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    vegas, baby, vegas

    Wildly popular Houston barbecue joint picked for prestigious Las Vegas food hall

    Eric Sandler
    Mar 23, 2021 | 10:42 am
    Blood Bros BBQ Terry Wong, Quy Hoang, Robin Wong
    Terry Wong, Quy Hoang, and Robin Wong of Blood Bros. BBQ.
    Photo by Will Blunt/StarChefs

    The Blood Bros. are coming to Las Vegas. Brothers Robin and Terry Wong and pitmaster Quy Hoang will open a new location of Blood Bros. BBQ as one of 16 stalls at Famous Food Street Eats, a new food hall at the Resorts World Las Vegas, a new, 88-acre, three hotel complex opening this summer.

    Since it opened in 2018, Blood Bros. has received national recognition for its Asian-influenced take on classic Texas barbecue. Named the best new restaurant in the 2019 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, the Bellaire barbecue joint also made Bon Appétit list of the best new restaurants of 2019 and Texas Monthly’s 2019 list of the state’s 25 best new barbecue joints.

    The connection between the acclaimed barbecue restaurant and the $4.3 billion dollar Vegas resort runs through chef Chris Cosentino, chef-owner of Rosalie Italian Soul in downtown’s C. Baldwin hotel. As part of the Southern Smoke Festival in 2019, chef Chris Shepherd invited all of the participants, including Cosentino and his business partner Oliver Wharton, to have lunch at Blood Bros. Wharton’s company A Perfect Bite worked with Resorts World owners Genting Berhad to curate the food hall.

    “I guess there was a few barbecue joints they were scoping out, Robin Wong tells CultureMap. “Ours was the top pick.”

    After being presented with the opportunity and negotiating the terms, including the ability to visit the property for quality control, they agreed to the deal.

    “It’s a great opportunity, but if we weren’t comfortable, we weren’t going to do it,” Wong says. “We weren’t going to sacrifice our brand that we worked so hard for with people we didn’t trust . . . We saw that they did care, and they want to do everything they can to make the product right.”

    The hotel has provided Hoang with one of the smokers that will be installed at the restaurant so that he can familiarize himself with it. Soon, the barbecue stand’s future pitmasters will come to Houston for training. In addition, Hoang will travel to Vegas for the opening to get everything dialed in and to ensure all of the restaurant’s signature sides are being made properly.

    At opening, the menu will focus on the Texas barbecue trinity of brisket, pork ribs, and sausage. To give patrons a little of Blood Bros. signature spices, the stand will serve the restaurant’s gochujang pork ribs and togarashi-spiced turkey.

    “We want to focus on good Texas barbecue, pretty much what got us started,” Hoang says. “We didn’t start off with all the crazy stuff. Down the line, maybe we can add a couple things.”

    Opening at the food hall puts Blood Bros. in some pretty prestigious company. Other concepts include: Streetbird Las Vegas, a fried chicken concept from celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson; Kuru Kuru Pa Yakitori, a Japanese restaurant from superstar DJ and producer Steve Aoki and his restaurateur brother; Ah Chun Shandong Dumpling, a Hong Kong stand recognized with a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation; and Pepita’s Kitchen, a stand in Manilla once visited by Anthony Bourdain, according to a release.

    “It’s exciting. The ones they brought from Singapore are pretty hardcore,” Hoang says.

    “You know we’re not chefs. We’re backyard guys,” Wong adds. “It’s definitely an honor to be included with those guys.”

    Also exciting is what this project could mean for Blood Bros. if it takes off. Resorts World has properties through the U.S. and Asia — all of which could potentially house Blood Bros. outposts.

    “There’s definitely some opportunities we hope we can take advantage of and really make Blood Bros a global brand,” Wong says. “That would blow us all out of the water.”

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    best in Texas

    Hidden Houston cocktail den ranks No. 47 on North America best bars list

    Eric Sandler
    Apr 23, 2026 | 11:30 am
    Bandista bar staff
    Courtesy of the Four Seasons Hotel Houston
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    The best bar in Texas is located in downtown Houston. Bandista, the speakeasy-style cocktail bar at the Four Seasons Hotel Houston, ranks No. 47 on the list of North America’s 50 Best Bars 2026.

    That’s a 12 spot jump from Bandista’s debut at No. 59 in 2025. Southern-inspired cocktail bar Julep (No. 84) and Austin’s Midwest-inspired neighborhood bar Nickel City (No. 96) are the only other Texas establishments on the list. New York’s Sip & Guzzle topped the list, which was revealed at a ceremony in Vancouver on Wednesday, April 22.

    “Scientific laboratory tech meets classic southern hospitality at Houston's hot spot Bandista,” the bar’s entry on the 50 Best website reads. “Deep within the downtown Four Seasons Hotel, the chic lounge is hidden behind a nondescript bookcase. Inside, a mix of local cocktailians and visiting VIPs experience a unique take on the classic speakeasy. Yes, touches of Art Deco invoke the expected 1920's vibes and the exclusive space oozes Gatsby. However, the focus here is on tequileros and Prohibition's oft overlooked smuggling routes along the US-Mexican border.”

    The text goes on to highlight the bar’s use of advanced techniques, its range of agave-based cocktails, and charming service, such as a drink the Almost Famous, a mezcal cocktail that’s presented by a bartender with a Polaroid camera to capture the moment.

    “We are absolutely thrilled to have Bandista named among North America’s 50 Best Bars,” says Four Seasons general manager Tom Segesta said in a statement. “Our incredible and creative team is always experimenting and innovating, ensuring that everyone who comes through the bookcase has an experience like no other.”

    Bandista is led by beverage manager Jonathan Jones. The bar team includes CultureMap Tastemaker Awards Bartender of the Year finalist Josh Alden, Sam Ruiz, and Zachary Churbock.

    “Our team at Bandista is absolutely thrilled with this amazing recognition,” Jones said. “We’re looking forward to celebrating well with our guests old and new all year long.”

    Opened in 2022, Bandista is hidden behind Toro Toro, the hotel’s pan-Latin steakhouse. With just 20 seats — 12 in the lounge and eight at the bar — the bar offers an intimate setting for drinks made with refined techniques and premium spirits. It regularly hosts pop-ups with guest bartenders from across the country and around the world, including Jewel of the South (New Orleans), Employees Only (New York City), and VIRTÙ (Tokyo).

    Patrons make reservations for 90-minute seatings. The bar is open Wednesday-Saturday from 5 pm until midnight.

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