OPENING ALERT

Las Vegas group rolls dice on Boerne with new steakhouse and cafe

12 Herff Steakhouse's menu is similar to its Dallas sibling, The Saint.

Boerne is a long way away from the desert sands of Las Vegas, but that isn’t stopping a Sin City restaurant group from falling for its charms. Hooper Hospitality Concepts, led by a James Beard Award-nominated restaurateur, is opening 12 Herff and Meet Me Outside, a new steakhouse and ice house, in the once-sleepy Hill Country town.

As first reported by Community Impact, the two restaurants will land at a new development on 12 Herff Rd. The project is expected to be completed in summer 2025, according to the developer, the Woodmont Company, and Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) records.

Hooper Hospitality founder Andy Hooper started the company after a stint working for celebrity chef Mario Batali, opening popular off-strip eateries Locale Italian Kitchen and El Luchador in Vegas. In 2023, he stretched out to Dallas to debut The Saint, an Italian steakhouse with a bit of casino razzmatazz.

For the Texas projects, he enlisted a chef with some bona fides of his own. Culinary director Jacob Williamson began his career under global restaurateur Jean-Georges Vongerichten before working for Wolfgang Puck.

Although Hooper Hospitality was unreachable by publication time, the group has previously teased the Meet Me Outside concept to several outlets when planning a Dallas location. A menu filmed at the June groundbreaking attended by Boerne media shows dishes like smoked trout dip, beef Bourguignon tacos, and Buffalo chicken quinoa.

12 Herff Steakhouse has a bit more mystery, but the introductory walkthrough teases an upscale concept not unlike The Saint. Classics like sautéed crab cakes, Texas Wagyu steak frites, and a Hill Country lamb rack are among the offerings.

Woodmont’s property brochure makes mention of Good Neighbor Coffee, a Hooper concept that has filed paperwork for several Texas locations. The coffee shop, however, is not listed on the leasing map, and it’s unclear if it will open in Boerne.

hill country boerne development steaks ice houses openings

MORE, MORE, MORE

San Antonio's iconic Burger Boy expands to Far West Side

Photo courtesy of Burger Boy

undefined

After opening its milestone 10th restaurant in June, San Antonio’s Burger Boy isn’t sitting on its laurels (or should it be crinkle fries?). On Friday, December 5, the beloved local chain announced it was looking forward to opening its 11th unit at Loop 1604 S. and Marbach Road.

The chain announced its latest project in a playful Instagram Reel featuring an employee asking Siri to find the not-yet-existing location. The post was slim on details, but recently filed project details at the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation state that the 2,410 square foot new building is set to wrap up construction in July 2026.

Burger Boy has been on a growth spurt since 2017, when a locally owned investment group bought the brand from its original owner, Carl Bates. Six of the current 10 locations have opened since 2021.

While the current owners may be busy building a modern chain, the menu keeps true to the roots established by Carl’s father, Frank Bates, who ran Whopper Burger from 1955 to 1983. For the uninitiated, the menu skips buzzy food trends in favor of simple burgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, and signature crinkle fries.

Burger Boy does go for broke when it comes to shakes. Going beyond classic flavors like vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate, the restaurant sells coconut, banana, and Big Red varieties. The limited-edition drops, currently a Peppermint Drop, keep customers coming back as much as the juicy burgers.

Meanwhile, there are still no updates on the original restaurant on the St. Mary’s Strip. The iconic outpost has been closed since August due to a kitchen fire.

far west side burgers chains openings