Tara and Neil Cruz were regulars at Hidden Cellar Wine Bar on House & Hahl Road for about ten years. This fall they took over the space. My Neighborhood News reported that the longtime Cypress residents set Saturday, October 24 for the public opening of Turquoise Wine Bar Cypress, in a spot that had been a neighborhood gathering place for more than a decade. The wine bar's website now lists regular hours, reservations and upcoming events.
Turquoise fits the pattern of this fall's openings. Several of the season's newest tables come from people with roots in and around Cypress: a Towne Lake restaurant from a family that has cooked here since 2006, a crepe cafe owned by a couple raising their kids nearby, and a coffee brand that calls its first Texas cafe a homecoming.
A wine bar run by the people who used to sit at it
The building at 16518 House & Hahl Road hasn't changed much on the outside, but the name, owners and atmosphere have. My Neighborhood News described the reopening as a familiar gathering place returning for people who live near Bridgeland, Blackhorse Ranch and other northwest Cypress neighborhoods.
Getting there took a while. Renovation started in May, the owners first aimed for August, and an earlier September 29 grand opening date came and went before they settled on late October. The rollout followed the order of the bar's relationships: friends and family on October 21, Cypress Wine Club members on October 22 and 23, and then the public on October 24, with reservations required for the opening.
Hours to know before you go:
- Tuesday through Thursday: noon to 8 p.m.
- Friday and Saturday: noon to 10 p.m.
- Sunday and Monday: closed
The menu is wine, beer and light food, which makes it an easy weeknight stop. Plan around the Sunday and Monday closures.
In Towne Lake, a family name two decades in the making
Turquoise is a story about customers becoming owners. Galiana's Casa Del Tequila, at 11231 Greenhouse Road in Towne Lake, is about a restaurant family raising the stakes at home. The Herrera family opened Alicia's Mexican Grille in 2006 and has since built a group of Grupo Herrera restaurants serving Cypress, Katy and Spring. Galiana's began its soft opening on Monday, September 21, with dinner service and online reservations.
Longtime Cypress diners may recognize the name. It combines the names of David Herrera's granddaughters, Gabriella and Aliana, and was first used for Galiana's Bakery & Café, which opened in Cypress in 2017. In a statement published by My Neighborhood News, the family put it this way:
"Galiana's was created to be a place where you can gather, celebrate, share a meal, and feel at home. Mi casa es tu casa. Welcome to Galiana's Casa Del Tequila!"
The food goes beyond the family's Tex-Mex roots, with Gulf seafood, premium steaks, regional dishes and handmade tortillas. The bar carries tequilas from both Los Altos and El Valle, plus mezcal and other agave spirits from several regions of Mexico. If you've been to Alicia's, think of Galiana's as the same family cooking for a celebration dinner.
Morning coffee, mostly from neighbors
The same local-roots pattern holds earlier in the day, when most of this fall's new spots are open.
Aleyotl Coffee & Bakery is a Mexican-inspired cafe with baked goods and specialty drinks at 28404 Hempstead Road, Unit G09. Community Impact reported that it soft-opened September 11 and held its grand opening October 28.
Coco Crepes & Coffee opened at Elyson Town Center, 7040 Elyson Exchange Way, Suite 400, on the Cypress side of the Katy line. The menu has sweet and savory crepes, waffles, coffee, smoothies and gelato. Its franchise owners, Gianna Gozzo and Antonio Ventura, are Cypress residents raising their family here, according to Community Impact. The soft opening started November 2, and My Neighborhood News reported a grand opening celebration planned for Saturday, November 14.
BIGFACE, the coffee company NBA player Jimmy Butler started, chose Cypress for its first Texas location. The cafe sits outside the Fairfield Market H-E-B at 28550 US-290. Community Impact reported a mid-November opening, with espresso drinks, cold brew and pour-over served 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Butler started the business in 2020 in the NBA bubble, when other players lined up for drinks from the espresso machine he had brought for himself. He grew up in Tomball, so for the brand, this location is a homecoming. Brand director Christina Hayes told Community Impact, "Nothing is more Texas than H-E-B, and to bring BIGFACE home, we wanted to be where people already go every day."
That puts a celebrity coffee brand at the H-E-B where Fairfield already does its grocery shopping, a few miles from where Butler grew up.
The freeway side of the season
The quick-stop arrivals cluster along the Northwest Freeway and FM 1960, where late hours and desserts are the draw.
Taco Palenque opened September 17 at 26003 Northwest Freeway. It's open 24 hours and serves tacos, burritos and breakfast plates, Community Impact reported.
The Peach Cobbler Factory Cy-Fair, at 13325 FM 1960 W., soft-opened October 25, according to Community Impact, which also reported a planned November 7 grand opening.
Midnight Cravingz, a late-night dessert shop selling cookies, brownies and ice-cream-topped waffle chips, announced an October 9 opening at The Shoppes at Fry Road, 26321 Northwest Freeway, per Community Impact.
Taco Palenque's round-the-clock hours make it the one on this stretch for a 6 a.m. breakfast taco or a late-night stop.
Next up for Bridgeland and beyond
The neighbors-opening-for-neighbors trend continues into next year. Phi Pho Viet Kitchen is coming to 10615 Fry Road, Suite 200, in Bridgeland's Lakeland Village Center, in the former Waffle Bus location. It's a fast-casual Vietnamese spot with chicken pho, rice plates and vermicelli bowls, My Neighborhood News reported. WAH Coffee is slated for January 2027, according to Community Impact.
The fall list at a glance
| Place | Where | What to order | Who's behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turquoise Wine Bar | 16518 House & Hahl Rd. | Wine, beer, light bites | Tara and Neil Cruz, former Hidden Cellar regulars |
| Galiana's Casa Del Tequila | 11231 Greenhouse Rd., Towne Lake | Gulf seafood, steaks, agave spirits | The Herrera family of Alicia's Mexican Grille |
| Aleyotl Coffee & Bakery | 28404 Hempstead Rd., Unit G09 | Mexican-inspired pastries and drinks | New Hempstead Road cafe |
| Coco Crepes & Coffee | 7040 Elyson Exchange Way, Ste. 400 | Crepes, gelato, smoothies | Cypress residents Gianna Gozzo and Antonio Ventura |
| BIGFACE | Outside Fairfield Market H-E-B, 28550 US-290 | Espresso, cold brew, pour-over | Jimmy Butler, who grew up in Tomball |
| Taco Palenque | 26003 Northwest Fwy. | 24-hour tacos and breakfast plates | Mexican fast-food chain |
| The Peach Cobbler Factory Cy-Fair | 13325 FM 1960 W. | Cobbler and desserts | Cy-Fair location of the dessert shop |
| Phi Pho Viet Kitchen | 10615 Fry Rd., Ste. 200, Bridgeland | Chicken pho, vermicelli bowls | Coming to Lakeland Village Center |
Our team keeps up with Cypress the same way you do, one new opening at a time. If you've found a favorite on this list, or you're wondering what a move closer to Towne Lake, Bridgeland or Fairfield would look like, The Evan Ballew Group is happy to talk it through over coffee. Contact Us.
