Looking for a new happy hour spot this April? This month, downtowners should loosen their ties and head to Strip House, which is featuring free weekly spirits tastings in its bar and lounge from 6 to 8 p.m on Thursdays.
This Thursday, Milagro Tequila is offering free margaritas, followed on April 12 by Waterloo Gin, which will feature cocktails that are refreshing for warm weather. On April 19, look for the ladies in pin-up fashion, who will be serving drinks featuring Sailor Jerry Rum. Or try some old-fashioned whiskey, straight-up, when Garrison Brothers Bourbon offers samples on April 26.
Each tasting will be accompanied by hors d'oeuvres designed by the Strip House chefs to complement each spirit. But will you be able to resist the call of a steak dinner or the famous 24k chocolate cake after a couple drinks?
Mark Wiens and Houston influencer Steven Autry visited Taste of Texas.
One of Houston’s most successful steakhouses is the star of a new clip on YouTube. In a video posted on Thursday, March 12, Mark Wiens visited iconic Houston restaurant Taste of Texas.
Recorded in January, Wiens is a Thailand-based YouTube star with more than 11 million subscribers. He visited the steakhouse with Steven Autry, who operates the popular Houston’s Got Spice influencer account with his wife Christina.
Over the 30 minute episode, Wiens explores everything that makes the almost 40-year-old restaurant so special. It includes a visit to the restaurant’s butcher shop to select the specific tomahawk ribeye and filet — all of which are Certified Angus beef that’s wet-aged for 45 days — Wiens and Autry will dine on. The video also illustrates how large the restaurant’s kitchen is, fitting for an establishment that seats over 300 people and regularly serves more than 1,000 diners per day.
From there, Wiens visits Taste of Texas’ salad bar, where he’s impressed by both the quality of the produce and the variety of dressings and toppings to choose from. Once the steaks hit the table, Wiens and Autry rave about what they’re eating.
“Oh wow. Extremely tender. And so even. No little tough bits, no gristle. It’s just smooth, buttery, cooked perfectly,” Wiens says about his filet. “That’s incredibly tasty,” he adds. They also sample a number of sides and desserts.
After the meal, co-owner Nina Hendee guides Wiens and his son through some of the restaurant’s Texas history artifacts, including firearms and two doors from the Alamo.
“It’s more than a restaurant here,” Wiens concludes. “It is a destination, an icon, delicious food, warm hospitality.”
Wiens isn't the only YouTube star to visit Taste of Texas, which touts itself as the busiest, single location restaurant in Texas. Mike Chen, who has more than 4 million subscribers to his Strictly Dumpling channel, posted a video in December of his visit to the West Houston favorite.
As Christina Autry notes in her Instagram post about meeting Wiens, they dined together at a number of Houston restaurants, including The Original Ninfa's, Cleburne Cafeteria, and Lankford Grocery. Stay tuned for videos from those meals.
