Downtown Houston’s theater-district lunch rush is zeroing in on one clear favorite at Lyric Market. Peppaz HTX, a chicken concept turned counter service, is drawing steady lines for its double-fried wings, ultra-crisp fried broccoli and a sandwich that has quickly become office small talk. Owner-chef Mimi Jones and partner Johnae Bernard have turned a home-kitchen recipe into a downtown staple since landing in the market.
FOX 26 Houston’s “Foodies & Friends” segment recently caught up with Jones, who talked through the menu and the jump from mobile service to a permanent counter. According to FOX 26 Houston, the Lyric Market outpost has made Peppaz a reliable stop for quick, boldly seasoned chicken. The segment underscored how straightforward, nostalgic flavors, paired with house sauces, are fueling repeat visits from downtown regulars.
From Food Truck To Food Hall
Peppaz began in a home kitchen in 2018, then rolled out as a food truck in 2022 before opening inside Lyric Market in July 2025, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. The Chronicle notes that Jones and Bernard built their following by catering for the Rockets, H-E-B and other local clients. The Lyric Market counter gives the team a consistent downtown audience without the overhead of a full standalone restaurant.
What’s On The Menu
Lyric Market’s vendor page lists Peppaz’s chicken sandwiches, wings, chicken tacos and its signature fried broccoli, along with rotating lemonades and house cookies. You can find the vendor listing on Lyric Market and the full menu and schedule on Peppaz’s own page. The counter leans on a double-fry method and assertive sauces to make familiar chicken-shop staples feel fresh without getting fussy.
Why Downtown Is Turning Out
The food-hall setup tracks neatly with downtown’s daily rhythms. Office workers swarm the stalls at lunch, theatergoers swing through before curtain time and evening diners keep the space buzzing later into the day, which means Peppaz stays busy across multiple dayparts. FOX 26’s coverage showed steady lunch lines and highlighted how the mix of comforting flavors and fast counter service has clicked with Lyric Market’s crowd. The shared-market environment also gives vendors room to tinker with menu tweaks without taking on the cost or risk of a full brick-and-mortar space.
Practical Details
Peppaz operates inside Lyric Market at 411 Smith St. Lyric Market lists hours as 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The vendor page on Lyric Market and Peppaz’s own site, Peppaz, carry updated schedules and catering details. For now, the owners say the counter is staying put while they continue to run pop-ups and private events around Houston.
For downtown diners who want fast, flavorful chicken without a lot of ceremony, Peppaz HTX has settled into the role of dependable, no-frills favorite. As Houston’s dining scene packs more concepts into food halls and shared markets, Peppaz’s path from home kitchen to truck to counter is a reminder that consistent cooking and a clear point of view can still cut through the noise.
