Hai Hospitality is bringing its bar-forward izakaya concept Uchibā to Houston, with plans to open inside the RO mixed-use development in late 2027. The 4,400-square-foot restaurant will mark the brand's latest expansion beyond its original Dallas home, landing in a River Oaks-area project anchored by a new Auberge-branded hotel tower.
According to CultureMap Houston, Uchibā is described as the bar-forward sibling of Uchi and Uchiko, and the name itself simply means “Uchi bar.” The concept first opened in Dallas in 2019, and the Houston version will lean into the same izakaya-inspired menu that's defined the brand elsewhere: yakitori grill items, baos and buns, dumplings, sushi, and Uchi classics like madai crudo, hama chili and brussels sprouts. Those dishes will be paired with cocktails, Japanese whisky, sake, wine, beer and non-alcoholic options, per the same report.
Hai Hospitality's own description of the concept, posted on its website, frames Uchibā as a quicker-bite companion to its flagship restaurant: Uchibā, borrowing flavors from Uchi, delivers quick bites paired with delicious Japanese cocktails, according to haihospitality.com. The Houston location will offer 125 interior seats, 36 patio seats, 11 seats at the sushi bar and 17 seats at the beverage bar, giving the space a layout built for both quick drop-ins and longer sit-down meals.
Design Team and Austin Roots
Hai's internal design team is working with architecture firm the Aria Group and interior designers Maybe Sometimes Studio on the restaurant's build-out, the CultureMap report notes. Hai Hospitality is based in Austin, and already has a significant footprint in Houston through high-end sushi restaurant Uchi, its live-fire sibling Uchiko, tasting counter Oheya, and two locations of the fast-casual, Asian-influenced smokehouse Loro.
Hai founder Tyson Cole framed the Houston expansion as personal. “Bringing Uchibā here feels like a natural next chapter for a town that means so much to us,” Cole said, according to the same CultureMap report, adding that Houstonians have embraced Hai from day one and helped shape the group.
Inside The RO's River Oaks Footprint
The RO is Transwestern's 17-acre mixed-use development currently under construction at the corner of Buffalo Speedway and West Alabama. The Birdsall, a 34-story luxury hotel and condo tower from Auberge Resorts Collection, will anchor the project. Per REjournals, the development is planned to combine The Birdsall with chef-driven restaurants and boutique retail, a luxury multifamily community called The Clayton, and office space.
Exact retail figures vary by source: REjournals and Transwestern both cite 80,000 square feet of chef-driven restaurants and boutique retail, while PaperCity describes 75,000 square feet of retail space including six to eight restaurants. Transwestern lists The Birdsall, Retail Village and The Clayton as scheduled to deliver in late 2027, while the Houston Chronicle reports the broader RO project is expected to be completed that same year.
PaperCity also reports that the development's master plan pushes parking to the periphery and underground, aiming for what the outlet calls a pedestrian-only walker's paradise. The same report notes that the RO's developers studied mixed-use projects around the country and in Texas, eventually landing on San Antonio's Pearl as an inspiration for the project's placemaking approach.
Second Restaurant Announced for the Development
Uchibā is the second restaurant announced for The RO. Relish Restaurant and Bar will close its current Westheimer location this month and reopen at the development at some point in 2027, according to the CultureMap report.
Hai's izakaya concept has been expanding well beyond Dallas and Houston. A Hoodline report from last month detailed plans for a Uchibā location in Fort Worth's Clearfork, listed at 3,577 square feet with an additional 2,415 square feet of covered patio space, expected to open in fall 2027. That same report notes Uchibā's existing location sits at 2817 Maple Avenue in Dallas, with the concept also expanded to Charlotte, North Carolina, and a Miami location currently under construction.
