The original Rice Village location of Local Foods opened in 2011 and has had lines since its first week. So Benjy Levit and partner/chef Dylan Murray, who also own Benjy’s, recently decided it was time to expand their sandwich-shop concept to a second location.

The new iteration of Local Foods opened softly to the public a few weeks ago, and it has already gained traction in the River Oaks-Upper Kirby-Montrose neighborhood.

The duo did it completely right when renovating the former Tex-Mex spot, Taco Milagro. There will be no wave of nostalgia when former patrons enter the restaurant’s new interior.

One clever enhancement is the two walls covered floor-to-ceiling with plats of the original River Oaks neighborhood. Upholstered booths, a clock collection, antique fixtures and mix-and-match chairs and tables throughout contribute to the breezy retro-inspired ambience.

The brilliance continues with the restaurant’s marble-topped bar, found in the back left corner. Unlike the Rice Village location, this Local Foods bar is fully equipped with wine, beer and cocktails. All of the wells drinks are made with Texas craft spirits, and there are plenty of Texas beer and wine options, too. Tip: If a line has formed at the food-ordering counter, instead grab a seat in the bar and place your food and drink order with the server.

Although it looks larger, the new restaurant seats roughly the same number of patrons as the original Rice Village location; however, once the outdoor patio undergoes its planned renovation into a more lush, intimate space, the Kirby location will be able to accommodate approximately 90 more customers.

Levit explained the plans to install a few steel contraptions around the patio’s perimeter to provide shade and protection from the sun (but not from the unpredictable Houston showers). Partitions constructed of greenery also strategically placed around the perimeter will provide diners more privacy while dining al fresco. There will also be a small water feature as well as other landscaping elements.

While the patio is a new feature at this location, the lunch menu is essentially a replica of the Rice Village location, with just a few new menu items. The popular truffle egg salad sandwich and crunchy chicken sandwich still find their place on the menu, but new menu additions are worth a taste. Take the achiote pork torta (photo above): a Slow Dough bolillo bun smeared with aioli cuddles moist pork, avocado, fresh cilantro and pineapple chips. It is a filling sandwich, but you won’t leave feeling bloated — the genius behind all of Local Foods’ healthful sandwiches.

Come evening, patrons can also order off an expanded dinner menu. Order a “dinner plate” and choose among rotisserie chicken, pork leg or leg of lamb with a choice of sauces. Then choose two sides, which differ from the lunch menu, or a cup of soup.

It wouldn’t be a meal at one of Levit and Murray’s restaurants without a dessert, recipes courtesy of Levit’s mom. The devilishly good Mom’s Chocolate Cake (which is still being baked by Levit’s mom) is miniaturized into cupcake form for easy traveling (photo above). In fact most of the sweets are cut into bars for grab-and-go convenience. Our favorite: the butterscotch brownie, a blonde, chewy version of a traditional chocolate brownie but just as rich.

With a prime location, ample parking, an expanded menu and a mom’s homemade desserts, we only see great things for the future of this Local Foods.

Local Foods 2555 Kirby (at Westheimer) 713-255-4440 houstonlocalfoods.com