6 New Restaurants on our Radar

Late Summer Restaurant Openings

Tuk Tuk Boom | Jackson, Mississippi

Coming to Jackson’s booming Highland Village, the fresh and fun Tuk Tuk Boom will serve Thai favorites, bowls, apps, and fresh sushi rolled to order. In addition to poké bowls, a number of curries, and the signature Tuk Tuk Boom Roll, the concept will also feature craft cocktails, and frozen drinks on tap. Customers can dine-in surrounded by the cool, coastal inspired interiors or carry-out using the ultra-convenient pick-up window. Tuk Tuk Boom is slated to open late this summer. 

Park & Grove | Charleston

Charleston’s beloved casual neighborhood spot, the Park Cafe, will reopen in early August as Park & Grove. Reimagined as a seasonal eatery, the restaurant will still serve their popular lunch and weekend brunch – think smoked salmon avocado toast and stuffed French toast – but will now also include dinners that feature dishes and cocktails meant to highlight fresh ingredients and rotate with the seasons. Chef Ramon Taimanglo will lead the culinary charge with new dishes on the dinner menu like homemade bucatini with pesto and pork jowl and grilled hangar steak. The restaurant is currently undergoing a redesign and will open on August 4. 

Crawford Cookshop | Clayton, North Carolina

Chef and restauranteur Scott Crawford recently announced that his newest concept will open this summer in downtown Clayton, North Carolina, thirty minutes southeast of downtown Raleigh. Crawford Cookshop is his first foray into casual dining and will revolve around a welcoming menu that showcases a number of wood-fired items. Smoked chicken, duck wings, house-ground burgers, and pork ribs will be balanced with local, seasonal vegetable plates and fresh salads. Continuing with the casual approach, guests can choose to dine indoors or make their way out of the garage door onto the expansive patio. Crawford is a 5-time James Beard Foundation award nominee and is also the owner of the award-winning Crawford & Son and Jolie in Raleigh. 

Queeny’s | Durham, North Carolina

Sean Umstead and Michelle Vanderwalker, the partners behind Durham’s Kingfisher, are slated to open the much anticipated Queeny’s this summer. The concept is that of a classic neighborhood bar and grill that is focused on community and houses a soundproof podcast booth that anyone can reserve for free, and a bookstore that guests will be able to peruse while waiting on their meals. From the start, it was Umstead and Vanderwalker’s intention to create a communal and safe space of inclusivity that would operate as a place of gathering for the residents of Durham and those passing through. Their all-day menu will include southern fixin’s, including fried pickles, house ground burgers, a pork chop sandwich, and chicken tenders. There will also be a full bar with beer, wine, and seasonal cocktails that will be served alongside the classic American fare. In addition to bites and books, Queeny’s will sell signature handmade mugs, thrown by Vanderwalker herself. 

Crazy Aunt Helen’s | Washington, DC

A native Charlestonian turned DC-restauranteur, Shane Mayson is set to open Crazy Aunt Helen’s alongside business partner Mary Quillian-Helms in July. The menu is inspired by diner breakfasts that nourished Mayson while he was living in New York as a self-described broke young professional. At Crazy Aunt Helen’s, guests will be able to choose from lox platters, full breakfast plates of hash browns, eggs, and breakfast meats, and a long list of bagel sandwiches. As the day progresses, the menu shifts to highlight deviled egg salad sandwiches and fried green tomatoes for lunch and dinners featuring red wine-braised-brisket, pork chops, and a range of burger options. The ground floor of the two-story space will open first, but Mayson already has plans for the “Peacock Room”—an eclectic and colorful cocktail lounge—upstairs.  

Feges BBQ Spring Branch | Houston

With seven years of barbecue restaurant experience under their belt, pitmaster Patrick Feges and his wife, sommelier Erin Smith, are opening a second location of their beloved Houston joint, Feges BBQ. The duo is introducing their first standalone restaurant that highlights old favorites along with some new, enticing items. The fresh, all-its-own location features a dining room flanked by two patios, both of which are ornamented with Americana-inspired art with vintage Western films projected onto the walls. Since opening on July 20, Feges has been serving up entrees like the new smoked meatloaf and fried chicken. In addition to the couple’s deep ‘cue knowledge, Smith puts her sommelier experience to use, which is showcased on the restaurants sixteen-bottle wine list that pairs perfectly with the charred flavors on the menu.