After five years of serving Southern comfort food in the Heights, one of Houston’s Michelin-recognized restaurants is preparing to close its doors.
Killen’s Heights will serve its final meal on Sunday, July 19, ending the run of chef Ronnie Killen’s family-inspired neighborhood restaurant that earned Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in both 2024 and 2025. Before saying goodbye, Killen is giving diners one last taste of the dishes that helped define the restaurant.
Beginning Tuesday, June 30, Killen and culinary director Ryan Hildebrand will revive a lineup of original menu favorites, many inspired by recipes passed down through Killen’s family. The farewell menu includes the restaurant’s signature chicken-fried steak—a nod to the building’s former life as beloved Houston institution Hickory Hollow—along with Ronnie’s 24-hour fried chicken, fried and smothered pork chops, smoked and braised oxtails, chicken pot pie, and the Cafeteria Burger, created in honor of Killen’s grandmother, who worked in a Texas school cafeteria.
“My grandmother was Czechoslovakian and grew up with very little, so she made something special out of simple, honest food,” Killen said in a statement. “My German godfather, Wilfred, is the one who taught me how to barbecue, and that tradition is at the heart of what this restaurant was about.”
Barbecue will remain a centerpiece through the restaurant’s final service, with brisket, pork ribs, turkey, pulled pork, house-made sausages, pork belly burnt ends, and classic Southern sides and desserts—including German chocolate cake made from Killen’s Aunt Margie’s recipe.
“Killen’s in the Heights has meant so much to me,” Killen said. “It was built around the recipes and flavors that inspired me to become a chef. We wanted to give our guests one last chance to enjoy some of our favorite dishes before we close our doors.”
Killen’s Heights opened in August 2020 at 101 Heights Blvd., offering a menu that blended Texas barbecue with Southern comfort food rooted in Killen’s childhood and family traditions. The concept quickly became a neighborhood favorite, earning consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand honors for delivering exceptional value alongside its standout dishes.
With the Heights restaurant closing, Killen will shift his attention to his remaining concepts, including Killen’s BBQ in Pearland and Cypress, Killen’s Burgers in Pearland, and Killen’s Steakhouse in Pearland, which is currently undergoing renovations ahead of a reopening later this summer. The chef has said the revamped steakhouse is part of his pursuit of a coveted Michelin star.
Killen’s will continue regular service Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. until its final day on July 19, concluding with Sunday brunch service from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For Houston diners, the final weeks mark the end of a restaurant that celebrated family, tradition, and the kind of comforting Southern cooking that never goes out of style.
Killen’s Heights, 101 Heights Blvd., Houston, killens.com
