Uptown Houston: Tilman Ferittta’s New Neighbor: Merus Grill Rolls Out

In The Merus Grill in Uptown will serve a double, bone pork chop.

In Houston, Merus Grill, a new restaurant by the upscale J. Alexander’s Holdings organization is opening in the Uptown Park center in the Galleria area.

The 200-seat, 7,900-SF restaurant will open Nov. 18, serving steaks, chops, seafood and a lunch menu.

“All of our steaks will be cut in-house,” said Mark A. Parkey, President and Chief Executive Officer of J. Alexander’s Holdings, “and is set to feature Certified Angus Beef seasoned and grilled in a 1,600° Montague broiler. In addition, our fresh chicken will be all-natural and sourced exclusively from Red Bird Farms.”

Merus Grill will be located at 1180 Uptown Park Boulevard in Uptown Park, an Edens center at the northwest corner of Post Oak Boulevard and Loop 610. By coincidence, the Merus Grill is located only a couple of blocks from the headquarters of Houston restaurant magnate Tillman Fertitta, owner of the Landry’s restaurant organization and the Golden Nugget casino hotels.

This is the first Merus Grill to opened by J. Alexanders Holdings, Nashville-based firm that operates 46 restaurants in 16 states.

A press release from the firm described the venture thusly: “Merus Grill is a chef-driven, boutique-style restaurant bringing discerning guests a contemporary take on classic American cuisine.”

Merus Grill will be open seven days a week.

At one time, the J. Alexanders Holdings group operated a “J. Alexander’s” branded restaurant in west Houston, near the corner of Westheimer and Wilcrest, but it closed over a year ago.