The Katy Boardwalk District was planned around a 90-acre lake, a four-star hotel, a conference center, retail and dining. Boardwalk Lofts opened in 2021.
In another part of west Katy, Burger Bodega opens at 21904 Franz Rd. on Saturday, September 19, at 11 a.m.
What opens Saturday
Burger Bodega built its name on Washington Avenue in a converted 1930s-era fire station, turning a backyard pop-up into one of Houston's more talked-about smash burger spots under chef-owner Abbas Dhanani. The Katy location is nearly double the size of the original, a 3,000-square-foot buildout representing a $1.5 million investment, and it opens with a grand-opening vendor market alongside the usual menu of smash burgers, chopped cheese sandwiches, loaded fries and specialty milkshakes, including a mango lassi shake and Vietnamese coffee flavor that nod to the restaurant's Houston roots. All the beef is halal.
The space got its own visual identity too. Houston artist Matthew Tabor built out the bubble-letter branding and a wall of faux bodega products, and muralists Mister G and Space City Art Kreations, working under Donkeeboy's direction, painted a mural specific to the new site. This isn't a franchise stamping out a template. It's a Houston concept with a location on this stretch of Franz Road.
In its report, CultureMap quoted Dhanani: "Katy has been on our radar since day one. It's one of the most vibrant, food-loving communities in the Houston area, and we're beyond grateful for the chance to bring Burger Bodega here."
New restaurants near Katy Mills
Burger Bodega isn't landing in isolation. The restaurant is one of ten commercial development projects registered along the Franz Road corridor in late 2024, according to Community Impact's reporting on the area. A few blocks over at 233 S. Mason Road, Fuzzy's Tacos and Margs opened back on December 22, 2025, meaning it will have been open for nearly nine months by the time Burger Bodega cuts its ribbon.
Both are fast-casual, walk-in restaurants near Katy Mills and Typhoon Texas. Their openings add dining options along Franz Road and South Mason Road.
Meanwhile, at the lake
The Boardwalk District hasn't stalled entirely. Developer Sueba USA just opened Boardwalk Square, a 353-unit apartment building that joins the original 319-unit Boardwalk Lofts from 2021. That's more than 670 apartment units now open inside the district, managed day to day by Southhampton Management.
The 80-acre development plan includes retail, dining and hotel components, which have no confirmed opening timeline. The Houston Business Journal has described the commercial timeline as unclear; the residential side continues to deliver new buildings on schedule. Whether the Boardwalk will add a walkable dining destination remains an open question five years after the first units opened.
Where to actually eat near Katy Mills right now
If you're looking for a plan for the back half of September rather than a five-year forecast, here's what's open or about to be:
- Burger Bodega — 21904 Franz Rd. Opens Saturday, September 19 at 11 a.m. with a grand-opening vendor market. Smash burgers, chopped cheese, halal beef.
- Fuzzy's Tacos and Margs — 233 S. Mason Road. Open since December 22, 2025. Tacos, margaritas, casual patio seating.
- Portillo's — already operating near Katy Asian Town, part of the same wave of Houston and Chicago-born concepts pushing into this side of the suburb.
None of these are inside the Boardwalk District. Burger Bodega and Fuzzy's sit within a few minutes of each other on the Franz Road and North Mason Road grid, with Portillo's a short drive away in the same general corridor.
Other dining and retail options nearby
Three miles south, LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch offers another dining option. The 34-acre center runs roughly 200 events a year through Central Green Park, from weekly Yoga on the Green to Toddler Tuesday to a farmers market where leashed dogs are welcome. North Italia was announced for the center with an early-2026 opening target, part of a lineup that already leans upscale-casual.
Katy Mills Mall is getting its own significant addition too. P.F. Chang's filed plans earlier this year for a nearly $3.8 million renovation of an existing tenant space at the mall, according to reporting on Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filings, with an opening targeted by the end of 2026.
Developments around west Katy are at different stages. LaCenterra is an established lifestyle center; Katy Mills has a planned P.F. Chang's renovation; and the Boardwalk has open residential buildings alongside commercial components without a confirmed opening timeline. Restaurant openings on Franz and Mason roads add more nearby dining options.
For residents weighing the area, the mix of open businesses and projects still in planning is part of the picture around Katy Mills and nearby west Katy neighborhoods.
If you're curious how these kinds of shifts affect property values or timing around Katy Mills, the Boardwalk, or Cinco Ranch, the team at The Hightower Team keeps a close eye on this corner of Katy and is always happy to talk through what it means for your specific street. Contact Us anytime.
