Top six exciting restaurant openings across the South

The summer months brought plenty of heat across the South, both outside and in the kitchen, as new restaurants popped up everywhere, from Texas to Florida, serving Japanese, Tex-Mex and Italian cuisine.

In San Antonio, Carriqui is serving dishes inspired by South Texas foodways in a nearly-400-seat dining room, while Houston’s Pacha Nikkei is focused on Peruvian-Japanese Nikkei cuisine. Up the road in Dallas, longtime restaurateur Mico Rodriguez is back for another round, opening the Tex-Mex spot, Doce Mesas.

New Orleans restaurant Sukeban embraces the Japanese izakaya, serving hand rolls and drinks at an intimate counter, while Atlanta’s Gigi’s Italian Kitchen has transformed from a weekly pop-up into a permanent concept serving red sauce pasta and fresh produce. Finally, Miami’s always-buzzing restaurant scene just welcomed Gekkō, a collaboration between hospitality guru David Grutman and rap star Bad Bunny. Expect over-the-top décor and high-end Japanese beef.

Here are the six new or soon-to-open restaurants across the south.