let's get social

Massive new party palace in The Heights promises bubbly brunch and boozy fun

Heights Social will be an 8,500-square-foot party palace.

Rendering by Long Kim

A veteran Heights bar owner has plans to shake up 20th Street with what he describes as the “ultimate social gathering and party place.” Zach Harris, who owns the popular Drift Bar in The Heights, has announced his newest concept, Heights Social, which is slated to open this fall.

Keeping it walkable for fans and locals, Heights Social will be located right next door to Drift at 1213 W. 20th St. The new spot will boast 8,500 square feet of bar and entertainment space, more than 50 TVs, advanced automated lighting, and a 40-foot LED wall. As for the libation experience, expect cocktails on tap, martinis, a full kitchen and aggressive happy hour specials.

Weekends will see champagne sabering (always an IG story/Boomerang fave), brunch, and late-night DJs.

Specifically for sips, Harris has planned a martini-focused cocktail menu featuring old-school martinis and an espresso martini on tap. Other staples will include gin cocktails on tap, craft cocktail shots, and flavored Old Fashioneds, according to a press release. Harris has also picked an “elevated” wine list, including his off-the-menu personal favorites, such as Plumpjack.

Food offerings will include a thin-crust pizza, appetizers, and charcuterie. Weekend brunch promises to pop (bottles), with tableside champagne service and the aforementioned champagne sabering.

Scenic additions include automated lighting, the first design utilized by Harris’ new company, Harris Hospitality. A 101-inch, Restoration Hardware chandelier mounted above a fountain in an atrium area, with massive skylights overhead, is a signature feature and future selfie haven for guests.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to open another concept on 20th Street,” said Harris in a statement. “Heights Social will be a social gathering place for Houston and the surrounding areas. We want this place to be different and create something special for Houston. It’s the first of many more venues to come for Harris Hospitality.”

Heights Social is the newest concept for Harris’ fledgling firm. The native Houstonian who opened Drift in 2020 promises more Drift bars in the future, plus live music venues around the Lone Star State and beyond.

Heights Social; 1213 W. 20th St. For more information, follow @heightssocialhouston.

cocktails nightlife openings the-heights

Meet the Piña Loca

Vibrant Mexican food stand opens new restaurant near downtown

Photo by Marco Torres

Gazpachos' menu includes tacos, micheladas, and more.

A street-style Mexican eatery has finally found its brick-and-mortar home. Gazpachos Mexican Bites is now open for lunch and dinner in Houston’s Near Northside neighborhood.

Located next to Meow Wolf at 2103 Lyons Ave., the new Gazpachos is the latest evolution of a concept that chef-owner Jennifer Perez founded as a trailer 10 years ago to serve Gaspacho Moreliano, a fruit dish inspired by her hometown in Michoacan. Since then, Gazpachos has grown into a series of food trucks as well as a kiosk at Upper Kirby’s Levy Park that opened in 2023.

Perez worked with Houston-based architecture and design firm Architangent to turn the 2,500-square-foot space into Gazpachos. Details include Equipale chairs sourced from Tequila, Jalisco, a U-shaped bar inspired by street-facing bars in Mexico, and four TVs that will be used for movie nights, loteria game, and other happenings.

The restaurant will serve Gazpachos’ diverse menu of sweet and savory offerings. That starts with its signature over-the-top fruit bowls such as the Piña Loca, a hollowed-out pineapple that’s filled with chopped fruit, chamoy, Tajín, lime juice, and candy. On the savory side, Gazpachos serve ceviches as well as street-style tacos and tortas filled with proteins such as Michoacán-style carnitas, pastor, birria, and asada. Kids of all ages will find options including quesadillas, hot dogs, and snow cones.

Having a brick-and-mortar allows Gazpachos to add alcoholic beverages to its offerings. Diners will be able to sip micheladas, margaritas, tequila-spiked aguas locas, and other familiar Mexican cocktails.

“Opening this space is a meaningful reflection of how far we’ve come over the last 10 years,” Perez said in a statement. “We started with a simple idea to share the flavors we love from a small trailer. Seeing it grow into a place where people can enjoy the same treats I grew up with, and come together as a community, is a testament to passion, perseverance, and the support we’ve received along the way. It’s very special to me.”

Photo by Marco Torres

Gazpachos' menu includes tacos, micheladas, and more.

openings tacos news-you-can-eat

let's get social

Massive new party palace in The Heights promises bubbly brunch and boozy fun

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