Houston’s sandwich game is about to get a lot louder on Washington Avenue. Yuma, the pop-up turning heads with Brazilian- and Cuban-inspired sandwiches, has taken over the former Ninja Ramen spot at 4219 Washington Ave and is working toward a brick-and-mortar debut this spring. Husband-and-wife team Mike Hartley and Miriam Leek-Meira plan to keep their popular pop-ups rolling around town while they build out the new restaurant, which will stay focused on stacked sandwiches served on their own house-baked bread.
According to CultureMap Houston, the couple has secured the Ninja Ramen space and is eyeing a spring 2026 opening for full operations. Leek-Meira told the outlet she wants to bring more Brazilian dishes to Houston diners by filtering them through what she calls the “prism of the Cuban sandwich.”
The brick-and-mortar move is built on a busy pop-up résumé. As Houston Press has reported, the team runs a microbakery to produce its own bread and has been a regular presence at bars and markets across the city. That run has given them time to fine-tune sandwiches and sides while sketching out a full-service schedule for the Washington Avenue shop.
What’s on the menu and where to catch Yuma next
Once the doors open, Yuma’s lineup is expected to feature a Classic Cubano, the Sampa Gallo chicken sandwich, and the A Caipira, billed as a Brazilian spin on a cheesesteak. There is also a fusion twist in the El Penny Cubano Banh Mi. CultureMap Houston notes that the menu will round out with croquettes, Pastel de Bife empanadas and pão de queijo, all built on bread baked in-house by the Yuma team.
Until the Washington Avenue buildout wraps, Yuma is not disappearing from the circuit. Axelrad’s calendar lists the sandwich operation among its rotating food vendors in January, and Third Place has a Yuma lunch service slated for February 7, according to its events page. Venue listings and local writeups also point to recurring appearances at Catbirds, in Rice Village and at area farmers markets while Hartley and Leek-Meira finish the new restaurant.
Yuma’s leap from fold-out table to permanent kitchen tracks with a broader Houston pattern of chef-driven pop-ups turning into full-scale restaurants. Houstonia Magazine and other local outlets have highlighted a wave of concepts that used events and short-term gigs to test menus, build followings and then sign leases once the demand was clear.
The Washington Avenue spot will give Hartley and Leek-Meira space not only to expand service but also to showcase cocktails developed with local bartenders, while the ongoing pop-ups help keep buzz and revenue flowing during construction. Expect more specifics on operating hours and a locked-in opening date as the spring buildout moves forward.
