every night is steak night

Lazybrook/Timbergrove bar rebrands around 2 things it does best: steaks and whiskey

Pasta bolognese.

Courtesy of Ribeye & Rye

Kristen Powell is changing things up at the Barking Pig, her bar and restaurant in Lazybrook/Timbergrove. After seven years in business, she’s rebranding to a new concept focused on steak and whiskey.

Beginning in September, the space at 2307 Ella Blvd. will be known as Ribeye & Rye: Texas Bar & Grill. As its name implies, the new restaurant will focus on the hand cut steaks Powell has been serving Houstonians for years in a casual, family-friendly environment.

As she notes, the area around the Barking Pig has changed considerably since she opened in 2015. Once a relatively quiet part of town with a few nearby legacy restaurants, the area has exploded in recent years. Nearby 19th and 20th streets have become a thriving nightlife district, and 18th street has added several restaurants. The time had come to switch things up in a way that would compel diners to take a fresh look.

“I was young when I started this [business],” Powell explains. “Now, I’m almost 40. There really aren’t many places for people my age to have a great meal and converse without feeling pressured to leave at restaurants or feeling like I’m babysitting kids at a bar on 20th Street.”

Enter Ribeye & Rye. The new restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner with a menu that blends steakhouse classics and Southern-inspired dishes. At dinner, the offerings will include starters such as buttermilk biscuits, deviled eggs, and a whole fried onion that’s highly reminiscent of another casual steak restaurant. Entree choices include fried chicken, personal pizzas, and six grilled items that include filet mignon, ribeye, and pork loin. Over time, Powell plans to add business lunch specials and a revamped brunch menu.

At a time when luxury steakhouses might charge $60 or more for an entree, Powell’s use of USDA Choice beef allows her to keep prices at a more economical level. Expect to pay between $25 and $30 for a steak at Ribeye & Rye.

Along with the new menu comes a new design. Ribeye & Rye has a fresh coat of black paint on its exterior. Inside, diners will find a stylish new bar fully stocked with ryes and other whiskeys.

Until the change becomes official, diners can get a preview of the new restaurant by sampling its Houston Restaurant Weeks menu. The three-course, $39 offering includes entrees that will be available at Ribeye & Rye such as chicken fried chicken, almond-crusted cod, and 6-ounce filet with mashed potatoes.

“The Heights [and its nearby neighborhoods] has evolved and grown,” Powell says. “Time to glow up.”

Pasta bolognese.

Courtesy of Ribeye & Rye

Pasta bolognese.

news-you-can-eat the-heights

need a hand?

Growing Houston sushi chain rolls into new Galleria-area development

Courtesy of Handies Douzo

Handies Douzo will brings its hand rolls to Uptown later this year.

A growing Houston hand roll restaurant has signed on to a new Galleria-area development. Handies Douzo is the fourth restaurant announced for Central Park Post Oak.

Opened in late 2019, Handies is known for wrapping its rolls in crispy seaweed that gives each bite a distinct crunch. The well-executed dishes and affordable prices helped Handies earn a nomination for Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year in the 2026 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.

On track to open later this year, the Uptown location will be Handies Douzo’s fourth, joining its original in the Heights as well as restaurants in Montrose and Spring Branch. Like those siblings, it will serve Handies’ familiar menu of hand rolls (temaki), crudos, and sashimi that’s overseen by founding chefs and co-owners Daniel Lee and Patrick Pham.

Duckstache, the hospitality group behind Handies, is working with Houston’s Gin Design Group on the interior. Expect a slightly more upscale look than the restaurant’s other locations, with details such as matte black finishes and dark terrazzo to complement the 26-seat counter.

“We’re really intentional about the neighborhoods we choose and where we think Handies Douzo will feel like a natural fit,” Lee said in a statement. “Houston diners know what they like, and Uptown is such a vibrant, fast-growing area. Central Park Post Oak felt like the right match for our handroll experience and the way people in Houston live, work, and dine.”

Handies is the fourth restaurant that’s announced its plans to open at Central Park Post Oak. The others are:

Buck & Rider, an Arizona-based seafood restaurant known for its oyster bar and lively brunch
The Henry, the “ultimate neighborhood restaurant” from Flower Child owner Fox Restaurant Concepts
Sparrow Italia, an Italian steakhouse from Toca Madera owner Noble 33.

Announced last year, Central Park Post Oak will consist of three buildings with a combined 1.2 million square feet of office space separated by a three-acre lawn. Houston-based real estate development firm Midway, working with real estate investment firms 3Edgewood and Parkway, is developing the property. Construction is expected to be completed in the fall of 2026 with the restaurants openings to follow.

“Handies Douzo represents the kind of thoughtful, chef-driven hospitality we want at the heart of Central Park Post Oak,” Midway vice president Clayton Freels said. “Patrick, Daniel, and the Duckstache team have built a loyal following across Houston, and we are thrilled to help them extend that experience to Uptown in a way that feels authentic to both the brand and the neighborhood.”

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