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    Where to Drink Now

    Where to drink in Houston right now: 11 refreshing new happy hours

    Eric Sandler
    Feb 26, 2019 | 3:30 pm

    By now, most people have gotten over post-holiday guilt about eating and drinking too much and left “dry January” comfortably in their rearview mirrors.

    Thankfully, many of Houston’s most exciting new restaurants have tempting happy hour menus that are perfect for a little indulging. This list also includes a couple of old favorites that have recently upgraded their offerings.

    Go out and enjoy. It’s certainly better to have a responsible drink and a snack than to sit in traffic — unless you’re listening to our Gow Media colleagues Fred Faour and A.J. Hoffman on The Blitz on ESPN 97.5. That’s ok, too.

    B.B. Lemon
    Berg Hospitality’s popular new restaurant serves happy hour Monday through Friday from 3 pm to 6 pm. “Lemon Hour” features half-price oysters as well as eight dishes priced between $5 and $8. Options include pistachio-crusted fried shrimp, Frito pie, wagyu hot dogs, and chicken-fried pickle spears. To drink, choose from $8 cocktails, $4 beers, or take $2 off wines by-the-glass.

    Decatur Bar & Pop-Up Factory
    Get a taste of chef Evelyn Garcia’s innovative Thai-inspired fare at this recently-opened restaurant off Washington Ave. Sip any of three $6 speciality cocktails, take $2 off draft beer, or get half-off wines by-the-glass Tuesday through Sunday from 4 pm to 6 pm. Match them with bar bites like roasted beet hummus, 5-spice pork rillettes, and a chicken sandwich that’s topped with herbed slaw and tomato chutney.

    Tony’s
    Who says dining at Tony’s has to be expensive? The restaurant’s happy hour features $5 bar bites that include wagyu cheeseburger sliders, corn raviolini, and Italian-style fried zuchini. For a few dollars more, opt for a selection of anitpasti or beef tenderloin tartare crostini. Indulge with one of the restaurant’s 75 bottles of wine for under $75.

    Eunice
    The stylish Greenway Plaza restaurant has a generous happy hour that starts with 75-cent oysters and half-off snacks like Cajun duck poppers and fried oysters. To drink, select half-off draft beers, wines by-the-glass, and house cocktails like the Teal Season, the restaurant’s take on a classic Old Fashioned. Served daily from 3 pm to 6 pm.

    Riel
    Ryan Lachaine’s acclaimed Montrose restaurant recently rolled out an updated menu of bar bites for its happy hour. New options include mini hot dogs, chicken skin yakitori, shrimp with soba noodles, and a “baby” portion of the restaurant’s popular borscht. Pair them with $4 beers, $7 wines by-the-glass, $8 classic cocktails, or $10 house cocktails. Don't miss the "My Mind's Playing Tricks on Me" (tequila, Grand Marnier, yellow Chartreuse), named after the famous Ghetto Boys song, because Wille D helped Lachaine create it. Available Monday through Friday from 5 pm to 6:30 pm.

    Perry’s Steakhouse
    Each Perry’s, including the restaurant’s newly opened flagship location in River Oaks, serves happy hour in the bar Monday through Friday from 4 pm to 7 pm. The offering features seven bar bites and seven cocktails for $9 each. Options include steak tartare, stuffed mushrooms, and pork chop bites that are paired with a Bulleit Manhattan, the smoky ‘rita, and a classic Mai Tai. Beer and wine specials are also available.

    Miss Carousel
    The glass partition has come down at Agricole Hospitality’s cocktail bar in EaDo, which means single patrons can now sit at the bar; don’t worry, full service is still available at the comfy chairs and couches throughout the room. Regardless of where patrons choose to sit, they should visit during happy hour, which takes place daily from 4 to 6 pm and all day on Wednesday. Choose $6 cocktails (margarita, Old Fashioned, or Moscow Mule), $7 wines by-the-glass, or the four different $3 beers. Saving money on drinks means more money for bar bites like chicken and shrimp meatballs, shrimp and crab cocktail, and crispy duck wings.

    Jonathan’s the Rub at Memorial Green
    The Memorial-area favorite has always been about abundance, which it demonstrates with a generous happy hour at its recently-opened second location. Available Monday through Friday from 2 pm to 6 pm, happy hour starts with $7 bar bites that include ceviche toastadas, pork and vegetable dumplings (steamed or fried), and the the restaurant’s signature mac and cheese with bacon. Sip on $7 cocktails, $7 glasses of wine, or $4 beers that include craft favorites like Saint Arnold Art Car IPA, Brooklyn Lager, and Live Oak Hefeweizen.

    Coterie
    Let the traffic die down at this stylish downtown cafe. Drink half-off glasses from open bottles of wine, $7 house cocktails, or $5 beers (draft or canned). Snack on $10 pizza specials or bar bites. Available Monday through Friday from 3 pm to 6 pm.

    Shun Japanese Kitchen
    Available Tuesday through Saturday from 5 pm to 6:30 pm and all day Sunday, happy hour at this ambitious Japanese restaurant offers lots of tempting choices. Feast on small plates like the slammin’ salmon roll (salmon, fresno pepper, cucumber, scallion, and shiso pesto, $9), yuzu ceviche ($10), chicken karaage ($8), and black edamame ($5). To drink, choose from selection Japanese beers ($3 or $4), house cocktails ($7 to $9), sake ($5 to $9), or get a heft discount on wine — 40-percent off glasses and 30-percent off bottles. Finish up with housemade ice cream for $5.

    Bisou
    Houston’s newest see-and-be-seen spot keeps things simple at happy hour. Available Monday through Friday from 3 pm to 7 pm, pair $10 cocktails with half price select menu items.

    Get half-off cocktails at Eunice.

    Eunice bar interior
      
    Courtesy photo
    Get half-off cocktails at Eunice.
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    Texas Tastemakers

    Best Texas restaurants and chefs honored with 2025 Tastemaker Awards

    Amber Heckler
    May 13, 2025 | 10:02 am
    Leo's River Oaks
    Photo by Andrew Hemingway
    Best New Restaurant: Leo's River Oaks.

    CultureMap has finally completed its statewide journey to honor the best chefs, restaurants, and more with the 2025 Tastemaker Awards.

    The series kicked off April 3 with our Houston Tastemaker Awards at Silver Street Studios, then we moved south to San Antonio on April 10 for our biggest party there yet, at the Briscoe Museum.

    We then headed to North Texas for our Fort Worth celebration at 4 Eleven on April 23, followed by our Dallas celebration at Astoria Event Venue on May 1.

    Last, but certainly not least, our Texas culinary tour finished strong with our Austin fête at Fair Market on May 8.

    The 2025 Tastemaker Awards celebrated Texas' brilliant and diverse culinary landscape and honored those who've made the biggest impact in the past year. Our nominated chefs and restaurants showcased their flavorful bites and treats during each of the celebrations, and winners were revealed in an onstage ceremony.

    Guests dined on chef-created dishes and sipped on a variety of creative batched cocktails. But nothing could take away the focus from our acclaimed nominees and winners, who are the main reason we bring these celebrations to life year after year.

    Nominees were, as always, determined by a panel of local industry experts, including previous Tastemaker winners and CultureMap staff. They voted on winners in categories such as Chef of the Year, Restaurant of the Year, Bar of the Year, and more. The champion in the Best New Restaurant category was determined by our readers in an online, bracket-style tournament.

    Our 2025 “wild card” category was a competition for Best Coffee Shop in each of our cities; the ones that keep us caffeinated and happy day after day.

    Readers in each city got to know all the nominees through a special editorial series for weeks leading up to the events.

    Now without further delay, let’s meet our 2025 CultureMap Tastemaker Award winners all across Texas, listed by city:

    Houston:

    • Restaurant of the Year: Baso
    • Chef of the Year: Emmanuel Chavez, Tatemó
    • Bar of the Year: Johnny’s Gold Brick
    • Best New Restaurant: Leo’s River Oaks
    • Rising Star Chef of the Year: Jacques Varon and Max Lappe, Baso
    • Pastry Chef of the Year: Stephanie Velasquez, Ema/Papalo
    • Bartender of the Year: Aaron Lara, Kira
    • Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Josephine’s Gulf Coast Tradition
    • Best Pop-Up/Startup: Suu Khin, Burmalicious
    • Best Coffee Shop: Blacksmith

    San Antonio:

    • Restaurant of the Year: Ladino
    • Chef of the Year: John Russ, Clementine
    • Best New Restaurant: Freight Fried Chicken
    • Bar of the Year: Gimme Gimme
    • Brewery of the Year: Roadmap Brewing Co.
    • Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Cullum’s Attagirl
    • Pastry Chef of the Year: Alessia Benavides, Chocolatl
    • Best Coffee Shop: Folklores Coffee House

    Fort Worth:

    • Restaurant of the Year: Teddy Wongs
    • Chef of the Year: Alessandro Salvatore, Bocca Osteria Romana
    • Bar of the Year: The Rabbit Hole Pub
    • Best New Restaurant: Whiskey Cake
    • Rising Star Chef of the Year: Steve Hoogeboom, 61 Osteria
    • Pastry Chef of the Year: Lindsey Lawing, Sweet Lucy's Pies
    • Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: Bodega South Main
    • Best Barbecue: Panther City BBQ
    • Best Coffee Shop: Avoca Coffee Roasters

    Dallas:

    • Restaurant of the Year: Mister Charles
    • Chef of the Year: Jeff Bekavac, Goodwins
    • Bar of the Year: Columbian Country Club
    • Best New Restaurant: Nikki Greek Bistro & Lounge
    • Rising Star Chef of the Year: Roman Murphy, Perch Bistro
    • Pastry Chef of the Year: Ryan Stipp, Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa
    • Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: The Porch
    • Best Eatertainment: Chicken N Pickle
    • Best Coffee Shop: Merit Coffee

    Austin:

    • Restaurant of the Year: Este
    • Chef of the Year: Peter Klein, Holiday
    • Rising Star Chef of the Year: Heejae Galluccio, Birdie’s
    • Pastry Chef of the Year: Abby Love, Abby Jane Bakeshop
    • Bar of the Year: Equipment Room
    • Best New Restaurant: Tancho Sushi
    • Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year: The Little Darlin’
    • Brewery of the Year: St. Elmo Brewing Co.
    • Best Coffee Shop: Desnudo Coffee

    Leo's River Oaks
      
    Photo by Andrew Hemingway

    Best New Restaurant in Houston for 2025: Leo's River Oaks.

    The Houston Tastemaker Awards ceremony was brought to you by Stella Artois, Chardon, Jim Beam Black, Ritual Zero Proof, Seedlip, Valencia's Tex-Mex Garage, Hornitos, Ghost Hill Organic Vodka, and PicMe Events. A portion of proceeds benefited our nonprofit partner, the Southern Smoke Foundation.

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