Billionaire Tilman Fertitta’s New La Griglia Restaurant Wows With a Retractable Roof, $1 Million Patio, a Formal Vibe and the Same High-Powered Crowd

On the first Saturday night of business, Tilman Fertitta’s newly imagined La Griglia restaurant was packed, a trend that has continued every night since. Those without reservations formed a line at the door while those in the know had their choice of seats in the sophisticated dining room, the rocking bar, or on the plush patio that absolutely ranks as the most beautiful in town. (We can’t wait for the weather to cooperate so that the retractable roof panels open revealing the canopy of lighted oak trees.)

Despite the original drama when word came that the lease of the popular West Gray restaurant’s original location would not be renewed this fall, it seems that regulars are far from singing the blues. Even the downtown politicos, who gave the original La Griglia its power lunch status, are already making the scene at the new La Griglia.

The vibe of this new incarnation is far removed from the original. It’s more formal, very chic. The waitstaff is uniformed in tuxedo shirts, captains in white dinner jackets and the rock star management team — led by Brandon Busch and including Rich Parrott, Jay Bounds, Roger Ashworth and Sam Bass — are dressed in suits and ties. (How lovely it would be if diners took the hint and left their athleisure wear in the closet for the dinner hour.)

Tilman Fertitta is pleased with the results of his hands-on redesign and with the new location at 2817 West Dallas, only blocks away from the original La Griglia’s perch.

“You know, I have over 500 restaurants and I enjoy this one as much as any of them,” Fertitta tells PaperCity. “The only one I would say that even comes close to this is the Mastro’s in Malibu that we built about six or seven years ago. This just has a great feel.

“We wanted for all the Houstonians who spend the summer in Italy and Europe to be able to get that back in Houston. And right nowI feel a little bit like I’m sitting in a certain restaurant in St. Tropez.”

A big grin accompanied that last bit. As most know, the billionaire hospitality magnate spends part of his summers in the Mediterranean afloat on his 252-foot long super yacht The Boardwalk.

The location change for La Griglia was not something that Fertitta had envisioned when he purchased the popular Italian restaurant from its founder Tony Vallone. But in Fertitta’s estimation, it was a good thing in the end.

“Unfortunately, sometimes tenants and landlords don’t always agree and we didn’t agree about how things should be handled during COVID and they didn’t renew the lease at the old La Griglia,” he says. “But it kind of worked out for us.

“We’re very happy and I hope they’re just as happy. They gave us an opportunity to do something special. Because after 25 years being there, we would have never totally reengineered and reimagined it if it was the same location. You have to move locations if you want to change a menu and change the look this much.”

About that plush patio: With an outdoor bar and dining area surrounded by large live oak trees with luscious green vines, florals, and a water feature, this is sure to be the most popular seating area of the new La Griglia. An estimated $1 million was invested into the design and outfitting of this casually elegant exterior space which includes the fully retractable roof much like the second floor dining area of the Malibu Mastro’s.

Among those securing tables in that first few days were Kathy Mosbacher and Mike Wheeler, Lisa and Downing Mears, Marley and Alfred Glassell III, Lee Kaplan, Kelli Kickerillo and Todd Forester and their young son Kick, Mary and Vincent Kickerillo, Laura Moore and Don Sanders, Dancie and Jim Ware, Gary Peterson, Debbie Festari, Brandon McLendon, Karen and Mike Mayell, Marcia Strauss and Jody and Mike Gallagher. Houston Astros owner Jim Crane, George and Lois Stark, Beth Wolff, Bonner and George Ball, and Raquel and Andrew Segal have also all made the scene already, a customer roster that would have any restaurateur swooning.

The only beef is the $10 valet parking charge at the new La Griglia.