Known throughout Detroit for its oversized sandwiches, The Gripper Kitchen is making its way to Texas. The Gripper Kitchen is planning to open sometime in August, depending on permitting, at 9517 Broadway St., Ste. 103 in Pearland.
The Gripper Kitchen owner and executive chef, Rytonie Durden, owns a catering company, food truck, and restaurant in Detroit and wanted to bring the concept to the Houston area. “The food scene is booming down here,” Durden said. “I’ve got to be a part of it.”
“The concept Gripper came from a chicken sandwich that I developed back in 2019 when the Popeyes and Chick-fil-A war was going on. I created a sandwich of my own, and I call it The Gripper. It’s called The Gripper because the sandwich is so big, you can’t ‘grip her.’”
The Gripper features a fried chicken breast, pepper jack cheese, bang sauce, which is a yogurt-based sauce, spicy coleslaw, and fresh pickles on a brioche bun. Other Gripper sandwiches include catfish, salmon, and lobster, which are built in nearly the same way.
The Gripper Kitchen also offers grilled chicken pitas, Philly cheesesteak sliders, a variety of tacos, pasta salads, and desserts such as banana pudding, peach cobbler, and fried Oreos.
“One of our slogans is, ‘Don’t trip, get a grip.’ Food is like our common ground. If we don’t have anything in common, when it comes to some good food, we’ve got something to talk about with each other,” Durden told What Now Houston. “It brings everybody together, and we’re just looking forward to opening up and serving the great people of Houston and surrounding areas.”
Durden is working on the logistics but eventually wants add daquiris to the menu. The Pearland restaurant will have indoor seating and a couple bistro sets in front of the space.
The Gripper Kitchen concept is still growing in Michigan, and Durden’s goal is to franchise the concept and open locations in other markets.
