Ronnie Killen to open Tex-Mex restaurant
For weeks, chef Ronnie Killen has been teasing his fans on social media with mouthwatering photos of classic Tex-Mex dishes whose recipes he’s been testing and hints of a Killen’s-branded restaurant where he can play out his taco/enchilada/tamale dreams.
That day has come. Killen has signed a lease for a new restaurant in Pearland, Killen’s TMX, at 9330 Broadway, about a mile west of his Killen’s Steakhouse. Already under construction, Killen’s TMX is expected to open in November; when it does, it will bring the number of restaurants that Killen operates in the Houston suburb to four (the others are Killen’s Steakhouse, Killen’s Barbecue and Killen’s Burgers).
Killen has been using his barbecue joint as a TexMex incubator for a while now. He added smoked chicken enchiladas, brisket enchiladas, brisket tacos and quesadillas to the dinner menu to gauge his customers’ interest in smoked-meats-stoked Tex-Mex classics. The dishes — most presented with his own takes on Mexican rice, charro beans, guacamole and roasted tomato salsa — have been a hit.
Killen hopes his TMX will be, too.
“Tex-Mex has never been so popular. In Texas, it’s Tex-Mex, barbecue and burgers,” he said. “That’s Texas comfort food. You can’t go wrong.”
Well, you can. But Killen has proved he has the touch since expanding beyond the steakhouse that first brought him acclaim. His barbecue is considered among the state’s best, and his Killen’s STQ in Houston proper has earned respect as a thoughtful merger between his steakhouse and barbecue passions. Killen’s 16-year-old son, Cameron — a fan of his father’s enchiladas — advocated adding Tex-Mex to the canon.
Killen says he’s been working on recipes and for all manner of classic dishes but that he also wants to pay homage to traditional Mexican foods. To that end, he has traveled to Mexico for research and cooking classes. Killen’s TMX will have seating for about 150, and serve both lunch and dinner.