Keepin' it classy

The Breastaurant invasion bounces along: From Bone Daddy's to Bikinis, they allwant a piece of Houston

The Austin-based Bikinis Bar and Grill — which touts the tagline "sports with aview" — recently announced it will be taking over a former Tortuga's site in TheWoodlands.
Bikinis Sports Bar and Grill
Bone Daddy’s House of Smoke, based in Addison, plans to open one of itslady-staffed barbeque in Houston by summer.
Bone Daddy's House of Smoke/Facebook
Bikinis entices breastaurant fans a full "scratch kitchen," unlike some of itscompetitors.
Bikinis Sports Bar and Grill
Bone Daddy's staffers
Bone Daddy's House of Smoke/Facebook
On site at one of the many Bikinis throughout Texas, North Carolina andOklahoma.
Bikinis Sports Bar and Grill
Bikinis
Bikinis Sports Bar and Grill
Bone Daddy's "killer smokehouse barbeque."
Bone Daddy's House of Smoke

As it turns out, some things just never go out of style.

Two Texas-based "breastaurant" chains are looking to the Bayou City to capitalize on the seemingly endless popularity of Hooters, which currently maintains 15 restaurants throughout the region that compete with two branches of its arch-rival Twin Peaks.

The Austin-based Bikinis Bar and Grill — which touts the tagline "sports with a view" — is taking over a former Tortuga's site in The Woodlands along I-45 to launch its first location in the Houston area and 10th overall. Bone Daddy’s House of Smoke, based in Addison, is also planning to open one of its lady-staffed barbecue restaurants in Houston this summer.

So, that's 15, 16, 17 . . . plus two more . . . That's a total of 19 Space City region breastaurants by the end of the year.

"We also take our slogan 'sports with a view' pretty serious here," Bikinis general manager Danny Mac Donald says. "You can expect high-definition televisions everywhere along with all of our beautiful girls."

"We've actually been looking to get into the Houston market for about four years," Danny MacDonald, general manager of The Woodlands Bikinis, tells CultureMap. "It's taken us a while to find a perfect location like this and we're excited to finally be here."

So, how exactly does Bikinis differ from Twin Peaks or Hooters? MacDonald seemed prepared for what is perhaps the most important question for a breastaurant operator.

The food, he says, is fairly traditional American pub fare with wings and burgers being the menu highlights. The main difference, however, will be the quality of both the food and the service according to MacDonald.

"This is a scratch kitchen, unlike what you'd find at our competitors," he says. "We also take our slogan 'sports with a view' pretty serious here, so you can expect high-definition televisions everywhere along with all of our beautiful girls."

Located at 25657 Interstate 45, the new Bikinis will have a soft opening starting May 10 with an official launch in June. The website notes the location is currently hiring.

Although CultureMap was unable to reach a Bone Daddy's representative about its pending arrival, owner Mike Leatherwood told the Houston Business Journal that for Houston, the restaurant plans on a less forward approach to service.

“With the old uniform, [waitresses] had to tie it up to fit the contours of their body,” he said. “There was just a lot more skin showing. This one is tailored.”

Leatherwood noted that he doesn't appreciate being pigeonholed as a run-of-the-mill breastaurant. “We just don’t like being lumped into that category. It’s demeaning to the girls that work here, and it’s just not what we are committed to.”

"Bone Daddy's is a funky barbeque joint with smoking hot waitresses and ice cold beer — that's the line we use to sum up what we do," says Ted Beaman, Bone Daddy's strategic planning director.

Ted Beaman, who heads strategic planning for Bone Daddy's, tells CultureMap that the Houston area location is planned for Webster. The company is hoping to roll out three more restaurants in the region by the end of 2013.

"Bone Daddy's is a funky barbecue joint with smoking hot waitresses and ice cold beer — that's the line we use to sum up what we do," Beaman says.

"There's always a lot of effort to make each of our buildings unique and the barbeque is from a old family recipe that's been perfected over time. Finally, we always make sure we hire attractive, personable and smart waitresses who will provide excellent service and pay lots of attention to our customers."

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Oscars of the Food World

Houston earns 6 finalist nominations in the 2026 James Beard Awards

Courtesy of Chopd & Stewd

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Houston had an impressive showing in the next round of the 2026 James Beard Awards. Of the city’s 12 semifinalist nominations, four have been named finalists in the nationwide categories as well as two for Best Chef: Texas. The six total nominations are two more than the four that Houston chefs and restaurants earned in 2025.

Here are all of the nominees in the national categories:

Emerging Chef: Adrian Torres, Maximo (Houston)
Best New Restaurant: Agnes and Sherman (Houston)
Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service: June Rodil, March (Houston)
Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker: Tavel Bristol-Joseph, Nicosi (San Antonio)
Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker: Maggie Huff, Lucia (Dallas)
Outstanding Restaurateur: Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught, H-Town Restaurant Group (Houston)
Outstanding Restaurant: Mixtli (San Antonio)

The nominees for Best Chef: Texas include three people from Houston. Here are all of the nominees in the category:

Ope Amosu, ChòpnBlọk (Houston)
Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, JŪN (Houston)
Scott Girling, Osteria il Muro (Denton)
Gabe Padilla and Melissa Padilla, Cafe Piro (Socorro)
Finn Walter, The Nicolett (Lubbock)

Along with the finalist announcement for its Restaurant and Chef Awards, the James Beard Foundation announced that the Houston-based Southern Smoke Foundation will be an Impact Award honoree. According to the foundation, the Impact Awards "recognize achievements by individuals and/or organizations who are actively working to push for standards that create a more equitable, sustainable, and economically viable restaurant industry and food system for producers, workers, and consumers alike."

In the semifinalist round, Houston led the way among Texas cities with 12 nominations. Austin earned nine nominations, followed by eight in Dallas and seven in San Antonio. Last year, Houston had four finalist nominations, including Thomas Bille of Belly of the Beast in Spring, who won Best Chef: Texas.

Notably, all of the Texas nominees are first-time finalists, except for Hugo Ortega, who won Best Chef: Southwest in 2017. March, the restaurant June Rodil leads as the CEO of Goodnight Hospitality, earned a finalist nomination in 2025 for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program. Bristol-Joseph has earned significant national recognition from other groups, including a Food & Wine Best New Chef Award in 2020 and a Michelin star for Nicosi. Mixtli also holds a Michelin star.

Considered the Oscars of the food world, the James Beard Foundation announced the finalists for its Restaurant and Chef Awards on Tuesday, March 31. The awards recognize excellence by chefs and other culinary professionals in a wide range of categories ranging from Outstanding Chef to Best New Restaurant. Last year, the James Beard Foundation added three new categories to recognize the beverage side of hospitality: Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.

Winners must also have “demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive,” according to the organization’s website.

The awards also include media categories that will be announced on May 6. The Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony will be held at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on June 15.

Courtesy of Chopd & Stewd

Ope Amosu is participating in the James Beard event.

awards james beard awards chefs