Gameday party zone

A Final Four first: Houston to bring tailgating to basketball with Barbecue Town

Imagine bringing this tailgate to 78,000 people and you have an idea of the goalat the Houston Final Four.
The NCAA hopes that the Reliant Stadium lots will be even more festive than theones around Lucas Oil Stadium for the Final Four in Indianapolis last year.
Houston's Final Four tailgating doesn't figure to be this Do It Yourself. Atleast, not the official portion.

Tailgating and college basketball have never really gone together. But maybe that's just because the Final Four hasn't been in Houston for 40 years.

With college basketball's biggest event set to make a big Bayou City splash, CultureMap has learned that there will be officially endorsed tailgating at the Final Four for the first time.

College football no longer gets to have all the fun, pageantry and parking lot hanging out. Final Four ticket holders will be encouraged to show up to both the April 2 national semifinal games and the April 4 championship game early to partake in some of the fun that in many ways really helped build Reliant Stadium's reputation.

Tailgating at Houston Texans games at Reliant became such a hit that Forbes named Houston one of the Top 10 tailgating towns in America — and it eventually became so popular that the Texans decided they needed to place restrictions on the practice during the 2010 season to keep it under control.

The Final Four tailgating will not fit the traditional image of an RV pulling up in a lot and a crew of friends setting up a portable grill to cook up homemade takes. Instead, Barbecue Town will be a special area in the Reliant parking lots where barbecue is available for purchase and a not-quite-impromptu party-like scene with music is set up.

The thinking behind that decision is that a large majority of the Final Four-ticket holders will be coming in from out of town and will not be able to lug tailgating equipment to the game, NCAA and Houston Local Organizing Committee officials told CultureMap.

So the barbecue will be cooked by professionals. The plan is to create an almost festival-like pregame atmosphere, the type of thing that's never really been associated with the Final Four before.

There is a very practical aspect to that goal as well. A successful parking lot party could mean less roads around Reliant turn into virtual parking lots.

"We want to make sure people get to the games early to prevent any major traffic issues," said Doug Hall, vice president of game, facility and LOC management for the 2011 Houston Final Four Local Organizing Committee. "So that's part of it. But the NCAA and Local Organizing Committee are also committed to making this a Houston Final Four. We really want the local flavor and barbecue just seemed like a natural.

"Because it's Houston. If you're from out of town and you're coming into Houston, what's one of the things you want to try?"

Don't expect to be noshing on Goode Company Barbeque or another iconic H-Town institution though. While the vendors for Barbecue Town have not been finalized yet, Hall says they are expected to be much less well-known and distinctive than the four restaurants that won their way into serving food at the Big Dance Concert Series in Discovery Green (Original Ninfa's on Navigation, Max's Wine Dive, the Tasting Room and the House of Blues).

Barbecue Town fits into the NCAA's vision of building up the events around the Final Four and making it more of a happening rather than just the three biggest games of every college basketball season. The Final Four may never morph into the Super Bowl where a good chunk of people fly in for a week of partying and then fly out right before kickoff (and the NCAA probably wouldn't even want it to), but college basketball's governing body still sees room for growth.

"The Final Four seems to get bigger every year," NCAA's associate director for the Division I Men's Basketball Championship David Worlock said during a Houston visit. "Just when you start to think there can't possibly be any more interest than there already is, a new milestone or record is set."

Sometimes it's even something as simple as barbecue. What was one thing college basketball's biggest event was missing? Tailgating?

Houston will take care of that.

"It's full speed ahead on Barbecue Town," Hall said.

Fire up the commercial grill.

unspecified series568663989

Meet the Tastemakers

Houston's 10 best bartenders of 2026 treat strangers like regulars

Photo by Christian Niklaus

Julia Miles, Refuge.

The time has come to celebrate the 10 nominees for Bartender of the Year in the 2026 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.

While we recognize chefs in two different categories, bartenders are the only front of house workers who are eligible for a Tastemaker Award. While it can be hard to get to know a server or a manager, bar patrons tend to build long-term relationships with their bartenders, even following them from one job to the next.

While all of this year’s nominees have skills in craft cocktails, it’s their ability to build relationships with their customers that truly stands out. That’s why our panel of expert judges selected them as the best of the best.

Who will win? Find out at our Tastemaker Awards ceremony April 16 at Silver Street Studios. Dine on bites from this year’s nominees, sip cocktails from our sponsors, and witness as we reveal the winners. Buy your tickets now. A limited number of Early Bird General Admission tickets remain. VIP tickets offer early entry, valet parking, and more perks. All tickets will sell out before the event, so don't wait.

Here are the 10 nominees for Bartender of the Year:

Alejandro Medina, Bludorn Hospitality
The Anvil veteran is responsible for the cocktail programs at all four of the group’s restaurants. Although he’s primarily focused on staff training and menu development, he still shows up behind the bar as his schedule permits. Visit Bar Bludorn to sample his creations for the restaurant’s martini happy hour.

Brandon Choate, Nancy's Hustle
It’s been about a year since the bartender took over the cocktail program at the Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant. During that time, he’s tweaked the cocktail menu by putting seasonal spins on classics and matching flavors to the restaurant’s butter-drenched cuisine.

Chad Matson, Lee's
Patrons will frequently find Matson working the room at this Rice Village cocktail bar. He’s friendly demeanor sets the tone for Lee’s warm service, which has made it a destination for cocktail fans from across the city. Picking a favorite drink from the Lee’s menu is tricky, but Matson’s blood orange margarita is particularly must try.

Cory Martin, Montrose Grocer
As anyone who’s been to this wine shop/bar knows, the vibes are immaculate. Martin sets the tone for that atmosphere — both by engaging with customers about which glass or bottle they’re most likely to enjoy and by picking just the right album from the thousands of records that fill Montrose Grocer’s shelves. Be sure to ask him which rosé pairs best with the bar’s Sunday night live jazz sessions.

Craig Mickle, Baso
A steady presence behind the bar, Mickle’s cocktails utilize many of the same ingredients that Baso’s chefs use in their dishes. For example, the strawberries that sweeten the menu’s endive salad show up in the Astro Boy cocktail, where they’re paired with sherry and fresno chile peppers. Working closely with the kitchen not only ensures a cohesive experience for diners, it also helps reduce waste.

Jacki Schromm, Donna's
After stints at Anvil and Reserve 101, Bobby Heugel partnered with Schromm to open Donna’s, the lively new cocktail bar that’s been a smash hit since it opened in November. One staple of the menu is Schroom’s “Jackie’s martini,” which is made with a 50-50 mix of gin with Cocchi Americano and Dolin Blanc vermouth. It’s smoother and has a lower ABV than a traditional martini, which means patrons can drink a couple more and stay a little longer

Javier Ruano, BCN
Creating cocktails that meet the level of chef Luis Roger’s cooking is tricky, but Ruano meets the challenge. The restaurant’s signature gin and tonics feature carefully-selected combinations of gins, tonics, and seasonal ingredients to create drinks that are both eye-catching and delicious. Plus, he delivers the kind of polished service diners expect from a restaurant with a Michelin star.

Josh Alden, Bandista
A veteran of bars such as Refuge and Reserve 101, Alden has the necessary skills to craft drinks worthy of Bandista’s intimate environment and premium prices. More than knowledge of flavors and spirits, it’s his warm personality that’s made him a perennial nominee in this category.

Julia Miles, Refuge
As one of Refuge’s veteran bartenders, Miles’ cheerful attitude makes newcomers feel like regulars and regulars feel like old friends. While the work is serious — Refuge’s cocktails can be pretty complex — Miles understands that the end goal is not to show off how much effort went into the drink — it’s to show customers a good time.

Peter Jahnke, Catbirds
As Bobby Heugel’s business partner at both Catbirds and the Blue Lagoon Club, Jahnke is more likely to serve his customers a beer and a shot than a complex cocktail. Both bars have a casual environment and a lengthy roster of regulars, all of whom appreciate that Jahnke’s calm demeanor helps set the tone for places where friends and colleagues go for respite after a long day.

----

The Tastemaker Awards ceremony is sponsored in Houston by Maker's Mark, Culinary Khancepts, NTX LVL Event, Shutto and more to be announced. A portion of proceeds will benefit our nonprofit partner, the Southern Smoke Foundation.

Photo by Christian Niklaus

Julia Miles, Refuge.

tastemaker awards cocktails