ChòpnBlọk Montrose continues to pull in the crowds, the fast-casual West African restaurant from Ope Amosu offering not only food and drink, but a vibrant community space for the neighbourhood.
Beginning life as a 670 square foot food stall in the Downtown culture, food, and recreation hub POST Houston in 2021, ChòpnBlọk Montrose is the concept’s first bricks-and-mortar location, the deliberate expansion strengthening Amosu’s mission to “make West African cuisine a vibrant part of everyday life, all within a city that is home to one of the largest communities of Nigerians in the country.”
Growing up in Houston, Texas as a child of Nigerian immigrants, Ope personifies the Afro-American crossroads. His upbringing was similar to many of his peers from immigrant families, with heavy doses of Nigerian culture influenced by forces quintessential to the Bayou City. These varied experiences eventually drove Ope to begin ChòpnBlọk.
Situated at the intersection of Westheimer Road and Whitney Street, the new restaurant is named after the neighbourhood in which it’s located and has 70 interior dining room seats, a 12-seat bar and a 20-seat outdoor patio. A larger kitchen allows for greater culinary capacity and experimentation, and the 3,000 square foot locale will host everything from live music nights to panel discussions and special dinner programming; each reinforcing ChòpnBlọk’s role as a cultural hub in Montrose.
Designed by Gin Design Group, in collaboration with multidisciplinary strategy and creative consultancy AMAO Creative, and inspired by the art, textiles, and architecture of West Africa, design highlights include custom wallpaper by Nigerian artist Uzo Njoku, and a stencilled mud wall by Republic Finishes, which is inspired by traditional African mud walls and incorporates ChòpnBlọk’s signature pattern stencilled onto its surface.
An Aso Oke-inspired back bar, bar façade, and community tables by Gin Design Group serve to pay tribute to the traditional West African woven fabric, Aso Oke, highlighting the richness of African textiles and craftsmanship.
The restaurant’s new home sits within the original boundaries of Houston’s historic Freedmen’s Town, a municipality established in 1865 by formerly enslaved people post-Juneteenth, and one of the oldest Black communities in the city. This is especially important to Amosu who feels that this further aligns with the restaurant’s mission to create accessible pathways to experience the food and culture of the African Diaspora.
More than a restaurant, ChòpnBlọk serves as a culinary and cultural bridge, connecting Houston’s rich African heritage with a contemporary dining experience; one that continues to evolve and deepen its roots in the city’s ever-expanding food landscape.
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ChopnBlok Montrose Houston Photography, Arturo Olmos / © StuffBenEats.
