Rice Military's End Of Washington Avenue Filled In With Kitchens This Summer, And The Crosswalks Come Next
Between June 1 and July 15, four restaurants opened or reopened on the Rice Military end of Washington Avenue. The addresses run from 4219 to 5555. All four are sit-down or counter-service kitchens with full menus, and none of them is a late-night bar concept. Over the same weeks, the Memorial Heights Redevelopment Authority moved two projects closer to construction. One is the landscaping inside the Westcott roundabout. The other is a redesigned pedestrian crossing where Washington and Westcott meet Schuler. The first set of changes is about places to eat. The second is about getting to them on foot, and the two are arriving on roughly the same timeline.
The summer's best-known Washington Avenue story was a different one. It covered two well-loved spots that closed on the same day, and it shaped how the corridor got talked about through June. Placing those closures on a map is the first step to seeing what happened on this end of the avenue.
In the order you would pass them driving out from Shepherd toward Memorial Park:
Fortune Eight sits closest to the Westcott roundabout. Yuma sits at the eastern end. In about six weeks of summer, the avenue between them gained four distinct cuisines.
The two closures that drew attention this summer were both at the eastern end of the Washington corridor. Good God, Nadine's served its last round on May 31 at 33 Waugh Drive. The bar posted that its building had been sold, about a year after opening in May 2025. Platypus Brewing poured its final pints the same day at 1902 Washington Avenue, closing after nearly a decade when its lease ended.
Platypus is not gone for good. Owner Hanrahan told KHOU that his attention has shifted to the Oasis. It's planned as a 2.5-acre community hub on the 610 North Loop near Shepherd Drive, with green space, dining and indoor and outdoor activities, and he's aiming for a mid-2027 opening.
Taken together, the summer's openings and closings on Washington Avenue happened at opposite ends of the street. On the Rice Military end, all four kitchens opened within six weeks of each other.
The four openings share a point of view on the menu. Fortune Eight cooks wok-fired entrées to order, including Kung Pao Chicken, Walnut Shrimp, and Baby Bok Choy and Shitake. Appetizers include spring rolls, spicy wontons and fortune fries, and there are milk, fruit and Thai teas. Lin described the approach this way:
"We mainly focus on smaller menu items with an emphasis on quality. Really just serving up those classic foods that can be found on our website and doing the basics well."
Yuma brings a chef's background to a sandwich counter. Mike Hartley was executive sous-chef at Brasserie 19 in River Oaks and co-owned the catering company MMH Provisions. DiningOut reports the menu is scratch-made, built around house-baked bread. Co-owner Miriam Leek-Meira draws on her Brazilian upbringing, with regional dishes that go well beyond the churrascaria fare most Americans associate with Brazil.
Sin Yolanda's menu covers tacos, quesadillas and queso, with specialty cocktails and a full bar. The restaurant already has locations in The Woodlands, San Antonio and Mexico, so the Washington Avenue location came with a proven kitchen. As of early October, it was listed as taking reservations for this week.
Max's Wine Dive came back with its fried chicken still on the menu. The new chef team is adding Houston-inspired dishes, according to Hoodline's report on the relaunch. It took part in Houston Restaurant Weeks in August, listed at 4720 Washington with its own free parking lot.
That parking lot connects to the rest of this story. These four restaurants are spread along a busy avenue, and getting between them on foot comes down to the crossings.
The Memorial Heights Redevelopment Authority manages Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone 5 (TIRZ 5), which covers this corridor. In its project description for the Washington and Westcott crossing at Schuler, the authority makes the case plainly: "Washington and Westcott are parallel roads with heavy traffic. Many people cross these streets to access businesses and Memorial Park." That project is in design. Its September update says preliminary design for the Schuler intersection has been submitted, and the next target is the final design. The draft FY2027 budget the authority published in June lists $875,000 for crossing improvements. That covers this intersection plus a second location on Ella Boulevard.
Just west of Fortune Eight, the Westcott roundabout is next in line for landscaping. The City of Houston revamped the roundabout in 2023. This new project adds the planting, and a neighboring property owner has agreed to maintain it. The design is meant to be low-maintenance and low-water. According to the authority's July announcement, the work will:
The July post said construction would start "in the coming weeks." The authority's September board materials give a later date. A pre-construction meeting took place July 7 and the contractor got its notice to proceed. But the metalwork has a long lead time, and construction is now expected to start in November once those materials arrive. The listed project cost is $382,773.60. If you drive the roundabout every day and wondered why nothing had started, the metal order is the reason.
The larger project is at the southeast corner of the neighborhood. Pedestrian improvements at Shepherd Drive and Memorial Drive come with an estimated cost of $3.6 million, close to ten times the roundabout budget. The scope covers a new traffic signal, new medians, new sidewalks and ramps, extending the existing bridge, and new pavement markings. The September update targets final 100% plans in October 2026, followed by preparing a bid package and advertising for bids.
Here is what's on the calendar for this stretch, based on the sources above:
The four new kitchens are open now. The crossing at Schuler and the work at Shepherd and Memorial are still on paper. The roundabout should be the first construction crews you see this fall.
If you're keeping an eye on how Washington Avenue's new restaurants and crossing upgrades fit with your own block, Nicole Brende follows these changes closely and is glad to talk through what they mean for your property. Let's connect for a consultation or a custom market analysis.
Nicole's dedication to her clients is evident in every aspect of her work, from her exceptional communication skills to her unparalleled marketing expertise. With her unwavering commitment to providing tailored solutions to her clients' real estate needs, Nicole has established herself as one of the most sought-after agents in Houston.
