Where to watch the Super Bowl

Where to watch the Super Bowl in Houston: 12 best bars, restaurants, and breweries for the big game

Usually on Super Bowl Sunday, people are at home watching it — by themselves or with family and friends. But there are those who dare to venture outside their domiciles, and view the big game among equally enthused strangers, soaking up all the beer and food specials that are generally on hand.

And why not? This year's game looks poised to be at least as exciting as last year's. The Patriots, crusty veterans, squaring off against the rising star Los Angeles Rams: Brady versus Goff, Belichick versus McVay, C.J. Anderson and Todd Gurley versus the stout Pats defense. Never mind that the Rams' presence is tainted by the horrendous non-call at the end of the NFC Championship game — it isn't their fault that the refs swallowed their whistles at the exact wrong moment and ruined the Saints' shot at glory.

We'll leave the game analysis to our Gow Media colleagues at ESPN 97.5. But maybe take the under. If that turns out to be wrong, at least it won't be the worst sports prediction ever made on this website.

BCK Kitchen & Cocktail Adventures
Watch the game on the restaurant’s 100-inch projector screen while enjoying its Sunday supper menu of pork ribs and chicken wings. Get either classic Buffalo or sweet chili lime wings (six for $6, 12 for $12), half or full racks of pork ribs ($10/$20), or a half rack, six wings, and two sides (fries, mashed potatoes, asparagus, broccoli, etc) for $20.

Big City Wings
The locally-owned wing joint with seven Houston-area locations will feature 25 boneless wings for $14.99 (dine-in only). In addition, enjoy happy hour pricing all day, which means $4 frozen drinks, $2 Mexican drafts, $4 pints of craft beer, $3.25 glasses of wine, and $2.50 well drinks.

Biggio’s Sports Bar
Get a little of that Vegas sportsbook vibe at this establishment in downtown’s Marriott Marquis hotel. For $500, high rollers can reserve a VIP booth that comes with four dozen Buffalo wings, six flatbreads, two dozen sliders, chips and salsa, and water. Alcohol will be charged based on consumption.

For something a little more personal, groups of two or more may reserve seats in the 18 leather recliners that face the bar’s massive, 30-foot projector screen. Each seat costs $25 and has a minimum spend of $25. Reserve by calling 346-888-3921.

Chicago Bar and Grill
Get the full bar-and-grill experience at this Super Bowl party. We got $3 beers, margaritas and daquiris, $4 wells, 60-cent wings and a complimentary buffet during the game, which will be shown on a 120-inch, full HD jumbo screen. There will also be a live performance from the band Hard 2 Fine after the game.

Eagle Houston
Who the hell said gay bars can't have Super Bowl parties too? This particular place will have a "Big Game Crawfish Boil," where you can chow down on crawfish for $7.99 a pound. (You can also get 3 pounds for $20, with corn and potatoes for $1 each and sausage for $3.) $20 domestic beer buckets will also be served.

Guava Lamp
The best spot in town to get your karaoke on will have a Super Bowl party. (But management says they're mostly doing it to watch Adam Levine during the Maroon 5 halftime show.) They'll also have complimentary food, $3 domestics, $2 shot specials and, yes, karaoke after the game.

La Cantina by La Calle
Usually, the downtown taco spot devotes itself to soccer, combat sports, and wrestling, but it’ll be all football on Super Sunday. Reserve a seat in advance to get free pozole with any drink purchase. Drink specials include Jello shots, $3.99 Bud Light drafts, and a michelada bar.

Lucky’s Lodge
The casual EaDo spot will have Buck’s Barbeque Co on hand with free whole hog barbecue from 2 pm until it runs out, $25 beef ribs, and the rest of pitmaster Jim Buchanan’s menu. Match all the smoky goodness with drink specials such as $4 can of Love Street, $21 buckets of bottled beer, $3 pints of Bud Light, $4 Jim Beam, $6 Makers Mark, and more.

Feeling lucky? Play Super Bowl bingo, enter raffles at halftime and the end of the game for a 70-inch TV, and buy squares.

Post Lounge
The lounge will not have just a regular, ol' Super Bowl Party. Oh no -- this will be a silent Super Bowl party! Headphones will be given out with three listening options: the big game (of course!), a channel that plays trap, hip-hop & R & B and a channel that plays reggae, classic hip-hop, and Afro beats.

360 Midtown Bar
This midtown watering hole is using the game as an opportunity to have a viewing party and an afterparty. Along with playing the game on 15 big screens and a patio projector, there will also be multiple DJs, live music, model hosts, tacos and crawfish, drink specials during the game and some other special stuff.

Revelry on Richmond
The swanky sports bar and craft-beer haven will be pulling out the big guns for its party: bucket specials, beer specials and shot specials all day. People can guarantee a good spot for the game by reserving a bar seat for $25 (you get a free pint of beer) or a table, which can go between $400 and $1000.

Saint Arnold Brewing Company
Houston’s oldest craft brewery has two options for football fans. Pre-game at the brewery with the sixth-annual Super Beef Sunday (11 am to 2:30 pm). Organized by the Houston BBQ Festival, the event features legendary Texas barbecue joint Louie Mueller Barbecue plus up-and-comers Eaker Barbecue and Eddie O’s Barbecue. The $50 ticket includes samples from all three pitmasters plus beer from the Saint Arnold’s taps.

Alternatively, watch the game on a massive projector screen while sitting on the patio at the brewery’s restaurant. It will be open for regular hours (11 am to 10 pm) with chef Ryan Savoie’s creative menu and a full lineup of Saint Arnold brews.

Reserve a recliner at Biggio's for $25.

Biggio's Sports Bar Marriott Marquis interior

Courtesy photo

Reserve a recliner at Biggio's for $25.

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slice of life

Exclusive: Houston pizza legend to open new neighborhood joint in Spring

Photo by Eric Sandler

Anthony Calleo will open Galaxy Pizza in the coming weeks.

Any conversation about the evolution of Houston’s pizza offerings over the last decade or so would have to include a discussion of chef Anthony Calleo. As the founder of Pi Pizza, the co-founder of Gold Tooth Tony’s, and a consultant for Betelgeuse Betelgeuse, he’s contributed to the rise (sorry) of better pizza in the Bayou City.

After some time away from the restaurant business (more on that in a minute), Calleo will soon open his latest project, a neighborhood pizza joint in Spring that he’s calling Galaxy Pizza. Smaller in size and more focused than his previous restaurants, Galaxy Pizza showcases many of the lessons Calleo has learned along the way.

As Calleo tells CultureMap, he quietly left Gold Tooth Tony’s and his partnership in Rudyard’s last year after being diagnosed as autistic right around his 45th birthday. He says it pained him to leave — Gold Tooth Tony’s had just opened its Bellaire location and Rudyard’s was doing well — but his doctors gave him an ultimatum.

“‘You need to take time to stop and rest or die,’” Calleo says they told him. “I love this, but I don’t want to die. I had to stop. I didn’t think there was a way for me to do this again.”

The Location

Calleo took time off to rest. He got back into commercial real estate and began consulting with restaurateurs about new concepts they wanted to open. Through those efforts, he found the former Jackpot Pizza space at 6450 Louetta Rd. in Spring, a small space that’s ideally suited to carryout and to-go with just a couple of tables for either dine-in or waiting.

While the location may seem obscure to people who know Calleo for his inner loop eateries, it’s part of a busy dining district that includes the Spring location of Trill Burgers as well as neighborhood favorites like Toki, a Japanese restaurant that serves ramen and sushi.

“I have found so much good food up here. Really good food. At a bunch of mom-and-pop places. Some are trucks. Some are little restaurants that have been here forever,” he says.

As Calleo studied the location’s economics, he came to a realization. “At the end of the day, I really miss doing this. I miss making pizza. It is my autistic special interest,” he says.

The location’s lower lease rate compared to what landlords can get inside the loop allows Galaxy Pizza to be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. That will give both its staff and its owner some much-needed time off.

“The rent makes it doable. I can sell food out here and actually make a living and not just pay a lease,” Calleo says.

While it has a small footprint, the interior features murals by Houston artist Brian Dibala (aka Neon Thrash), who contributed to the design of both Endless Bummer, the speakeasy-style tiki bar in Montrose, and Radio Tave, Houston's Meow Wolf installation.

The Pizza

Calleo made “Houston pizza” at Pi Pizza and Detroit-style pizza at Gold Tooth Tony’s and Rudyard’s. For Galaxy, he’s chasing something a little more, shall we say, nostalgic.

“It’s a classic neighborhood pizzeria. It’s almost a thing that doesn’t exist anymore. It’s how Pizza Hut made pizza in 1987,” he says. “It’s got a good rise on the crust. It doesn’t droop, but it’s not stiff like a cracker. It’s got a little too much cheese and sauce on it. It’s slutty, do you know what I mean?

“A culinary instructor would tell you it’s unbalanced, and that’s the point. There’s some sneaky tricks we’re going to do that will be really nostalgic, but done with cheffy intention.”

The menu is still being finalized, but Calleo acknowledges he’ll serve classics like pepperoni and cheese. He’ll have salads, sandwiches, and appetizers like breadsticks and cheesy garlic bread. Notably, the menu doesn’t contain any chicken, which covers its sandwiches, pizza toppings, and appetizers, which means no wings or buffalo chicken pizza — at least for now.

Generally speaking, the preparations will be simpler and more traditional than his previous stops, where toppings included bacon-braised collard greens with pancetta or blackberries with chevre. For example, Galaxy Pizza will be the first time Calleo will serve raw onions rather than caramelizing them.

“This is a neighborhood pizza place,” he says. “There’s no goat cheese on the menu. This place doesn’t know how to spell ‘confit,’ and it doesn’t need to.”

In an acknowledgement of the neighborhood’s demographics, all of the beef at Galaxy Pizza will be halal. The restaurant will have two pizza ovens and two prep stations — one for pizzas with pork and one for pizzas without. Each oven will also have dedicated pans, utensils, and other cooking tools to prevent cross-contamination. Calleo acknowledges it won’t satisfy the most observant Muslims in the area, but he hopes it will help demonstrate a commitment to serving that community well.

The restaurant will soon host an invite-only friends and family service to see how its team works in the space. Then, they’ll go dark for a couple of weeks of practice before announcing an official opening date.

Once it’s open, Galaxy Pizza will offer carryout and delivery via third-party apps. Those who want more of a dine-in experience can walk next door to HR Bar and Grill.

Wherever a customer decides to eat his pizza, Calleo hopes it conjures a very specific memory.

“I am still chasing Showbiz Pizza in 1986 from my fifth birthday — the way it smelled, how it made me feel, the way the pepperoni crunched and how it tasted. I’m still chasing that. This is my chasing it in its most authentic form” he says.

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