Boerne's Dining Map Changed Hands in 2026: Who Closed, Who Opened, and What's Still Coming

On Staffel Street, beside Cibolo Creek, a new sign now hangs at the building where The Creek Restaurant served French-American dinners until March. It reads LE STEAK. The chef behind it is Jean Tardif, the same chef who ran The Creek.

That one property sums up Boerne's dining year. Several well-known tables closed in 2026. Most of what's taking their place comes from people already invested in Boerne: a chef reworking his own dining room, a brewery owner opening a second spot next door, a longtime restaurant growing into the space beside it, and a franchise owner whose family has roots up the road in Comfort.

The Closures Got the Headline

In September, MySA ran a story headlined "'Heartbreaking': Why are so many Boerne businesses closing?" It quoted local posts about restaurants, bars and storefronts closing for good. Three of those closures hit the dining scene hardest.

• The Creek Restaurant, Chef Tardif's upscale French-American restaurant, closed suddenly in March.
• LaFour's Restaurant, a seafood restaurant, announced it would close permanently on June 27 after 43 years.
• El Botero Tapas & Wine at 161 S. Main St. closed at the end of August, almost six years after it opened.

The same story noted that the GameStop in the Menger Crossing shopping center on South Main closed on January 8 and will become a Firehouse Subs. Every closed space in this story that has a known replacement is getting a new tenant. The rest of this post follows those replacements.

The Creek Site Stays in the Same Hands

LE STEAK by Tardif sits at 119 Staffel St., the former Creek Restaurant property. The Boerne Life describes it as a modern take on the classic French steak-frites house, with prime beef, house-made sauces, frites and a curated wine list.

When The Boerne Life checked in on September 15, renovations were still underway, the sign was up, and the restaurant was posting previews on social media. No official opening date had been announced. For now, treat it as coming soon and follow the restaurant's own channels for a date.

So the creekside dining room isn't leaving Boerne. It's changing format under the same chef, with a narrower menu built around one dish.

A Second Act Next Door to 28 Songs

Downtown's other new kitchen also comes from a local owner. The City of Boerne listed Carmella's Pizza Parlor as opening July 24 at 110 N. Market Ave., next door to 28 Songs Brewhouse + Kitchen.

Community Impact reported that Carmella's was developed by 28 Songs owner Don Kretz and chef Zachary Disch, founder of Z's Pizza. The menu centers on New York-style thin-crust pizza made with house-made ingredients. The space also has a beer-and-wine bar and arcade games.

With 28 Songs and Carmella's side by side, one owner now runs two different evenings on the same block of North Market Avenue: a brewhouse dinner on one side, and pizza and arcade games on the other.

Cypress Grille Grew Into the Space Beside It

Cypress Grille chose to grow in place. The downtown restaurant has gone through a refresh that adds a full bar in the space next door. The new bar connects to the existing dining room, and Chef Paul is still running the kitchen.

The restaurant has reopened after the refresh. On October 7, The Boerne Life reported the bar was still coming together. Check Cypress Grille's site for when the bar is serving. Either way, a long-running downtown restaurant chose to take on more space during the same year other places gave theirs up.

Boerne's Wine Pour Moves to the North Side

When El Botero closed at 161 S. Main, South Main lost a wine bar it had for almost six years. By then, one tasting room was already pouring a few blocks north, and a second was under construction.

Missick Cellars soft-opened its tasting room at 941 N. School St. on Friday, August 14, two weeks before El Botero closed. The opening announcement also promised a small general store and bottles to take home. The proprietors are Chris and Laure Missick. A September visit by Texas Wine Lover described a room focused on Texas wines. It has a tasting bar, a mix of communal and smaller seating, nonalcoholic drinks, and a children's playground with picnic tables outside. The winery's site lists hours of 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, plus winemaker tastings by reservation Monday through Thursday.

Hill & Bach Cellars is building at 265 N. Main St., on a property under a large pecan tree. In mid-September, the Luckenbach room's dark wood ceilings had been stained and more decking was going into the courtyard. The winery's timeline at that point pointed to an opening around late October. The Hill & Bach Cellars site still calls the Boerne location "Coming Soon" and has a sign-up for opening updates.

So downtown's wine pour now sits on North School and North Main, at a playground-equipped tasting room and a courtyard taking shape under a pecan tree.

The Edges Fill In Too

Two chain openings round out the year. The Firehouse Subs going into the former GameStop at 1375 S. Main St. #221, next to StretchLab, has a local owner. Franchisee William Ellis's mother grew up in Comfort, where his family still owns property. Ellis and his wife, Maryjane, were longtime Firehouse Subs customers before opening their own. In September, the team was aiming for late September or early October.

Panda Express is going up in Boerne Town Center near IH-10 and Christus Parkway. A state filing projected construction would finish October 27. That's a construction date, not an opening date.

Where Each Address Stands Heading Into November

The two openings most likely to change downtown's evening plans this holiday season are the ones on Staffel Street and North Main. LE STEAK has been sharing previews on social media, and Hill & Bach Cellars takes sign-ups for opening updates on its website.

If you're thinking about what Boerne's evolving downtown means for a property you own nearby, Strait Luxury is glad to talk it through with you. Schedule a Private Consultation with Tamara.