In 2019, the Turkey Leg hut in Houston was hit with its first lawsuit that we publicly know of. A group of neighbors of the restaurant in third ward filed a nuisance lawsuit against the restaurant due to the smoke coming from the outdoor BBQ pits as a public health hazard. Plaintiffs claimed that the smoke from the pits was affecting their daily lives. However, about 2 weeks later, on December 9, 2019, the plaintiffs dropped the lawsuit and requested an unconditional dismissal. The reason for dropping the lawsuit was never specified in reports. You may wonder, no way that much smoke was coming from a neighborhood restaurant, but that wasn’t the first time residents in the area have complained. The turkey leg hut experienced rapid growth and grew immensely popular; people would come from all over to try their food. This led to long lines, heavy traffic, and parking issues, all in addition to the smoke problems.
In 2024, the turkey leg hut was hit with another lawsuit by former business partner Steve Rodgers over financial disputes related to a buyout agreement. In March of 2024, the court ordered co-owner Lyndell Price to pay Rodgers close to a million dollars. The lawsuit alleges that Rodgers wasn’t paid his full agreed-upon amount. The restaurant only paid part of the owed amount before stopping payments. Rodgers claimed that the restaurant defaulted on an agreement to buy his shares for $1.5 million in 2023.
Massive debt and bankruptcy proceedings, in addition to all the other legal challenges the Turkey Leg Hut was facing in the years it was open, the nail in their coffin was the filing of a Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation in late 2024. The restaurant accumulated around $5 million in debt by early 2024. In January of 2024, food distributor US Foods filed a lawsuit alleging that the restaurant owed more than $1 million in unpaid goods and services. In March of that same year, owner Nakia Holmes filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in an attempt to repay creditors they owed and to reorganize the business. They owed the Texas Comptroller $1.95 million, the Small Business Administration (SBA) $422,520, and the IRS $158,000. In September of 2024, the restaurant was found with 35 health code violations, some of which were deemed to be a serious public threat. This led to a temporary shutdown by the Houston Health Department. In the midst of their ongoing issues, a motion was filed by a court-appointed trustee to convert the case from a Chapter 11 to a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which forced the business to be liquidated. October of that year, the bankruptcy was officially converted to a chapter 7 liquidation by a judge, citing the unsolved health violations and other operational issues the restaurant was having. Following that ruling in 2024, the landlord was able to terminate their lease, all assets were to be sold to repay creditors, restaurant signs were removed, and the turkey leg hut was officially closed, but what was not at all the last we’d hear of them.
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Getting into the food violation previously mentioned, they were temporarily shut down by the health department in 2024 due to 35 health code violations that included underrefrigerated food, food being stored outside, flies, if you’ve ever been to the turkey leg hut you know the flies were ridiculous, there were plumbing leaks, cups stored on the floor, a garden hose used to clean storage bins and black residue in the soda gun. The health department made it clear that some of these conditions were a threat to public health and required them to close the restaurant immediately, and it was to remain closed until a follow-up inspection happened to confirm all the violations were corrected. This never happened because the restaurant permanently closed a few months later due to other issues. At the time of their initial temporary closure, they claimed that they were closed for renovations, which people found later not to be the case.
The turkey leg hut was impacted by two separate fires in 2024. The first one happened in March in the restaurant’s business office; the restaurant remained open, and the second fire took place in April at the warehouse. It was small and did not affect the business operation. Neither fire caused injuries, and the cause is unknown. However, in June 2020, co-owner Lyndell Price orchestrated a fire that destroyed another Houston business bar, 5015, which was allegedly motivated by a business dispute. Lyndell was indicted on federal arson charges. The fire destroyed the building. It is alleged that Lyndell paid people to carry out the arson related to bar 5015 due to the bar’s owner refusing to partner with him. Which is understandable given all that they had going on. In April of 2025, Lyndell was arrested and federally charged with conspiracy to commit arson in connection with the incident at bar 5015.
In May 2025, some new information came to light regarding Turkey Leg Hut co-owner Lyndell Price. FBI testimony alleges that Lyndell sold large amounts of marijuana and distributed it in bags with the restaurant logo. Special agent Deborah Cline testified that John Lee Price (no relation), who was a co-defendant in Lyndell’s arson case, revealed this information to investigators. Testimonies state that Lyndell had marijuana brought from California and stored it between the restaurant and a business ally daiquiri hut. The co-defendant claimed that they store over 1,000 pounds of marijuana at the restaurants that were protected by security guards. Lyndell was never charged with any crimes related to marijuana at the restaurant; he was referred to as the orchestrator who tried to keep his hands clean.
All of that brings us to the latest news involving the ownership of the turkey leg hut. Founder Nakia Holmes has been arrested in a kidnapping case. She was arrested Wednesday morning and charged with a felony for allegedly helping a man evade police, according to Harris County court records. Holmes, 45, faces one count of hindering apprehension or prosecution of a known felon, a serious charge that could carry significant penalties if convicted. Authorities allege that Holmes assisted Johnathan Saizon, a man accused of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault of a family member. Saizon was already out on bond for earlier felony charges when he allegedly beat an ex-girlfriend with a tire iron. Details of Holmes’ alleged involvement have not yet been disclosed in court filings, but investigators believe she may have played a role in helping Saizon avoid capture.
