Lyric Market Unveils New Restaurants, Showcase Rooftop Terrace and Food Specials — Houston’s Theatre District Food Hall Evolves

Lyric Market, the glittering food hall in the Houston theatre district that spans an entire city block downtown, continues to evolve since its opening. Poised beside the Lyric Tower and the colorful Lyric Garage, this multi-story structure is home to an array of chef-driven restaurants. But almost a year in is bringing some notable restaurant changes.

Samurai Noodle, the Seattle-based spot owned by Thomas Tang, has opened its second Houston restaurant inside Lyric Market. If you recall their first is in The Heights. At both locales, Samurai Noodle serves an array of ramen dishes inspired by the small, authentic ramen shops dotted throughout Japan.

More new Lyric Market happenings? Dennie Liang, the manager of the former Hōru Sushi has taken over the beloved sushi spot as its new owner — and rebranded it Dorado Sushi. (The new name is inspired by an Asian fusion restaurant Liang worked at in Puerto Rico for a decade, which was an important stepping stone on his culinary journey.)

Dorado customers can expect the same food quality and level of service. Plus a few new menu items like tempura sushi arriving next month.

These new additions join Lyric Market’s existing array of food offerings. These include the sweet and savory Belgium-style waffles at Press Waffles made with a waffle mix that results in a brioche-like texture. Then there’s Monica Landry’s Cajun-style creations at 1929 Po-Boy Kitchen, healthy Mexican food from Ivy Stark’s Mexology, BBQ at Mama’s Smokehouse and Indian-inspired protein rich Kati rolls at Kati Roll Wala.

To entice diners at lunchtime, you’ll find specials priced between $10 to $15 on weekdays, as well as weekend brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am to 2 pm.

The Lyric Market team plans to activate the outdoor rooftop terrace as a private event space, a location for cooking classes, which will be open to the public, and a variety of pop-ups ranging from retail shops to bars. While inside the market, popping up for the month of September will be Second Slice Sandwich Co., which known for its hot-pressed paninis.

The newly rebranded Lyric Bar (formerly known as the Rhapsody Bar) features a new happy hour food menu where all items are priced under $12. Those specials are available between 2 pm to 6 pm Mondays through Fridays. The Lyric Bar has also launched a new weekly promotion — half-off bottles of wine every Sunday and Monday.

“It’s a constant, proactive approach to be the best of our kind,” Lyric Market general manager Jeremy Logan says in a statement. “At Lyric Market, we are striving to bring our visitors and locals alike an unforgettable experience that is pleasant, enjoyable – and during these blistering summer months — cool.”

Finally next month, when it’s hopefully a little cooler, Lyric Market will unveil its brand-new event space on the second-floor rooftop terrace on Friday, October 13 where visitors will be enjoy a variety of activations all weekend long with an array of food and drink specials to mark the occasion.

Lyric Market is located at 411 Smith Street in downtown Houston. It is open 8 am to 9 pm Mondays through Wednesdays, 8 am to 10 pm Thursdays, 8 am to 11 pm Fridays, 9 am to 11 pm Saturdays and 9 am to 9 pm Sundays.