Houston’s Tex-Mex scene is about to lose another longtime local spot. After more than 12 years in business, Moderno will be permanently closing at 10455 Briar Forest Drive in the Briar Lake Village section of West Houston. The restaurant’s team announced the news on social media last Friday, sharing its final day of service will be Oct. 24.
Moderno’s post didn’t detail a reason behind the restaurant’s closure, but owner John Moore told Chron on Monday that an impending lease renewal, coupled with the rising cost of doing business (and for a Tex-Mex restaurant, specifically, the cost of beef), helped in making the decision.
He added his team had spent months debating whether to sign a new five-year lease before making the decision in the last month. Meetings started around the beginning of the year, and ultimately, Moore said, it made more sense to forgo a long-term lease for Moderno.
“Everybody knows that the restaurant business is very tough. It’s always been tough,” he said. “We’ve had rising costs lately, and just taking a look at that … it makes sense for our company to streamline and focus on what works for us, and that is the decision we made here with the lease expiring.”
Moore said he’ll now focus his efforts on Palazzo’s, his upscale-casual Italian restaurant with locations in Briargrove and the Westchase/Memorial area, the latter being just a few doors down from Moderno.
“We have a better cost structure at Palazzo’s, and a lot of the market for restaurants has gone to delivery and takeout. It was already headed that way, and then COVID made it moreso, and Palazzo’s is just more well suited to that trend,” Moore said.
Though Moderno is set to close Oct. 24, its breakfast tacos will be served at the dedicated take-out side door of Palazzo’s Westchase the following week with the same recipes and culinary team.
Moore said he’s also planning to beef up the cocktail program at that location, which could include his Tex-Mex restaurant’s margaritas. Some of Moderno’s other classic dishes could make their way onto Palazzo’s menu, too, possibly for a weekend brunch or Taco Tuesday.
Asked whether he might reopen Moderno or launch another Tex-Mex concept, Moore said, “never say never.”
“If the right space became available, probably a small footprint, a little neighborhood spot, then Moderno could live on,” Moore said, “but right now we’re focused on Palazzo’s.”
Dining and Cooking