Our Story

Wynne Design channels Oaxacan streets & Chef Salinas’s heritage into a vibrant cocina of coastal flavors and family memory.

Wynne Design Works principle Wyndy Ramirez has now designed her third restaurant in Houston following Field and Tides and White Elm Brasserie. The design inspiration for Johnny Rita’s Cocina y Cantina was derived through discovering the local elements of Oaxaca, Mexico, the birthplace of our Chef Partner Jesus Salinas. Wyndy brought the space to life with the vibrant colors and architecture found on the city streets of Oaxaca. Johnny Rita’s atmosphere is meant to elicit scenes from the Oaxacan desert and Mexico’s Pacific coast while infusing the delicious tastes of authentic Mexican food. 

Johnny Ritas is named for my Mother's Dad Johnny and my Dad's Mother Rita. I have very vivid memories, really and truly mental aromas,  of my grandmothers kitchen, especially her cast iron skillet filled with pork rendering for making beans, tortillas and every other delicious item from her kitchen. I have the same memories of my grandfathers charcoal and wood grill in their backyard, cooking for the entire family underneath their orange tree. I lean hard into my Mexican heritage when into comes to cuisine, but my Grandfathers passion for fishing in the Salton Sea imprinted on me for a lifetime love of salt water fresh seafood.