This weekend will be the last for not one, but two beloved Houston restaurants. Killen’s at 101 Heights Blvd. and Istanbul Grill at 5613 Morningside Dr. are entering their final days in business before closing Sunday
The two local restaurants have served very different corners of Houston’s dining scene, from Killen’s Southern comfort food and home-style Texas cooking in the Heights to Istanbul Grill’s longtime presence in Rice Village with authentic Mediterranean fare. Their reasons for closing are just as different
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The family behind Istanbul Grill said that “lease circumstances” beyond their control left the restaurant unable to continue operating in the space it has called home since 1998, as Chron previously reported
Brothers Zubeyir and Mesut Dundar, owners of Istanbul Grill, shared the restaurant’s impending closure in June, and since announcing its official closing date, said they have seen an outpouring of support—from a steady stream of customers to online donations for the staff
“It’s heartbreaking,” Zubeyir previously told Chron. “I try to hold my emotion, but people are crying and I’m crying. I know it’s going to be tough, but it’s OK. This is not just a business. You share so many things with the people.”
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Meanwhile, acclaimed Houston restaurateur and pitmaster Ronnie Killen’s namesake restaurant is closing after he put the property up for sale. The two-time James Beard Award semifinalist opened Killens in 2020 with dishes rooted in his family’s recipes, later earning Michelin Bib Gourmand honors in 2024 and 2025. Killen ultimately accepted what he described to Chron as a “deal too good to pass up,” especially considering other factors, including his health issues and crime in the area
The property will soon become a gas station. But during the restaurant’s final weeks, Killen has been giving guests one last taste of several dishes from its early days through a special “farewell menu.”
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“Killen’s in the Heights has meant so much to me,” Killen previously said in a release about his closure. “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.”
Although the Heights restaurant is closing, Killen’s Steakhouse in Pearland remains open, though it is undergoing renovations. Istanbul Grill’s future is less certain. When Chron asked about the possibility of reopening elsewhere, Zubeyir’s daughter, Dilan Dundar, said the family remains hopeful, but finding a new home will take time
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