drinking eado

10 coolest EaDo bars for Houston sports fans to jump on the bandwagon

Elevate your sports watching game at Chapman and Kirby.

Courtesy photo

Call it the East End, call it EaDo — it's hot and it's growing fast. Houstonians already know Little Woodrow's and Lucky's here, but there are plenty of other cool places to hit if you're coming downtown to catch Rockets-Warriors or the Astros, and you're smart enough to park on the east side of 59. These spots are the perfect place to scream for the Rockets, the Astros, or at your drinking buddy:

Around the Corner
Perhaps my favorite go-to bar, it is basically a house with a bar in it. Great staff, great atmosphere, enough TVs to watch the game and really good pizza. Their steak night on Thursdays is as good as it gets. Really good option if you want a nice place to chill and watch the game. In the same complex as Leeland House, a new breakfast lunch place that is really good as well. 1510 Hutchins St.

Truckyard
Recently opened, this is a really strong addition to the area. Food is limited, but the drink selection is through the roof, they have a great drink selection, monstrous patio, and quality service. And a ferris wheel. Really. 2118 Lamar St.

East End Hardware
A true neighborhood bar with limited TVs, but they have a projection screen and if you want to catch the games, they will take care of you. Known for their alcohol-infused sno-cones, this place is a really cool hangout. 3005 Leeland St.

Rodeo Goat
The burgers are awesome and there are a LOT of choices. They also have really good craft beer and an attentive staff, especially if you are sitting at the bar. Which you will want to do if you are watching the games. 2105 Dallas St.

Neil's Bahr
You won't go here to watch games — you go here to play them. And hang out in a really cool eclectic place. You can play ping pong or MarioKart or watch The Simpsons. A nice after game chill place. 2006 Walker St.

The New Potato
If you haven't tried this place, you are missing out. Pet friendly, lots of craft beers, good atmosphere, lots of good food trucks. Worth your time. 3519 Clinton Dr.

8th Wonder Brewery
Pretty much the gold standard for the area. A staple in East Downtown, the brewery has embraced Houston's sports teams like no other, and has become a go-to pregame place for Astros and Rockets. And they just opened a vodka/gin distillery across the street. A must-visit if you're in the area. 2202 Dallas St.

The Secret Group
A comedy club (and a good one) they have something happening every night. Good place to stop by after the game and catch an act or a good drink. 2101 Polk St.

Chapman and Kirby
Slightly upscale, but a really nice bar with excellent food and plenty of places to watch the games. Expansive outdoor area as well. 2118 Lamar St.

Moon Tower
This is a really eclectic place with great food, as long as you are willing to wait for it. Good beer selection, too. Not a great watch place — but a good pregame place. 3004 Canal St.

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Fred Faour is editor of SportsMap and hosts "The Blitz" weekdays on ESPN 97.5 FM.

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And the winners are...

Houston restaurants have a historic night with 2 James Beard Award wins

Courtesy of HoustonFirst Corporation

Houston was well-represented at the 2026 James Beard Awards

Houston had a historic night at the James Beard Awards. Held on Monday, June 15, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Two of Houston’s six finalists took home prizes for both national awards and Best Chef: Texas.

They are:

Emerging Chef: Adrian Torres, Maximo
Best Chef Texas: Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, Jūn

Houston’s other finalists were: June Rodil (March) for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service; Ope Amosu (ChòpnBlọk) for Best Chef: Texas; Agnes and Sherman for Best New Restaurant, and Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught (H-Town Restaurant Group) for Outstanding Restaurateur.

Other Texas nominees included: Tavel Bristol-Joseph (Nicosi, San Antonio) and Maggie Huff (Lucia, Dallas) for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker and Mixtli in San Antonio for Outstanding Restaurant.

The other nominees for Best Chef: Texas were: Scott Girling (Osteria il Muro in Denton), Gabe Padilla and Melissa Padilla, (Cafe Piro in Socorro), and Finn Walter (The Nicolett in Lubbock).

James Beard Awards Lindsey Brown Chris Shepherd Southern Smoke Foundation Lindsey Brown, center, and Chris Shepherd, right, at the Impact Awards. Photo by Max Flatow

In addition, the Houston-based Southern Smoke Foundation, a nonprofit that provides emergency assistance and mental health services to hospitality workers, received an Impact Award at a separate ceremony on Sunday, June 14.

Tonight’s two wins firmly establish Houston as Texas’ premier culinary destination. They follow Thomas Bille of Belly of the Beast in Spring winning Best Chef: Texas in 2025 and Benchawan Jabthong Painter (Street to Kitchen) winning the same category in 2023, meaning the city’s chefs have now won three of the last four awards in that category. Torres is only the second Houstonian to win a national award, following Southern-inspired cocktail bar Julep’s win for Outstanding Bar Program in 2022.

Although he’s only 27 years old, Torres has frequently found himself in the national spotlight since took over as Maximo’s executive chef in 2025. Since then, he’s been named a Rising Star by StarChefs magazine, earned a Bib Gourmand designation for Maximo from the Michelin Guide, and won the 2026 CultureMap Tastemaker Award for Rising Star Chef of the Year.

“I am proud to be the son of immigrants. I am proud to be an immigrant. And I am proud to be a DACA recipient,” Torres said to applause from the crowd of culinary professionals.

“Tonight, the headline is that a brown kid from the Northside, raised by parents who sacrificed everything for the chance at a better life, is standing on this stage accepting one of the highest honors in this industry,” he added.

James Beard Awards Evelyn Garcia Henry Lu Jun Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu won Best Chef: Texas.Photo by Casey Giltner

After establishing themselves by serving casual fare at pop-ups and farmers markets, Garcia and Lu opened Jūn in 2023. Billed as a New Asian American restaurant, it features a wide-ranging menu that includes charred cabbage with tofu Caesar dressing, carrots with everything salsa matcha, and the signature fried chicken that’s seasoned with shrimp paste, ginger, and Thai chili. In 2025, they opened Third Place, a daytime concept in the Jūn space that showcases pop-ups from both established and up-and-coming chefs.

Like Torres, Lu also celebrated his immigrant parents. “I want to thank our immigrant parents who lived the American dream and put us where we are today. They invested so much in us. Everything we are today is because of them,” he said.

“Houston, I love you so so much,” Garcia said as she and Lu accepted their award. “Our amazing city is made from creatives from first generations like we are. It is a city of dreams and hopes. What has taught me anything with Jun is there’s room for everyone, there’s a space to tell our story, that it’s meant to be heard, and that there’s a reason why we’re here.”

Considered the Oscars of the food world, the awards recognize excellence by chefs and other culinary professionals in a wide range of categories from Outstanding Chef to Best New Restaurant. In 2025, 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.

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