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    Poke Fever hits Houston

    NYC-based poke restaurant brings Instagram-friendly bowls to Heights area

    Eric Sandler
    Apr 21, 2017 | 10:23 am

    Everywhere you look, a poke restaurant seems to be opening. From Ono Poke in Montrose to Pokeology in Rice Village and Pokii Eatery and North Shore Poke in west Houston, Houston has developed full blown poke fever.

    The trend shows no signs of slowing down. Seaside Poke will open soon in EaDo and is rumored to be joining Snooze: An AM Eatery at the Lowell Street Market development in the Heights.

    Later this year, one of New York City’s favorite poke destinations will enter the mix. After teasing its imminent arrival late last year, Pokéworks has confirmed that it has signed a lease to replace a shuttered WhichWich at 213 Heights Blvd, which puts the restaurant in the same Heights-adjacent shopping as Chipotle and near Pi Pizza and the recently opened seafood restaurant Star Fish. If all goes according to plan, the restaurant will open in August.

    Pokéworks manager Jay Gerber tells CultureMap in an email that the restaurant features the same Chipotle-style serving line as most of the other new wave poke shops but sets itself apart by making a commitment to serving sustainable seafood and offering a more diverse array of toppings that includes macadamia nuts, lotus root chips, and masago.

    This video describes the company’s “Poke Your Way” approach and also features some fairly filthy poke porn.

    The restaurant serves its poke both in traditional bowls, as a salad over lettuce, or Instagram-friendly poke burritos. To give diners the opportunity to sample authentic Hawaiian flavors, Pokéworks has also partnered with a Maui native, celebrity chef and Top Chef alum Sheldon Simeon, to develop bowls labeled “Signature Works” that combine specific ingredients.

    It’s that photo-friendly appearance that drew Gerber to the restaurant. As soon as he saw a photo of the company’s dishes online, the Houston native added it to his dining agenda when he visited New York.

    “I finally got that chance to go to New York, (where I) visited the very first location and tried it out for myself,” Gerber writes. “That experience far exceeded my expectations and I knew right then and there that I had to bring it back to my hometown.”

    Given the city’s full blown poke fever and the company’s track record of success — it already has locations in Massachusetts, California, and Seattle — Pokéworks looks to be another intriguing addition to this year’s hottest food trend. The company certainly hopes so; Gerber confirms he’s already scouting for additional locations.

    Topping options include lotus root chips.

    Pokeworks tuna poke bowl
      
    Courtesy photo
    Topping options include lotus root chips.
    openingsthe-heights
    news/restaurants-bars

    something to talk about

    Country star Koe Wetzel opens new location of his lively bar in Houston

    Eric Sandler
    Jul 1, 2025 | 4:15 pm
    Koe Wetzel Riot Room Houston
    Photo by Motion Theory Media
    The pickup truck on the front of the building makes it easy to spot.

    One of Texas country’s rising stars has brought his lively bar to Houston. Koe Wetzel’s Riot Room opened last month in Midtown.

    Located at the former Electric Feelgood space (2416 Brazos Street), the Houston location of Riot Room builds on the success of the Fort Worth original that opened in 2023. Known for his outlaw country swagger, including his 2022 release, Hell Paso, that debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard 200, Koe Wetzel partnered with Fort Worth hospitality veteran Emil Bragdon to bring the Riot Room to life. It consistently ranks as one of Fort Worth’s highest-grossing bars.

    At over 8,000 square feet, the Houston Riot Room has considerably more space than the original. Wetzel and his team have used that to their advantage, expanding on the country music dance hall theme with details such as:

    • A seating area made from a full-sized pontoon boat
    • A DJ booth in the engine bay of a Ford pickup
    • Photo ops in a “jail cell” and a life-sized bucking bull
    • Neon signs that display Wetzel’s song lyrics.

    A full kitchen allows the bar to serve a menu of Southern-inspired bar fare such as chicken wings, Texas chili, potato skins, Southwestern egg rolls, burgers, salads, and more. Signature dishes include smoked beer can chicken and the Trailer Park Sandwich, featuring two breakfast sausage patties topped with cheddar cheese and served on a biscuit with strawberry jam. Houston will also be the first city to experience the bar’s take on weekend brunch.

    Bragdon told CultureMap that the bar’s name references someone who’s fun to be around, as in a laugh riot.

    "It's about who Koe is and what he represents," he says. "He has a carefree party attitude, that whole persona, which is so infectious. He's a true Texas guy, a good old country boy who's hospitable and likes to have fun - that’s what the place is about."

    ----

    Teresa Gubbins contributed to this article.

    Koe Wetzel Riot Room Houston
      

    Photo by Motion Theory Media

    The pickup truck on the front of the building makes it easy to spot.

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    news/restaurants-bars
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