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    Take the plunge

    Exciting new pool bar set to make a splash in Houston's Second Ward

    Eric Sandler
    Feb 8, 2018 | 11:11 am

    During Houston's hot summers, nothing beats a dip in the pool followed by a refreshing cocktail.

    But where to go? Large apartment complexes frequently have a pool available, as do houses in ritzier suburbs and certain gyms, but that doesn't leave many options for the rest of us. A person could always rent a hotel room or book a spa treatment at a hotel — a particularly tempting option when it comes with the opportunity to float in a Texas-shaped lazy river — but that gets expensive quickly.

    Enter Matthew Healey. The new real estate developer has tapped designer Gin Braverman — a woman whose credits include everything from Axelrad Beer Garden and Public Services to the backstage lounges at the White Oak Music Hall — for an exciting new project that's coming to the Second Ward in May.

    Dubbed the El Segundo Swim Club, the plan is to transform an industrial lot at 5180 Avenue L into a property that features a 1,350-square-foot swimming pool with cabanas and a full bar. Day passes will be available for about $20.

    “We want to create something fun and unpretentious,” Healey said in a statement. “We’re creating a little oasis just off the beaten path. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

    Braverman's design takes its inspiration from the work of Roberto Burle Marx, a Brazilian landscape artist known for his innovative public spaces. Towards that end, El Segundo aims to channel a Rio in the '70s vibe with elements that include cabanas painted with "desaturated favela pantones" and art installations. Braverman's gin design group will also handle branding and landscaping.

    The establishment's location off Navigation Boulevard puts it in close proximity some of Houston's most famous Tex-Mex restaurants, the Finca Tres Robles urban farm, and several new residential developments. That sort of diversity should give it a very different atmosphere than the other Houston establishment known for its pool — Midtown's ultra-popular nightclub Clé. As expected, Healey sounds optimistic about the project.

    “We saw nothing but potential,” Healey added about his decision to purchase the property. “I like the makeshift characteristics of the neighborhood. It made me feel like I could do this myself.”

    If not totally by himself, at least with the help of a talented designer and her collaborators. When it all comes together, Houston's hot summers will be a little cooler.

    The El Segundo Swim Club comes to the Second Ward in May.

    El Segundo Swim Club rendering Gin Braverman
      
    Courtesy of El Segundo Swim Club
    The El Segundo Swim Club comes to the Second Ward in May.
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    Immersive, speakeasy-style tiki bar brings the underworld to Montrose

    Eric Sandler
    Jun 24, 2025 | 6:00 am
    Endless Bummer tiki bar
    Photo by Sergio Trevino
    Houston artist Neon Thrash (Brian Dibala) created the bar's interior.

    This year has already been a good one for Houstonians who enjoy well made cocktails, as new bars such as Starduster Lounge, The Kid, and Augustine Lounge have given the city some intriguing new drinking dens. Other recent openings, ranging from Brennan’s refreshed bar to Latin American-inspired Botonica, demonstrate that the trend won’t be slowing down any time soon.

    Add veteran Houston restaurateur Chris Cusack to the list. Known as a co-founder of the late, lamented Heights restaurant Down House and for his intergalactic pizza and cocktail spot Betelgeuse Betelgeuse, Cusack is preparing to unleash a speakeasy-style, immersive tiki bar on Montrose.

    Called Endless Bummer, it’s currently in a quiet soft opening ahead of a grand opening on Wednesday. July 2. Cusack collaborated with Houston artist Brian Dibala (aka Neon Thrash) to transform a 700-square-foot room at Betelgeuse’s Montrose location into a 50-person space that’s equally inspired by tropical destinations and purgatory.

    “Our original thought was along the lines of, ‘How can we make this special?’ and ‘What unique experience can we create that will be unlike other places in Houston?” Cusack said in a statement. “I had known Brian a little bit from mutual friends, his work at Meow Wolf, and a design project we worked on several years before. I reached out and it was really an instant click where our ideas lined up and he really took it from there.”

    Fittingly for an experiential bar, patrons enter through an unmarked entrance that’s accessed by using a code they’ll receive when booking a reservation on Resy (limited walk-ins are also available). Once inside, people will sit at either one of the cozy booths or the 10-seat bar. Either way, they’ll be surrounded by vignettes and other artifacts curated by Dibala. Just like Meow Wolf, the room has a few easter eggs for those will to explore.

    “I was so lucky to get a chance to bring one of my dream bars to life, and even luckier to get to include several other Houston artists to really make it magical,” Diabala added. “Houston is having a big art moment and hopefully, with this project, we're able to show people what the artists in this city are capable of creating.”

    Just as the decor is anything but traditional, Endless Bummer puts its own spin on familiar tiki drinks and other classic cocktails. The drinks have a strong emphasis on presentation, as in the Pistachio Mai Tai, which is flamed tableside, or the Silver Surfer, which has a LED light dropped in that sparkles like a star (please don’t drink it). Other options include a Brown Butter Rum Old Fashioned and the This Sunset Should be Illegal, a mezcal-based riff on the Tequila Sunrise.

    Endless Bummer will be open from 5 pm-12 am Wednesday through Saturday. As noted above, reservations are recommended but not required.

    Endless Bummer tiki bar
      

    Photo by Sergio Trevino

    Houston artist Neon Thrash (Brian Dibala) created the bar's interior.

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