A longtime Houston-area Mexican restaurant has gone dark near the Galleria. The dining room is empty. The colorful murals remain on the walls, but the tables are gone, the parking lot is bare and a banner taped to the windows tells customers all they need to know: Ruchi’s Mexican Grill at 5201 Richmond Ave. is closing.
Ruchi’s has not publicly announced the closure of the Richmond Avenue location, which is still listed on its website. The banner hung outside the now-vacant restaurant, thanking customers for their loyalty, states that the other Ruchi’s Houston locations at 6410 Westheimer Rd. and 3202 S. Loop W., are still open.
Ruchi’s has been a fixture in the local Tex-Mex and Mexican food scene for years, serving popular dishes like fajitas, tacos, tortas, quesadillas and more in multiple locations across the Greater Houston area. According to an older version of the website for the restaurant, the chain operated as many as six locations at one point since opening in 1985. Now, aside from the two remaining Houston restaurants, the chain’s other location in Rosenberg, about 30 miles southwest of Houston, is still open.
The Galleria location closure comes as Ruchi’s has been leaning into Houston’s role as a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, promoting new menu items and match broadcasts on its social media channels.
Chron has reached out to the restaurant for more information, including what led to the decision to shutter the Richmond Avenue location. We will update this story if and when we hear back.