently that the city's pothole program is "best in the country."

 "We resolve 99 percent of resident-reported pothole problems within the next business day." 

We looked into the data to see just how much work the city does in filling potholes.

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Here's our story:

For anyone who has spent time dodging craters on Houston roads, this bold claim may come as a surprise: The director of Houston Public Works says the city's pothole program is "the best in the country."

Houston Public Works (HPW) Director Randy Macchi, interviewed for the May 15 episode of Mayor John Whitmire's podcast 901 Bagby: Inside the Mayor's Office, made an assertion likely to raise eyebrows among Houstonians who know the city's pothole-ridden roads all too well.

"Houston's potholes program is the best in the country," Macchi told host Owen Conflenti. "We resolve 99 percent of resident-reported pothole problems within the next business day."

Labeling the resolution timeline "incredible," Macchi said colleagues nationwide have asked him how the department is able to fix potholes so quickly.

"There's a commitment and a dedication," Macchi said. "There's also some resources to back that up."

Macchi identified potholes as "symptoms" of a larger problem, adding the issue offered city engineers "great opportunities" to develop longer-term solutions. The HPW director, who has served in his role since 2024, pointed to ongoing city efforts, like the Pavement Preservation Program.

"It's like my folks used to say, if you'll take care of it, it'll last you, and that's no different with our streets," Macchi said. "There's challenges of course, but that's up to us to be innovative in how to solve them."

HPW did not immediately respond to Chron's request for comment by the time of publication.

What city data shows

As of Sunday, 377 pothole service requests submitted to the city's 311 Helpline in 2026 were filled by the next business day, according to the city's tracker. Only one resident-reported pothole was not immediately serviced.

In the last week, the city reportedly filled 1,374 potholes proactively and another nine at resident request. So far in 2026, the city has proactively filled a total of 21,843 potholes in addition to the 378 reported by residents.

The city uses a broad definition of a pothole, classifying it as "any area of missing or severely deteriorated pavement that is up to about 5 feet by 5 feet," according to the city website.

Macchi recently told the Houston Business Journal the department deals with about 55,000 potholes annually and spends between $5 million to $6 million on repairs.

Officials continually point to Houston's extreme weather, aging infrastructure and growing traffic volume as key challenges.

Houston roads rank poorly, but paving progresses

While Macchi labels Houston's pothole program the best nationwide, local Houston roadways recently ranked as the worst among major metros in the state.

A December 2025 analysis by the Transportation Research and Innovation Program found that 51 percent of locally maintained roads in the Houston area were in poor condition. Roads rated in "poor condition" typically had significant cracking, potholes or uneven pavement.

To Macchi's credit, Houston has reportedly made significant progress within the last year. HPW has rehabilitated almost 750 lane miles of roadway in the last 10 months, according to Macchi.

"That's more than double the best the city ever did over a 15-month period previously," Macchi said. "We're making some real strides, we're making real progress."

Texans are talking about how ridiculously loud these AI data centers are.

Story below (also in link and not under any paywall)

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By Macy Meinhardt

As Texas races to become the largest data center market in the world, another side effect of the boom is beginning to draw scrutiny: relentless noise pollution.

In Brazoria County, residents living near a Giga Energy computing site around the Sloping Acres neighborhood say a constant industrial hum has disrupted daily life for months. Several neighbors have compared the sound to an enormous "washing machine" that never turns off. 

One nearby resident recently wrote on social media that her family had "spent years to be where we are today," only for "an AI data center to come in and ruin our peace."

"We can't even sit on the back porch without the constant noise," resident Kimberly Fortenberry wrote, criticizing what she described as an ineffective "sound wall" installed near the site.

At just six acres, the Brazoria facility is relatively small compared to the massive AI campuses planned elsewhere in Texas, but it foreshadows the growing quality of life concerns data centers will face as they expand close to residential areas.  

"The data center that was put near our home in Brazoria on 6 acres has been mentally and physically exhausting. The noise rattles you to the core 24/7," wrote Melissa Burnett.  

Why data centers are so loud

Unlike normal office buildings, data centers operate around the clock and require extensive cooling mechanisms to keep thousands of servers from overheating. Those systems generate a constant mechanical hum that can travel hundreds of feet beyond facility boundaries. 

"When operating, data centers emit sounds from the humming of cooling systems and air chillers, the rumbling of diesel generators, and the whirring of fans. Together, these sounds can be heard for hundreds of feet around the facilities," according to a recent report on data center noise from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. 

Beyond simple annoyance, the report also states that surrounding residents have reported headaches, vertigo, nausea, sleep disturbances, ear pain, and hypertension from prolonged exposure to the constant noise. 

The Virginia warning Texans are watching

The phenomenon is not exclusive to Texas. In the past few weeks, noise from data centers gained national attention after a video capturing the eerie "hum" noise outside a data facility in Virginia went viral.

Currently, Virginia is home to the world's largest concentration of data centers, with cities such as Ashburn being dubbed "data center alley." However, by 2030, experts estimate that Texas will overtake Virginia as the world's largest data center market due to its lower land costs and energy access. 

Texas is building even bigger AI campuses

One of the companies helping drive that expansion, Vantage Data Centers, is already constructing what it describes as its largest campus yet outside of Abilene. 

The project, known as "Frontier," will span roughly 1,200 acres and will eventually host 10 data center facilities equipped to produce up to 1.4 gigawatts of electricity. 

By comparison, the Frontier campus in Texas will be more than 23 times the size of the facility caught on camera in Virginia and will emit nearly seven times more electricity. 

And if smaller facilities are already generating complaints loud enough to go viral, some Texans are beginning to wonder what happens when the world’s largest AI campuses fully power on.