Considered one of Houston’s most enduring Mexican eating places will serve its final meals in September. Picos will shut sooner or later within the subsequent two months, chef-owner Arnaldo Richards introduced.
In an announcement, the restaurant cites the “ongoing financial pressures and shifting client behaviors which have considerably impacted the restaurant business” as the explanations behind the choice. Richards instructed the Houston Chronicle that Picos gross sales declined 18-percent in 2025 in comparison with 2024.
The Richards household shared a message to the restaurant’s prospects on social media that reads partly:
We’re happy with what we’ve completed and so grateful for the relationships we’ve constructed. We’ll actually miss our every day interactions, the laughter, and all of the reminiscences we’ve shared.
Thanks on your loyalty and help all through the years. It’s what allowed me to reside out my dream. I’ll at all times be pleased about that and for the household we’ve constructed collectively.
Richards opened the primary location of Picos in Southwest Houston in 1984. At a time when Tex-Mex dominated the town, Picos shortly drew an enthusiastic following for serving dishes impressed by Mexico’s seven areas. Particularly, followers hailed the restaurant’s totally different moles, enchiladas, and different flavorful fare. It additionally served its signature shaker margaritas — made with freshly squeezed lime juice and good tequila — at a time when many eating places nonetheless used candy and bitter combine.
In 2014, Picos reininvented itself from hidden gem to vacation spot restaurant by transferring to its present location at 3601 Kirby Drive. The expansive location featured an all-new inside with design parts imported from Mexico, a devoted bar space, and a non-public eating room stocked with spirit lockers which the restaurant’s most loyal prospects may inventory with the favourite bottles (for an annual rental price, in fact).
Over the previous 10-plus years, Picos on Kirby has been recognized for its over-the-top, parking zone Cinco de Mayo social gathering, its seasonal tamale trailer, and epic Sunday brunch buffet.
Fortunately, Houstonians can have loads of time to say goodbye. Between now and the tip of September, Picos will host a collection of farewell dinners to rejoice its legacy. An actual cut-off date might be shared within the weeks to come back.
“This was not a call made flippantly,” Richards mentioned in an announcement. “We’ve weathered many seasons over the previous 44 years, however the present financial local weather and modifications in how folks dine have made it unimaginable for us to proceed working in the best way our visitors have come to know and love.”
Whereas the upcoming closure is gloomy, Richards is not going to be exiting the meals scene. FajitasDelivery.com — his recently-launched web site to ship fajitas and extra to properties, workplaces, and personal occasions — will proceed to function, a consultant tells CultureMap.
