Khói Barbecue hasn’t announced anything, but Chron confirmed that a certificate of occupancy was issued to Khói LLC on Oct. 14 for the corner brick building at 201 E. 20th St. The space was formerly home to Le Café Joséphine, which was reportedly rebranded in 2022 from Neo Baguette.
It will be the first brick-and-mortar stop for Khói Barbecue. Don and Theo Nguyen opened the pop-up in 2017 in their backyard, serving a menu that blended their Vietnamese roots and Texas upbringing. Guests have lapped up their brisket pho, chopped brisket and beef rib sandos, miso mac and cheese, and beef rib curry.
Khói Barbecue has since been operating on weekends at Trash Panda Drinking Club at 515 Patton St.
When Khói Barbecue got its nod in the 2026 Texas Michelin Guide, the Nguyens said the turnout was both “amazing and at times, overwhelming” for the pop-up’s small team. They wrote on Instagram Thursday, thanking customers for their support and indicating they would hire more staff to keep up with the demand.
Chron has reached out to Khói Barbecue about the new space in the Heights. We will update this story if and when we hear back.