From Mexico City to the Texas Medical Center; Ojo De Agua to Bring a Chic Oasis for All Day Casual Dining to the Heart of Houston’s Transformative Helix Park Life Science Campus
HOUSTON, TX – October 15, 2024 – One of the country’s most important new life sciences campuses will soon be home to the fourth U.S. location of the tropical Mexico City-born casual dining concept, Ojo de Agua. Texas-based Gitano Capital has signed a lease for a 3,400-square-foot space in the TMC3 Collaborative Building (7255 Helix Park Ave., Houston, TX 77030), located in Helix Park at the heart of the Texas Medical Center, the world’s largest medical complex. The location will feature an expansive patio in the award-winning Helix Park, known for its unique design of six interconnected gardens that make up more than a dozen acres of greenspace and nearly 19 acres of public space.
Brian Ashby and Thomas P. Nguyen of CBRE represented Gitano Capital, which opened the second U.S. and first Houston outpost of the brand – Ojo de Agua River Oaks District – in Spring 2023. Gitano Capital is also redeveloping the former One Fifth (1658 Westheimer, Houston, TX 77006) into a new upscale Japanese restaurant. Both businesses are expected to open in 2025.
According to Gitano Capital partner Rafael Montero, “It’s an honor for Ojo de Agua to be the first restaurant revealed for the remarkable Helix Park development. We look forward to creating a stylish but approachable retreat for tenants, visitors and patients amidst the bustle of the Texas Medical Center. We envision a place for people to gather and get away from it all with an all-day menu of incredibly flavorful food and drinks using the freshest ingredients and served against a chic, boho-coastal backdrop with artisan design elements sourced from Mexico.”
An additional focus of the restaurant will be full-service offsite catering, supporting the unique demands of the building, which features comprehensive meeting and event functionality, as well as the needs of the medical community as a whole. This will complement in-house private dining spaces for small and larger groups.
“We are excited to introduce Ojo de Agua to the Texas Medical Center community and present a new spot where members and visitors can connect, celebrate and collaborate while enjoying a unique culinary experience,” said William McKeon, president and CEO of the Texas Medical Center. “Food has a way of bringing people together and as our campus continues to welcome visitors from all over the world, Ojo de Agua will showcase high quality, fresh ingredients that reflect the vibrancy and diversity of our community.”
Melding authentic Mexican and Mediterranean elements, along with a beverage program that spans myriad made-to-order juice and smoothie varieties to an expansive selection of teas and coffees, array of mimosas, plus liquor, wine and beer cocktails such as the Tamarind Mango Margarita, Acai Daiquiri, Clamato Preparado (tomato juice, lime and assorted sauces and beer) plus Lavender Martini (Sauvignon blanc, lavender tea and vermouth).
On the food front, diners can start their day with signature acai and pitaya bowls, chilaquiles and Swiss Enchiladas (white corn tortillas filled with chicken breast and covered in a roasted green sauce and melted manchego cheese), along with guava or burrata pancakes and banana waffles. Lunch fare encompasses ceviches, tostada, tacos (salmon, lobster, ribeye, birria, pork, tofu and mahi mahi) and sandwiches (such as Spanish serrano ham with fig, tuna steak with ginger and honey sauce, chicken breast with mango chutney, turkey with avocado pesto and a free-range kobe burger with plum sauce, all served with the option of plantain chips), in addition to salads ranging from a kale Caesar to a Thai bowl and Caprese. Cauliflower Mole Octopus, Stuffed Plantain, Mahi Mahi cooked in a classic adobo marinade, Filet Medallions and Mexican Bowl (brown rice, beans, zucchini, baby corn, rib eye, sour cream, cotija cheese, guacamole and sprouts) are among the dinner entrees. A kid’s menu will also be available as will numerous market grab and go items.
Service will initially be offered as fast casual morning through afternoon with waitstaff at night.
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