18 new Houston restaurants to try

Plus: Could the government shutdown impact your healthcare premiums?

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Smash City, which sells halal burgers and hot dogs, opened its first brick-and-mortar store in September.

18 Houston restaurants and cafes that opened in September

Among the new restaurants are burger joints like the halal Smash City, a Lebanese place in Cypress and a cafe specializing in Vietnamese coffee.

 
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Top Stories

Rene Sanchez of Spring rests in the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Harris Health Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital in Houston, TX on September 15, 2023.

Photo by: Sharon Steinmann, Staff Photographer

Are 4 million Texans about to get hit with higher health care premiums?

The government shutdown is focused on whether tax credits that offset insurance costs should be extended. 

 
Adrian Ward, 1, celebrates his 1-year birthday at the Pumpkin Patch at Dewberry Farm in Brookshire on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025.

Photo by: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle

When will Houston finally feel its first real cold front?

Here’s what history shows us and what it means for hurricane season.

 
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo speaks during a press conference regarding her decision to not run for another term in Houston on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025.

Photo by: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle

Hidalgo stormed out of budget meeting to attend concert, text messages confirm

The Harris County Judge was apparently frustrated with commissioners’ refusal to fund several early childcare programs left the budget meeting early.

 
A woman walks toward the front entrance of the Mitchell Lower School at The John Cooper School on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023 in The Woodlands. As The Woodlands' John Cooper School begins its 35th school year, it is embarking on a 10-year strategic plan that includes a new athletic facility and visual arts center. The private school broke ground on the new athletic building in August.

Photo by: Brett Coomer, Staff Photographer

Here are the best private schools in Texas, according to Niche

Almost half of the best private schools in Texas are located in the Greater Houston area. See which campuses made the cut. 

 
Robertson Stadium at the University of Houston. The stadium was set to host a UH football game for the first time in over 25 years, Sept. 6, 1995.

Photo by: Carlos Antonio Rios, Houston Chronicle

See Houston as it was 30 years ago with archive photos from September 1995

Van Halen, Angelina Jolie and Quincy Jones were just some of the big names appearing in the Bayou City 30 years ago.

 

Food

Chef Gabriel Medina cooks at his pop-up being held at Third Place, the daytime concept operating in the same space as the restaurant Jun in Houston, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025. Medina is a participant in Southern Smoke Foundation’s Behind You program, which offers free counseling for qualifying restaurant workers across the country.

Photo by: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

Houston's Southern Smoke backs free mental health care for hospitality workers nationwide

The hospitality industry-focused Southern Smoke Foundation’s festival brings together some of the biggest names in restaurants to fundraise for the non-profit. Read More

 
Merryland Bakery has shelves full of mooncakes, including both bite-sized and palm-sized options.

Photo by: Aviva Bechky, Houston Chronicle

Here's where to find golden mooncake pastries in Houston

Local bakeries throughout Houston sell the cakes, which are commonly filled with mild and sweet pastes like red bean and lotus seed. Read More