Ronnie Killen has big plans for his new steakhouse in Pearland

Bone-in American wagyu ribeye steak at Killen's Steakhouse in Pearland. ( Nick de la Torre ) Bone-in American wagyu ribeye steak at Killen's Steakhouse in Pearland. ( Nick de la Torre ) Photo: Nick De La Torre, For The Chronicle Photo: Nick De La Torre, For The Chronicle Image 1 of / 20 Caption Close Ronnie Killen has big plans for his new steakhouse in Pearland 1 / 20 Back to Gallery

A private dining room just for J.J. Watt in a Pearland restaurant? Don't chuckle. It could happen when Killen's Steakhouse moves from its longtime home at 2804 S. Main to its immense new location at 6425 Broadway.

During a recent walk-through of the new restaurant that is still being renovated, chef/owner Ronnie Killen detailed some of the elements he plans for the new incarnation of Killen's Steakhouse. Those plans include a private dining room for his friend Watt, the Houston Texans superstar who only recently dropped in at Killen's Barbecue with a film crew from HBO's "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Houston Texans." The private dining room may or may not have its own entrance but Killen has so much space to play with (it's four times the size of his current 100-seat steakhouse) that he can afford to throw a bit of pampering and privacy Watt's way.

He calls the new location his "dream restaurant."

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"It's got a lot of potential," he said. "There are things I always wanted to do in terms of the setting."

Now he'll have the space to do it. Those special touches include a 2,000-bottle wine tower at the foot of the main dining room; new Riedel stemware for the $250,000 worth of wine in the inventory; Frette linens that will be laundered and pressed in-house; 40 10-bottle wine lockers for top customers who want to drink from their own collection; a climate-controlled room for dry aging meat; tremendous banquet and private dining space; and all new kitchen equipment including a 6-foot wood-burning grill for his steaks. Killen is even looking for a baby grand to provide live music for his guests.

"I'm going to have the restaurant I've always wanted," he said of his new, 325-seat space. "It's going to be busy, yes, but that's the fun: the challenge. I love a challenge."

Killen is challenging himself on a grand scale these days. He's set a breakneck goal for the opening of the new restaurant. If all goes the way he plans, he'll serve the last meals at the current steakhouse on Oct. 17 and open the new steakhouse on Oct. 19. It's an ambitious timetable.

So what's to become of the old Killen's Steakhouse? Killen plans to tear it down to the studs and rebuild it as Killen's Burger, a 50's-style burger joint similar to Gott's Roadside, a small chain of burger restaurants (in California's Bay Area and Napa Valley) that features made-to-order food from locally-sourced ingredients. Killen's retro burger joint will have an old-school soda fountain (for hand-spun milkshakes and carbonated drinks), about a dozen taps for craft beer, and burgers made from house-ground meats.

"Our burger is not going to be about the toppings. It's going to be about the meat," he said.

The type of burgers he'll be selling have been featured in several recent burger pop-ups he's done at Killen's Barbecue. His signature burger patty is a mix of ground brisket, pork belly and bacon. He'll also feature burgers made from brisket, short rib, and turkey. And look for the return of the Killen Burger – a 1-pound or 2-pound option on a nearly 11-inch muffuletta bun (he used to serve the burger at his former Killen's Kountry BBQ).

His timetable for Killen's Burger is no less crushing. He wants to open first quarter 2016.