Hot New Bars

Houston's hottest new bars and must-try cocktails: Where To Drink Right Now

Can't decide where to grab a drink? Let us help you decide.

From a neighborhood joint to a wine haunt, here are some new Houston hotspots to check out right now, plus a must-try drink at each that's sure to hit the spot.

Beckrew Wine House

Located at the address formerly occupied by The Tasting Room River Oaks, this Upper Kirby gem serves up Italian and Spanish eats (including a spinach, apple and gorgonzola pizza and a grilled cheese panini with Gruyere), a small roster of coffees and beers, and more than 100 global wines.

Take advantage of select bottles of vino that are marked down to reflect the current price of a barrel of crude.

The Commoner and The Boulevardier

This downtown two-for-one bar concept features The Commoner on the first floor and The Boulevardier on the second. Hit up The Commoner, cozy with seating for 100, for a game of darts, an eclectic mix of dance tunes (from hip hop to punk), a high-energy vibe and must-try cocktail, the Honey Dew Sour (made with your choice of rum or vodka, honey dew melon juice, lemon juice, muskmelon-flavored liqueur and pink peppercorn).

Kick back upstairs at The Boulevardier. The posh lounge boasts a sleek decor complete with mirrored wall accents and 1970s-esque low-slung sofas, bottle service, a heavy selection of high-end spirits and creative cocktails (try the Komodo, a mix of dragon fruit gin, Italian aperitif, lime, bitters, lemon juice and mineral water).

The only drawback? With seating for a maximum of 60 people only, it fills up fast. But we’ve got the scoop on how to get a seat: Leave your cell number with the host and he’ll ping you when a space opens up.

Johnny's Gold Brick

The welcoming Heights neighborhood bar comes to us from the folks behind Down House, D &T Drive Inn and The Kipper Club, and award-winning bartender Leslie Ross. Choose from the likes of 10 classic cocktails, Texas beers, a featured glass of red, white or rose wine (there's one of each) and a killer frozen margarita.

The El Machete — made with tequila, fresh-squeezed lime juice, orange Curacao and a Big Red (soda) floater — is sure to be your go-to drink for summer. Bonus: A dollar from every cocktail goes to an alternating Heights-area charity.

Henke & Pillot

This chic downtown place presents stellar cocktails, as well as tasty treats from chef David Grossman (Branch Water Tavern, Fusion Taco) including steak tartare (with truffle and a quail egg) and fried oysters. Wash it all down with the vodka and pear brandy-based H&P Refresh (with muddled cucumber, lemon juice, simple syrup, club soda and a lemon twist).

Love and Squalor

Love and Squalor lounge at Midtown’s Weights + Measures (also a restaurant and a bakery) offers a bar bites menu with focaccia bread pizza, sandwiches, more than 100 bottled craft beers, a small producer-focused wine list and both classic cocktails and new riffs on old favorites.

Don’t skip the Rusty Nail (a mix of blended Scotch whisky, sweet Scotch whisky liqueur and lemon).

Local Pour – The Woodlands

The tavern and eatery takes on The Woodlands with this second locale at Hughes Landing. There's palate-pleasing fare from consulting chef Randy Evans (Haven) and corporate chef Pablo Gomez (expect items such as almond salmon and walnut pesto pasta primavera). And drink up thanks to 48 draft beers, 30 bottled beers, a large selection of wines (two on tap) and cocktails like the can’t-miss Lone Star Sour (vodka, lemon juice and jalapeno).

The El Machete frozen margarita at Johnny's Gold Brick

Courtesy of Treadsack

The El Machete frozen margarita at Johnny's Gold Brick

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firing up Montrose

New Houston seafood restaurant adds live-fire flair to Japanese flavors

Photo by Becca Wright

Spanish sea bass, scallop crudo, nigiri, bluefin binchotan, and bluefin crudo.

An ambitious new seafood restaurant is coming to Montrose next week. Casa Kenji will open on Tuesday, December 9.

Located in the former Andiron space (3201 Allen Pkwy), Casa Kenji is the first Houston project for New Orleans restaurateur Malachi DuPre, a former LSU standout who played briefly in the NFL before establishing Kenji and Kenji Kazoku restaurants in New Orleans. Together with former LSU teammate John “B-John” Ballis and Houston chef Bigler “Biggie” Cruz, Casa Kenji will blend Latin and Japanese influences while also incorporating live-fire elements into the restaurant’s dishes. Cruz, whose resume includes a lengthy stint at Uchi as well as working at critically acclaimed Houston seafood restaurant Golfstrømmen, tells CultureMap that Casa Kenji’s approach is the first time he can be himself in the kitchen.

“My perfect restaurant was always based on the live fire and sushi combination,” Cruz says. “My mom cooked with wood for my entire life. The live fire creates completely different flavors. The smoky flavors, the sear from the charcoal — they create a different type of memory for me.”

The use of live fire techniques will permeate Casa Kenji’s menus in ways both big and small. For example, diners will be able to feast on prawns grilled directly on charcoal and served with yuzu chili garlic, or savor lightly seared Japanese wagyu tataki paired with mushrooms. Even raw dishes will benefit from the restaurant’s wood-burning grill and stove.

“Every vegetable we peel, we make into an ash that’s a topping for the dishes. It adds a different layer of flavor,” Cruz says. Look for it in the scallop aguachile, among others.

Even vegetables get a smoky component, as in a cabbage dish that’s braised with dashi and soy sauce before being roasted and served with an onion soubise that Cruz says he developed based on techniques he learned from Golfstrømmen chef Christopher Haatuft.

“It’s rich, super savory, with smoky layers, and you get brightness from the shiso gremolata. I think it will be a signature dish for us,” the chef says.

One change to the interior is the addition of a six-seat omakase counter that looks into the kitchen. Cruz promises those diners will have an even more elevated experience than the restaurant’s regular menu, including ingredients such as Japanese wagyu and premium fish flown in from Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market.

Beyond its cuisine, Casa Kenji hopes to stand out with its spacious outdoor patio. Since very few Japanese-inspired restaurants in Houston offer outdoor seating, it should appeal to diners who want a little vitamin D along with their tuna crudo.

“We’re proud to showcase the craft and creativity that defines Casa Kenji,” co-founders Cruz, Ballis, and DuPre said in a statement. “With chef Bigler Cruz at the helm — blending live-fire technique with the discipline of Japanese tradition — we’re equally honored and excited to share a unique concept that is truly rooted in passion, culture, and community.”

Casa Kenji will be open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday beginning at 4 pm. Reservations are available on Resy.

Photo by Becca Wright

Spanish sea bass, scallop crudo, nigiri, bluefin binchotan, and bluefin crudo.