NYC to HOU

New York City-based Halal food chain picks prime spot for first Houston location

A NYC-based fast food empire with global aspirations has announced the first location in what will be a major push into the Houston market. No, modern burger icon Shake Shack hasn't committed to Houston (yet?), but The Halal Guys have. Begun as a food cart in 1990 to appeal to Muslim cab drivers, the restaurant has blossomed into a phenomenon that's in the process of opening 200 locations around the world.

Although The Halal Guys first announced their plans for Houston last December in QSR Magazine, they only revealed the location of their first restaurant on Thursday. They're taking over a former Snap Kitchen location near Shepherd Square.

It is our pleasure to announce the first location of The Halal Guys here in Houston, TX at 3821 Farnham St. We can't...

Posted by The Halal Guys - Houston on Thursday, August 6, 2015

While the name suggests a primarily Muslim clientele, The Halal Guys chicken, gyro and falafel platters over rice and their signature white sauce have a more universal appeal. Credit for that goes to reasonable prices and that white sauce, which the New York Timestried to describe in 2014 as follows:

But it’s the white sauce, always the white sauce, that draws everybody in, from uniformed cops to dainty girls whose palates otherwise incline to macarons. The recipe has never been divulged or properly decoded, although many have tried. Mr. Abouelenein allows that there’s mayo in it; the rest is silence.

Get ready to taste it, America. It is tangy yet mellow, creamy yet deceptively light, with vague and probably spurious allusions to ranch dressing and tzatziki, a strong implication of garlic and lemon, and maybe even (wild card) tahini. But we will never know the truth, and that is half the thrill.

The restaurant has yet to respond to CultureMap's request for more information about when the location will open, but the usually reliable blogger Zain Mohammed of Zain's Halal Reviews tweeted that he's heard rumors it could be as soon as September. Whether Houstonians will join New Yorkers in lining up for lamb with white sauce remains to be seen, but, in the meantime, diners can check out Jones Fried Chicken on Fondren, which advertises itself as inspired by The Halal Guys, for a preview of the real thing.

The first Halal Guys location in Houston will be this former Snap Kitchen on Farnham.

Photo by Eric Sandler

The first Halal Guys location in Houston will be this former Snap Kitchen on Farnham.

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family-friendly outdoor bar

Massive, German-inspired beer garden coming to new Energy Corridor project

Photo by Eric Sandler

The new beer garden will be similar to Katy Beer Garden.

One of Houston’s most successful bar operators is bringing his talents to the Energy Corridor. Steven Salazar is opening Ashford Beer Garden at the Ashford Yard mixed-use development.

Slated to open in early 2026, Ashford Beer Garden will build on the success Salazar has had with Katy Beer Garden, the project he opened last summer at The Dryer, a mixed-use development on the property of Katy’s historic Cardiff Rice Dryer. Like KBG, Ashford Beer Garden will be large — roughly 21,000 square feet — divided into a 10,000-square-foot indoor beer hall with a companion cocktail bar and a 11,000-square-foot outdoor beer garden that’s shaded by trees.

“We’re sticking with that Bavarian charm,” Salazar says about his vision for Ashford Beer Garden. “Bring your family. It’s really relaxed. The kids are playing. You have multiple generations hanging out. It’s worked well in Katy. We’re excited to bring it to a new area.”

Of course, the new project will make some improvements on the original. Most importantly, Ashford will have a full kitchen (KBG mostly relies on food trucks and a nearby food court). Salazar says he’s looking for a chef to lead the kitchen.

In response to customer demand for private event space, Ashford Beer Garden will also have a larger second floor patio than KBG does. The beer garden will have a larger screen to make it easier for people to watch sports.

Located on the site of a former Schlumberger campus near the intersection of Dairy Ashford Rd. and Briar Forest Dr., Ashford Yard is a 12.7-acre development that will include apartments, restaurants, and retail tenants. Salazar says he found his values aligned with the projects developers, Houston real estate firms Market Square Companies and Tenon Property Company.

“We have a similar vision of quality for the community and creating a space and having great neighbors. Not being a strip center but a true development that’s above and beyond what the area has to offer,” Salazar says. Later, he adds, “It seems great for us to be surrounded by companies such as Shell and Baker Hughes and all these great neighborhoods."

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