Best New Patios

Best new patios: Dine outdoors at these 10 hotspots — and you may spot a celebrity, too

Spring is prime time for alfresco dining in Houston. No matter your zip code, a cool patio awaits. Here are 10 new patios we'll be frequenting as long as the weather remains this delightful.

Toulouse Cafe & Bar
Freshly opened Toulouse Cafe & Bar at River Oaks District features local chef Philippe Schmit, formerly of Philippe Restaurant + Lounge, at the kitchen helm. Dining al fresco is extra fun at the Dallas import thanks to its climate-controlled, 50-seat patio that features a retractable awning. The menu offers classic French fare (think: fresh mussels, bouillabaisse and New York strip with pomme frites and béarnaise). In May, sister restaurant Taverna will present Italian eats, from homemade pasta to wood-fired pizza, and a patio with room for 40 when it opens in an adjacent space in May.

Axelrad Beer Garden
An eclectic mix of art, lush landscaping, live music and a garden patio with room for 200 set the background at this sprawling brew spot with a curated selection of 31 craft beers on tap, plus additional beers in cans and bottles. Those seeking to lounge in one of the space's signature hammocks should get there early. They fill up fast!

Killen's Steakhouse
Celebrities ranging from Houston Texans’ defensive end J.J. Watt and outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus to hip hop superstar Bun B know to hit up Ronnie Killen’s Pearland-area restaurant for killer chops, plus tasty brisket nachos and lobster quesadillas. The upscale eatery features a 10,000 square-foot patio, perfect for enjoying cooler temps. P.S. Keep an eye out for the upcoming Killen's Burgers, slotted to open May 28.

The Burger Joint
Power forward Donatas Motiejunas of the Houston Rockets knows there's no better place to nosh outdoors than at this new Montrose neighborhood gem. A spacious 2,500-square-foot dog-friendly deck seats 142. Don’t skip the Mexi burger topped with grilled ham, avocado, queso fresco, jalapenos and chipotle mayonnaise. Pair it with any of the 24 beers on tap.

Eight Row Flint
Housed in a former gas station, this Heights-area modern icehouse doesn’t hold back when it comes to its patio (it seats 200) or its tasty sips. Choose from the large whiskey selection, 10 beers on tap, 30 beers by the bottle, frozen cocktails, and carbonated drinks, among them the unmissable Ranchwater made with sotol, clarified lime juice, lime oleo saccharum and salt. A selection of tacos are made with the same high-quality, locally-sourced ingredients that have earned sister concept Coltivare such acclaim.

The Dunlavy
There’s not a bad seat in the glass-enclosed house at The Dunlavy. If you can see past the eye-catching, chandelier-clad interior, the private-event-space-and-cafe is also decked out with outdoor seating for 40, complete with picturesque views of Buffalo Bayou Park. The list of standout fare includes avocado toast and Chinese chicken salad. Grab a bite and then go on an kayak adventure: There's a rental spot just a few steps away.

Irish Cowboy
Drink, eat and play at this new Midtown gathering spot with an Irish-pub-slash-icehouse vibe and Texas-sized backyard that can accommodate over 800. Up the outdoor game with 70 draft beers, live music, barbecue smoked on-site, giant Jenga, ping pong and more.

Barking Pig
Catch some rays on the patio at welcoming neighborhood joint the Barking Pig, and then dig into must-try items from mushroom pizza with goat cheese, pesto and truffle oil to meatballs served with mozzarella and bruschetta. Wash it all down with a craft cocktail or beer.

Raven Tower
At Raven Tower enjoy the great outdoors at a picnic table. Choose from a roster of 24 beers on tap — and dozens more by the bottle, wine and cocktails including the off-menu, Luisa's Paloma. The house twist on the classic showcases smoky mezcal instead of tequila. Drink up and then catch a music act next door at White Oak Music Hall. An on-property food concept should launch later this year, but trompo tacos from popular truck La Macro will do for now.

Bernadine's
Like its neighbor Hunky Dory, Bernadine's features a sprawling patio that seats about 100, and it's pretty much the perfect environment for snacking on chef Graham Laborde's Gulf Coast cuisine. Feeling particularly indulgent? Spring for the I-10 Tower that mixes a range of cold and raw ingredients for only $70.

The patio at Bernadine's seats about 100 people.

Courtesy photo

The patio at Bernadine's seats about 100 people.

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visiting popup bagels

A highly opinionated take on Houston's venture-backed new bagel shop

Courtesy of PopUp Bagels

Houstonians are lining up to try PopUp Bagels.

It’s hard to remember the last restaurant opening with as much fanfare as PopUp Bagels. Houstonians lined up in the heat for the bakery’s grand opening on Saturday, June 13.

Shawn the Food Sheep included a glimpse of the line in his review below.

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Eager to see what the fuss is all about, I stopped by around 10 am on Thursday, June 18. Thankfully, only about a dozen people stood in line ahead of me, and I had a bag of six bagels in less than 20 minutes.

The frequency with which it boils and bakes it bagels sets PopUp Bagels apart from Houston’s traditional, mostly family-owned bagel shops. Instead of making large batches early in the morning that may get refreshed once or twice per day, PopUp Bagels is constantly boiling and baking smaller batches of a couple dozen bagels at a time throughout its operating hours. That's why customers will hear the cry of “hot bagels” echoing through the small, counter-service space every time more emerge from the oven.

PopUp is different from traditional bagel shops in a couple of other important ways. First, the menu only list five varieties — plain, poppy, salt, sesame, and everything, which is topped with poppy seeds, salt, and sesame seeds. And, it only serves whole bagels — no slicing or toasting. The store’s motto of “grip, rip, and dip” explains how it expects customers to consume their bagels. Packaged lox are available, but diners have to assemble the sandwich themselves — either off-site or at one of the couple of cafe tables outside.

PopUp Bagels also doesn’t sell individual bagels. Instead, diners must order a minimum of three bagels and a schmear — various cream cheese and butters are available — for $15. Six bagels and a schmear costs $24. A dozen bagels and two schmears is $46. As a point of comparison, the Bagel Shop Bakery in Bellaire charges $25 for 13 bagels and two, 8-ounce schmears.

So, how is it?

Fresh, hot bagels are inherently superior to hours-old bagels. That’s a real advantage for PopUp Bagels. On my visit, the fresh-from-the-oven plain bagels were so hot that they needed a couple of minutes before we could "grip and rip" them.

As for the bagels themselves, they certainly look the part. The outside is deeply caramelized with an even distribution of toppings that adhere well to the exterior.

But the biggest shortcoming is texture. Bagels, obviously, are supposed to be chewy, but all six of the bagels that an ex-pat New Yorker friend and I ordered walked the line between chewy and underbaked. That may be deliberate, as softer bagels are easier to “grip and rip.”

It's also possible that the bakery’s new employees are still dialing in procedures, and that a different day would yield bagels with a crispier texture. Colloquially, friends who have also visited the shop — both in Houston and other cities — disagreed with my assessment of the texture.

The plain is just that, with a very mild flavor. Both the scallion cream cheese and salted butter had a pleasantly creamy texture and boosted the dining experience.

Overall, PopUp is competitive with Houston’s best bagels. That’s promising, since Stripes — the equity growth firm that bought PopUp Bagels in 2023 — has announced plans to open more than 300 locations nationwide.

But you won’t see me driving half an hour or standing in a long line to get another taste. Houston’s locally-owned bagel shops are more convenient, less expensive, and just as good.

Courtesy of PopUp Bagels

Houstonians are lining up to try PopUp Bagels.

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