On Saturday, September 12, Arnaldo Richards reopened Picos in a former Cyclone Anaya's Tex-Mex Kitchen off Westheimer Road. The shaker margaritas, ceviche, mole and cochinita pibil are still on the menu. Two weeks earlier, the 42-year-old restaurant had served its last night on Kirby. Its new home is at 3736 Westheimer Road. "New home, same Picos," the restaurant posted.
Picos is the clearest example of what's happening in River Oaks this fall. Relish Restaurant & Bar is also moving within the area. Island Grill is coming to River Oaks, its owner confirmed to WhatNow. A New York bagel shop has picked Westheimer for its first Texas location. And the River Oaks Theatre is running its fullest stretch of the season through October.
How Picos Stayed
Picos has been close to closing more than once in the past year. In August 2025 it announced an immediate shutdown. A month later it said it would stay open through the end of 2025, after a wave of support from customers. In January 2026 the owners announced plans to move instead of close. Then on April 21, Richards set a firm deadline on social media: if he hadn't secured a new site by August 30, the Kirby restaurant would close.
The 3601 Kirby Drive location stopped serving on August 30, 2026. The Westheimer location opened 13 days later. To mark the reopening, Picos ran a happy hour for Hispanic Heritage Month and Mexican Independence Day.
So the year went from an announced closure, to an extension, to a deadline, to a move that kept the restaurant in the neighborhood. Community Impact's reopening report covers the timeline, and Houstonia's September openings roundup has the exact reopening date.
Relish Is Following the Same Path
Relish Restaurant & Bar is doing the same thing on a slower schedule. It's leaving its space at 2810 Westheimer Road in River Oaks Village for The RO, Transwestern's development in the River Oaks and Upper Kirby area. Relish plans to stay at 2810 Westheimer through the end of 2026. An August 2026 report said Relish expects to open at The RO "sometime next year," with no firm date.
The RO is a 17-acre mixed-use project at West Alabama Street and Buffalo Speedway. Plans include an office building, a village of chef-driven restaurants and boutique shops, luxury apartments, and The Birdsall hotel and residences. The schedule has slipped. In November 2025, Transwestern said The Birdsall, the Retail Village and The Clayton would be finished in late 2027. In July 2026, Community Impact reported that Phase 2 was expected in early 2028. That means Relish's dining room in River Oaks Village is the one to plan around for the rest of this year.
Island Grill American Mediterranean will take over the 4,225-square-foot Relish space, with an opening planned for spring 2027. It will be the brand's sixth location in the Houston area. Co-owner Faysal Haddad explained the choice:
"We've had customers from River Oaks driving to our other locations for years, some of them for decades. Bringing Island Grill to their neighborhood feels like the right next step for our family."
Here's how the moves line up, based on the latest reports:
| Restaurant | Leaving | Going to | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Picos | 3601 Kirby Drive | 3736 Westheimer Road | Closed Aug. 30, reopened Sept. 12, 2026 |
| Relish Restaurant & Bar | 2810 Westheimer Road | The RO | Stays put through end of 2026, then opens at The RO sometime in 2027 |
| Island Grill American Mediterranean | Five other Houston-area locations | 2810 Westheimer Road | Spring 2027 |
Brand-New on Westheimer
One opening this fall is entirely new. H&H Bagels opened its first Texas shop at 2850 Westheimer on September 10, a few doors from Relish's current space. The brand started on Manhattan's Upper West Side in 1972. It now has seven New York locations plus franchises in Illinois, Florida, California, Washington, D.C., Tennessee and North Carolina. The bagels are proofed, kettle-boiled and baked on-site throughout the day. Community Impact reports that the Houston franchise owner, Noman Khan, is a native New Yorker who has lived in Houston for more than a decade.
The next opening is farther west on Westheimer. Café Feuillette, from pastry chef Jean-François Feuillette, is aiming for November 2026 at 4444 Westheimer in River Oaks District. It was first announced for summer 2026, and that date has already passed. Treat November as a target date for now.
The Theatre's October
Restaurants are changing addresses this fall, but the River Oaks Theatre's calendar stays put, and this October it has more than usual.
The Houston Cinema Arts Festival runs October 1 through 11, with the River Oaks Theatre among its venues. These are the theatre dates to know:
- Friday, October 2, 7:30 p.m. The festival presents Bottle Rocket, followed by a discussion with actor Stephen Dignan.
- Saturday, October 10, 11:59 p.m. The first of three Rocky Horror Picture Show screenings with a live shadowcast by the Royal Mystic Order of CHAOS.
- Friday, October 23, 8 p.m. ROCO's "From Silence to Sound" plays live chamber music alongside The Phantom of the Opera and The Skeleton Dance.
- Friday, October 30, and Saturday, October 31, 11:59 p.m. The two Halloween-weekend Rocky Horror shows.
Showtimes and tickets are on the River Oaks Theatre's website, and the chamber music program is listed on ROCO's performance page.
Weekends at River Oaks District
River Oaks District, where Café Feuillette is headed, has events most weekends this month. Its events calendar lists:
- The Market, held on the second and fourth Sundays at The Park and District Lane. Its last date this season is October 25.
- Texas Contemporary at Opera Gallery, featuring eight contemporary artists with Texas connections, through October 8.
- The Wellness Edit on Saturday, October 17, with mat Pilates, a talk on sleep wellness and retailer activations.
- Boo at The District, a Halloween movie night for kids, on Saturday, October 24, from 5 to 7 p.m.
October 24 lines up well. Boo at The District wraps at 7 p.m., the Sunday market is the next morning, and Picos is a short drive back east on Westheimer.
Coming Up After October
Several dates matter beyond this month. Café Feuillette's November opening at 4444 Westheimer is the closest. Relish remains at 2810 Westheimer through December. Island Grill plans to open in that space in spring 2027. Relish's move to The RO is expected sometime in 2027, and the latest timeline puts the development's second phase in early 2028. Until those dates are confirmed, they're plans, not openings.
Every move above affects what people pay for proximity in River Oaks, from a block within walking distance of Westheimer to a home a short drive from The RO. If you're wondering how this fall's changes along Westheimer and West Alabama could affect your home's value, Anisa Hoxha Realty Group can walk you through it street by street. Get Your Home Valuation.
