James Harden Might Be Leaving the Rockets, But His Houston Restaurant Will Still Open in January

Thirteen, the ritzy Midtown restaurant from Houston Rockets standout James Harden, will officially open its doors this month.

The restaurant is set to make its debut on January 22, according to the Houston Chronicle, inside the former Mr. Peeples space at 1911 Bagby Street. The restaurant will be helmed by chef Tobias Dorzon, a former professional football player who’s also worked as a personal chef, cooking for star athletes like Tyrod Taylor DeSean Jackson, and Lebron James.

As previously reported by Eater, getting into the restaurant business is sort of a natural fit for Harden, who’s frequently spotted at hotspot Houston eateries like the Turkey Leg Hut, La Griglia, and Taste Bar and Kitchen. In a 2019 interview, Harden shouted out steakhouse Vic & Anthony’s as his favorite Space City restaurant.

As far as the menu at Thirteen is concerned, look forward to decadent, upscale riffs on comfort food dishes like fries spiced with Old Bay and drenched in Maryland crab cream sauce, deep-fried red snapper, and a Harden-inspired dish called the Sun Devil, which involves roasted oysters topped with creamed collard greens and candied bacon.

The opening comes at a truly interesting time, just as Harden ends his time with the Houston Rockets. Throughout most of 2020, Harden publicly sought a trade from the team to the Brooklyn Nets, and finally got his wish on January 11, according to the Athletic. Just yesterday, team officials said that they were “gaining confidence” in the idea that Harden may have plans to stick around Houston, at least for the rest of the current NBA season.

Update, January 11: This post has been updated to reflect Harden’s trade from the Houston Rockets to the Brooklyn Nets.

• Meet the chef leading James Harden’s new Thirteen restaurant [Chron]
• Houston Rockets Star James Harden Is Opening a Swanky New Restaurant [EHOU]