Food for Thought

Restaurants buck the Alabama Theater interior demolition trend and hold ontoHouston history

Hugo’s is housed in a 1926 building that was the Imperial Plumbing Supply andthe fact that you’re dining on fabulous food in a piece of historical Houstonjust adds to the total event.
Photo by Paula Murphy
“A lot of people don’t realize all the history of this building,” FrancieMendenhall said of El Real. “Universal Pictures turned the theater into a livevenue in 1979 for the first off-Broadway run of Best Little Whorehouse in Texas."I played the role of Amber, renamed Angel because they said I sang like anangel. It ran here for a year.”
Photo by Marene Gustin
I watched a worker carting the remnants of the old Alabama Theater out todumpsters in the shared parking lot and sighed.
Photo by Tyler Rudick
“When my parents opened the restaurant 15 years ago the door was still there,”Laikan Hoang said of Mo Mong. “And the backstage dressing rooms had a door outto the patio.”
Photo by Marene Gustin
And if you have any personal memories of the Tower Theater, I’d love to hearabout them.
Photo by Clifford Pugh

Walking into PetSmart the other day I watched a worker carting the remnants of the old Alabama Theater out to dumpsters in the shared parking lot and sighed.

It’s one of the givens in Houston: It will be hot. There will be traffic jams and mosquito hordes. And we will destroy our history.

Clearly, sometimes buildings do outlive their usefulness, and sometimes they are weren’t built to stand the test of time or sometimes owners just let them go to pot, beyond the point of repair.

It’s one of the givens in Houston: It will be hot. There will be traffic jams and mosquito hordes. And we will destroy our history.

But it’s nice — from both and environmental and emotional standpoints — to find a building that whispers about its past, its memories and history. Particularly if that building houses a restaurant.

Clearly, James Beard Award-nominated Hugo Ortega’s food would taste just as wonderful served in some new, boring building. But eating is about more than just the taste, it’s about the total experience and that includes the ambiance of where you eat. Hugo’s is housed in a 1926 building that was the Imperial Plumbing Supply and the fact that you’re dining on fabulous food in a piece of historical Houston just adds to the total event.

And it’s nice to know that history.

There are several city restaurants housed in old homes. Phil & Derek’s Restaurant and Wine Bar is housed in the circa-1880 De Chaumes family home that was moved to its current location in the Gardens of Bammel Lane in 1984. I don’t know much about the family’s history, what their life was like in the home and what meals were served there, but I do know that chef/owner Phillip Mitchell grew up down the street from the house in its original location in the Third Ward.

And it’s little details like that that make for an interesting meal.

Everyone pretty much knows that Mark’s American Cuisine was once a church and then a head shop, and we all know the new, cool Underbelly and The Hay Merchant were once the legendary lesbian bar Chances. But before that the space was also a burger joint.

“We did our best to preserve the building,” said Collaborative Projects’ Jim Herd, who did the redesign of the building and remembers going there for hamburgers when it was Charlie’s Coffee Shop in the 1970s.

Right across the street is the Tower Theater, a 1936 movie house that now is home to El Real Tex-Mex. The last tenant was a Hollywood Video store (back when people actually left their homes to rent movies) but there’s more to the history of this building that I wasn’t aware of.

I recently sat down to lunch there with longtime friend Francie Mendenhall. It was her first time to eat at El Real and she was excited, telling me how she’d seen movies there when she was growing up in Houston.

“We did our best to preserve the building,” says Collaborative Projects’ Jim Herd, who did the redesign of the building and remembers going there for hamburgers.

Now there’s a lot I know about Mendenhall. She’s a great person, a good friend and really talented. And when I say talented I mean she has a wonderful singing voice and is a wonderful actor. She started performing in her father’s old Playhouse Theater, did a stint on KHOU-TV’s kiddie show Looney Auctions and, most famously, was one of the original Dean Martin Golddiggers from 1970 to 1973.

She also dated the late Davy Jones, but that’s another story.

So it was cool listening to her talk about watching movies in the venue where we were eating chili con queso and sipping margaritas but it was when she said she’d actually performed here that I really sat up and took notice.

“A lot of people don’t realize all the history of this building,” she said. “Universal Pictures turned the theater into a live venue in 1979 for the first off-Broadway run of Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. I played the role of Amber, renamed Angel because they said I sang like an angel. It ran here for a year.”

Of course it makes sense that Whorehouse would come to Houston after its Broadway success in 1978. It’s based on the true story of the Chicken Ranch that was brought down by Houston’s Marvin Zindler. The book was written by Texans Larry L. King and Peter Masterson and directed by Masterson and Texan Tommy Tune, who also did the choreography.

After lunch Mendenhall and I strolled around the building to where an empty space sits between El Real and Mo Mong Vietnamese Restaurant.

‘This is where the stage was,” she pointed out. “And the backstage was in there.”

We popped into Mo Mong to look at the sidewall where the stage exit had been and when we explained to Laikan Hoang what we were looking at she chimed in with her knowledge.

“When my parents opened the restaurant 15 years ago the door was still there,” Hoang said. “And the backstage dressing rooms had a door out to the patio.”

“That’s were we’d step out to smoke,” Mendenhall added.

Hoang also added that after the theater closed it became Decadance and Clubland discos before becoming the video store.

So kudos to the two restaurants that saved this bit of Houston history and next time you dine at either one think of all the memories that live in this building.

And if you have any personal memories of the Tower Theater, I’d love to hear about them.

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Where to drink now

CultureMap's 11 favorite new bars that shook up Houston in 2025

Photo by Julie Soefer

Eclectic vintage finds populate the walk-up bar at Augustine Lounge in Hotel Saint Augustine.

This was a standout year for new bars in Houston, with elevated cocktail lounges opening alongside neighborhood hangouts. Whether you’re after a cold beer while watching the Texans on a Heights patio or a tiny martini inside an emerald-green, celestial-inspired hideaway near the Galleria, these 11 openings defined Houston’s bar scene in 2025.

Augustine Lounge
Hotel Saint Augustine has been racking up awards since it opened — receiving a Michelin Key and best new hotel honors from both Esquire and Travel + Leisure. Its bar, Augustine Lounge, matches that acclaim with a focused drinks program featuring highlights like the Coyote Call, a mix of mezcal, port, and Blackstrap rum accented with raspberry, lime, and nutmeg. The food menu leans elevated but unfussy, with offerings such as a charcuterie board with duck prosciutto and a wagyu hot dog tucked into a brioche bun. It also hosts vinyl nights featuring DJ sets from high profile Houstonians. Augustine Lounge is located at 4110 Loretto Drive and open daily from 11 am-12 am.

Bar Doko
Created by Duckstache Hospitality experts (Kokoro, Handies Douzo, Himari, and Aiko) as a companion to its sushi restaurant Doko, Bar Doko has an intimate, 16-seat atmosphere and an extensive selection of Japanese whisky. Small bites shine here, including a masu crudo topped with smoked trout roe and a Jidori egg salad toast. Beverage options range from highballs, martinis, sake, beer, and wine to inventive cocktails like the “Sora” Sky, made with sesame-infused tequila, Maven cold brew, toasted barley, coffee liqueur, and vanilla miso foam. Bar Doko is located at 3737 Cogdell Street, Suite 135, and is open daily from 4 pm-2 am.

Bar Madonna
One doesn’t need a room at the Marlene Inn — a grand neoclassical home turned nine-room hotel — to enjoy this elegant watering hole. Bar Madonna takes its name from a striking, 10-foot painting of the Virgin Mary, relocated from an 18th-century Italian church. Leading the beverage program is Tom Hardy, formerly of Hotel Saint Augustine, whose menu balances Old World influence with New Orleans flair.

This is a seated-only bar, offering 12 interior seats plus additional patio seating, and while reservations aren’t required, they’re often helpful. Signature libations include the Wild Ouest, a tequila-forward blend with poblano, lime, and mezcal inspired by “cowboy boots down the Champs-Élysées.” Bar Madonna is open Monday-Thursday from 3-10 pm, Friday from 3-11 pm, Saturday from 12-11 pm, and Sunday from 12-10 pm.

Berwick’s Bird of Paradise
A tropical escape awaits at Berwick’s Bird of Paradise, created by veteran bartender Robin Berwick of Midtown's beloved Double Trouble. The space was fully renovated to invoke a resort bar attached to an imaginary hotel, complete with playful design touches and a mythical “owner” depicted on the wall. Tropical drinks anchor the menu — think spicy, frozen tequila riffs and a coconut-infused Crocodile Tears Martini — alongside a selection of bar bites like smash burgers, chicken wings, and a Bikini sandwich. Known colloquially as "Be Bop," the bar has quickly attracted locals, industry regulars, and neighbors. Open Tuesday-Thursday from 4 pm-12 am, Friday-Saturday from 3 pm-1 am, and Sunday from 2 pm-10 pm, Berwick’s Bird of Paradise is at 2020 Studewood Street.

Donna’s
The newest cocktail destination on this list, Donna’s quickly built a following after opening Thanksgiving weekend in the former Ready Room space. Named after the grandmother of co-founder Jacki Schromm, the bar is a collaboration between the veteran bartender and Anvil owner Bobby Heugel. Together, the duo aims to create a house-party atmosphere, with energetic weekends balanced by more laid-back weeknights. A vintage stereo system — complete with a reel-to-reel and a turntable — sets the soundtrack, loud enough to entertain but low enough for conversations. The Jacki’s Martini, a 50-50 mix of gin with Cocchi Americano and Dolin Blanc vermouth, nods to both the “Bobby’s Martini” at Refuge and Squable’s “Terry’s Martini.” Donna's is open daily from 2 pm-2 am at 2626 White Oak Drive.

Endless Bummer
Walk the line between Houston and hell at Endless Bummer, the tiki bar next to Beteleguese Beteleguese’s Montrose location. Skeletons, imps, and tiki idols fill the 50-seat space, turning Endless Bummer into an immersive experience displaying works by local artists. The cocktail menu reimagines tropical standards like daiquiris, mai tais, and punches, while originals include the Banana Hammock — a banana-coffee vodka drink — and the Bitter Bird, made with Jamaican rum, Campari, pineapple, yuzu, and strawberry. Located at 4500 Montrose Boulevard, Endless Bummer is open Wednesday-Sunday, from 5 pm-12 am.

Good God, Nadine’s
Designed to feel like the home of “everyone’s favorite eccentric aunt,” Good God, Nadine’s delivers a warm, casual atmosphere paired with playful, comfort-forward drinks. The Washington Corridor bar offers 17 beers and wines on tap, along with cocktails like the Mango Sticky Rice, made with vodka, coconut milk, mango, and pandan. Food options range from po' boys to cast-iron cornbread and oysters on the half shell. Patrons can choose between three distinct areas: an indoor bar, an air-conditioned patio, and a garden patio. Good God, Nadine’s sits at 33 Waugh Drive, and is open Tuesday-Saturday from 4 pm-12 am, and Sunday from 12 pm-8 pm.

The Kid
With a comfortable bartop, moody-but-visible lighting, and ample seating — The Kid nails the feel of a classic neighborhood hang. Inside, charming baby goat figurines — aka “kids” — peek out from behind chicken wire room dividers, while an astroturfed patio outside offers a prime spot to catch a game. From the team behind Flying Fish, Flying Saucer, and Rodeo Goat, the bar continues the group’s tradition of approachable comfort food, including burgers and loaded tater tots. Drink options include the La Fresita, a refreshing creation of tequila, strawberry, peach, lemon, and prosecco. Happy hour is weekdays from 4 pm-7 pm, with $8 cocktails and wines, plus an all-day happy hour on Tuesdays. Located at 1815 N. Durham Drive, The Kid is open Monday-Thursday, 4 pm-12 am, and Friday and Saturday, 4 pm-2 am.

Photo by Julie Soefer

Eclectic vintage finds populate the walk-up bar at Augustine Lounge in Hotel Saint Augustine.

Moon
Perched above Tavola, Moon is an elegant cocktail lounge inspired by the cosmos. A joint concept from the Bastion Collection — the hospitality group behind Michelin-starred Le Jardinier at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston — and Cafe Natalie, Moon’s food options range from a black truffle croque monsieur to the Dark Side of the Moon, a chocolate moelleux with hazelnut crunch. House cocktails like the Nightfall, featuring spiced WhistlePig rye, dark rum, Oloroso sherry, and cherry, sit alongside classics such as French 75s, wines, mocktails, tiny martinis, and shots. For those craving something off-menu, head bartender Joao Diniz is known for crafting bespoke drinks on request. Moon is located at 1800 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 6110, and is open Tuesday-Thursday from 5 pm-12 am, and Friday and Saturday from 5 pm-2 am.

Starduster Lounge
There’s something both nostalgic and timeless about Starduster Lounge, a Heights neighborhood bar that puts a subtle cosmic spin on West Texas style. Will Thomas, co-founder of White Oak Music Hall and owner of Dan Electro’s, teamed up with Benjy Mason of Johnny’s Gold Brick and Winnie’s to transform the nearly 100-year-old building into a charming destination with a rustic yet refined interior of leather, vintage tile, and wood, and a spacious, tree-shaded backyard. The menu is constantly evolving, but standout drinks include the Pecan or Pecan?, with rye, bourbon, and Licor 43. Steak night is on Thursdays, with other food offerings announced via the bar’s Instagram. Happy hour is Monday-Friday, 4 pm-6 pm, with half-off cocktails. Starduster Lounge is located at 3921 N. Main and is open Monday-Friday from 4 pm-2 am, and Saturday and Sunday from 2 pm-2 am.

CultureMap editor Eric Sandler's Honorable Mention: Montrose Grocer
Building on her experience as the owner of Avondale Food & Wine and Heights Grocer, Houston entrepreneur Mary Clarkson opened this wine shop next to Catbirds. What distinguishes it from Heights Grocer is that MG also has a carefully-chosen selection of wines by-the-glass and bottle available for drinking on-site. Paired with snacks in the form of sandwiches and charcuterie boards and enhanced by a soundtrack of 4,000 records, Montrose Grocer has become a popular spot with hospitality workers and wine lovers who appreciate its low key atmosphere and affordable prices. (Full disclosure: Clarkson and Sandler are friends. She is a regular contributor to CultureMap's "What's Eric Eating" podcast.)

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