Waffles all night

New Midtown restaurant serves up savory waffles and sweet cocktails

Waffles: they're not just for breakfast anymore. At least, that's what one veteran chef is betting on at his new Midtown restaurant.

Don Bowie, a veteran of restaurants such as Sweetie Pie's and Flower Child, is opening Taste Bar + Kitchen on Friday, March 29. Located in the former home of Sterling House, the new restaurant serves a comfort food menu oriented around chicken and waffles and mac and cheese. Options include sweet — Fruity Pebbles, chocolate chip, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, etc. — as well as savory items, such as General Tso's chicken and waffles, jerk chicken and waffles, and a cheeseburger waffle that has ground beef, cheddar, and gouda cooked into the waffle batter.

“We are excited to be offering a new spin on comfort food, specifically chicken and waffles," Bowie said in a statement. "Taste Bar + Kitchen is the neighborhood restaurant and bar for anyone and everyone inside and outside of the city.”

As the name implies, cocktails play a significant role in the concept. The bar offers a range of craft cocktails, including a selection of sweeter items intended to be dessert. Of course, it wouldn't be brunch without mimosas, and they're fully accounted for with a number of options.

"Our brand has a sexy, yet comfortable attitude," co-owner Kevin Kelley added. "One in which persons of any demographic and profession can feel comfortable walking in and having a craft cocktail or meal."

Inside, the space has been updated with blue velvet chairs and new lighting, including a mandatory-in-2019 neon sign. The two-story property also features an expansive patio, just in time for spring's mild temperatures.

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Taste Bar + Kitchen, 3015 Bagby St.; Monday through Thursday 5 pm to midnight, Friday 5 pm to 2 am, Saturday 11am to 2 am, Sunday 11 am to 12 am

Taste Bar + Kitchen will offer a range of sweet and savory waffles.

Courtesy of Taste Bar + Kitchen

Taste Bar + Kitchen will offer a range of sweet and savory waffles.

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Coastal-inspired Houston restaurant will shutter after 3 years in Montrose

Photo by Kirsten Gilliam

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A Montrose restaurant devoted to fresh and healthy fare will soon serve its final meal. Graffiti Raw will close on December 31.

Located next to Uchi in the Montrose Collective mixed-use development, Graffiti Raw opened in early 2023. It is part of the Big Vibe Group, the hospitality company behind Coppa Osteria in Rice Village and Flora, the stylish Mexican restaurant in Buffalo Bayou Park.

Graffiti Raw took inspiration from coastal destinations such as Big Sur, Mexico, and the Mediterranean. True to its name, the menu included raw items such as tartare and ceviche alongside classic fare such as steak frites, chicken schnitzel, and crab fried rice.

“Since opening, Graffiti Raw has been a place for connection — from shared meals to vibrant

nights that reflected the creative energy of Houston. The Big Vibe Group is grateful to the

guests, team members, partners and the Montrose Collective community who helped shape the experience,” the company said in a statement.

Big Vibe emphasizes that both Coppa Osteria and Flora “remain central to the company’s long-term vision, with an emphasis on growth, consistency, and elevated hospitality.” It made a similar commitment to those concepts when it closed Gratify, a neighborhood bistro in Rice Village, back in 2024.

Montrose has seen a number of openings and closings, with additions such as jazz supperclub Doc’s and wine shop/bar Montrose Grocer. Paulie’s, a neighborhood staple for more than 25 years, will also close on December 31.

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