'sup dog?

Houston's top 10 dog-friendly bars for you and your furry friend

A crowd at the West Alabama Ice House

Papou Jerry's Gryo Truck Facebook

It’s summer and it’s hot and sticky, leaving many of us parched and in need of lagers, craft cocktails, or cocktail pops to cool off. As local dog lovers know, bar fun is that much more enjoyable when our furry friends can tag along. Here, then, are some of Houston’s favorite dog-friendly bars where you and Fido can mix it up and mingle.

Axelrad
1517 Alabama St.
This Midtown favorite features a massive courtyard with picnic tables and hammocks. With a bar inside and the outdoor beerstreamer dispensing alcoholic drinks, you won’t have to go far to get your fill. Expect rotating food trucks and Luigi’s on standby for you to nosh on; also keep an eye out for their chef pop-ups. Parking can get a bit hectic, but anyone willing to walk, bike, Uber, or use any sort of public transit will be rewarded with a 5 percent discount.

Better Luck Tomorrow
544 Yale St.
For something a bit smaller and intimate, head to Bobby Heugel and Justin Yu’s brainchild. The crew behind the popular Heights bar are a talented bunch and cocktails are on point. The team has recently introduced summer pitchers that can be filled with martinis, mojitos, Manhattans, French 75s, or Negroni (minimum of three guests required). The happy-hour-and-a-half runs weekdays from 3:30 pm to 5 pm — and keep an eye of for weather specials: For example, if it is hotter than 95 degrees, highballs are half-off regular price.

Underdogs Pub
4212 Washington Ave.
This Washington haunt is one of the few in Houston that allows four-legged friends to be off-leash. Here, pooches can freely roam the patio and even inside the pub as you imbibe. Underdogs offers 18 taps and craft beer from local breweries and abroad, as well as spirits and cocktails. Look for specials on draft beers on Thursdays, as all 18 taps are $4 and Wednesdays all Irish, American, and Scotch whiskies are $3 off.

Nettbar
4504 Nett St.
Keeping it local in the Washington corridor and off the beaten tracks is Nettbar, an early-1900s home converted to a fun, neighborhood bar with a patio, picnic tables, a Bocce Ball court, giant Jenga, giant four square, and cornhole. Rotating food trucks provide grub and TVs inside and out showcase sports. As the bar is next to the train tracks, you can expect the apropos $2 train shots.

Bobcat Teddy’s Icehouse
2803 White Oak Dr.
This Heights newcomer offers an expanded outdoor patio, plenty of TVs, and an excellent bar program. Locals walking their pooches stop in to sip on Aperol Spritzes or slam back a Jameson and a Lone Star. With plenty of outdoor seating and specials throughout the week, this cat makes for a perfect neighborhood dog haunt.

8th Wonder Brewery
2202 Dallas St.
Fans of this brewery have dubbed it "Wonder World." Stop by to sip, try your hand at cornhole, and nibble at the Eatsie Boys truck. Don’t miss out on the dope Instagram op courtesy of The Beatles statues and the "We Love Houston" sign. The brewery offers plenty of real estate out back for friends of the two and four-legged persuasion.

Truck Yard
2118 Lamar St Suite 150
One of the hottest bars in EaDo — and all of Houston — even boasts a ferris wheel. Best bet at this packed hot spot is outdoor seating, where you can nosh on Truck Yard's cheesesteaks or items from the rotating food trucks, while you people watch (and dog watch). Adding to the party is live music Thursday through Sunday.

West Alabama Ice House
1919 W Alabama St.
This Montrose mainstay and local favorite offers plenty of room for your furry friend. Ping-pong tables and a basketball court keep things sporty, or you can camp out in front of the TVs or projector screen for movie night. The neighboring Tacos Tierra Caliente food truck is an absolute must-try.

Heights Bier Garten
1433 N Shepherd Dr. Ste 1
The Bier Garten's main draw is the huge courtyard that offers tons of seating and cooling fans throughout. With 94 taps of beer, you’ll find something to drink; food offerings include a Cubano sandwich, a pork belly cobb salad, and even a pork shank platter. How can you say no?

The New Potato
3519 Clinton Dr.
Located in Fifth Ward, The New Potato is a hidden gem. Enjoy a comfortable patio space and 29 craft beers on tap, or sip on the spirits and specialty bourbon and whiskey, if that’s more your speed. As your dogs chill, you can enjoy 10-inch, thin-crust personal pies and the relaxing neighborhood vibe.

The 8th Wonder Brewery

Courtesy photo

The 8th Wonder Brewery

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chefs vs somms

Chris Shepherd introduces a new party game for food and wine lovers

Courtesy of Chris Shepherd

Maneet Chauhan, Cassidee Dabney, and Chris Shepherd represented the chefs.

I have a new game for you! A few years ago I wrote a piece — that some of you still talk to me about — about a game called Wine Club Death Match! Now, here is a new one for a group of friends that get together. Take this one and run with it and have an absolute party!

Are you ready? Let’s get into it.

Last month, I was asked to take part in an event during Aspen Food & Wine called Chefs vs Somms. This event pairs three chefs vs three sommeliers in a battle of smell, taste, and a good amount of smack talking. The premise of this challenge is finding the best pairings for four snacks from a group of 10 wines.

Here is the low down on how we did it:

The Teams

Chefs: Cassidee Dabney, Chef at The Barn at Blackberry Farm; Maneet Chauhan, Chef, Restauranteur, and TV personality; Me

Sommeliers: Arjav Ezekial, Birdie’s; Amanda McCrossin, sommelier and wine personality (if you like wine, you should follow her!); Chris Dunaway, wine director of The Little Nell.

Four snacks

Deviled egg
Prosciutto wrapped Granny Smith apple
A spiced samosa
Caramelized fish sauce chicken wings

Ten wines

IWA Sake Assemblage 5
2023 Domaine du Cellier aux Moines Aligoté Sous les Roches
2024 Tiberio Pecorino
2023 Vietti Timorasso Colli Tortonesi
2024 Soalheiro Primeiras Vinhas
2023 Guigal Tavel
2022 Analemma Trousseau
NV Lini Labrusco Lambrusco Rosso
2024 Giant Steps Circle of Fifths Pinot Noir
2022 Cume do Avia Colleita 10 Red Ribeiro

The game

Each team deliberates separately to pick the best pairing to go with the first snack, the deviled egg. The competitors have to get into the details of each dish. For this one, we had to consider how much mustard there is versus the mayonnaise, sweet or dill relish, how much onion, salt, and pepper. Then, we went through the 10 wines to see what our team likes best.

Courtesy of Chris Shepherd

Maneet Chauhan, Cassidee Dabney, and Chris Shepherd represented the chefs.

We had to sell our pick to the rest of the group (ours was an audience of 100 people) to convince them that we chose the best pairing. Once a wine is chosen from one team, it’s off the board, which means it can no longer. We had to plan our attack — and sabotage when we must! We had to think about what really does pair well and what we thought the other team might want to use in the future, so we can mess with their heads and shake things a bit.

For the deviled egg, we picked the 2023 Guigal Tavel. We thought that rosé and deviled eggs would make people think about spring time, sitting on a patio enjoying a beautiful brunch with friends. At the same time, the Somms were plotting away at their pick. They chose the Tiberio Pecorino, which is a super crisp floral white wine. After the somms made their case, we verbally battled back and forth like a bunch of lawyers in a courtroom. Was rosé the best pick? We tried to sway the jury, but the chefs lost round one. It’s ok though, it’s a game of strategy, and we had more rounds to go.

We battled each round, blow by blow, trying to get our opinions in. The chefs are very matter of fact about things because well, that’s what we do. The somms would argue their points: “The floral notes of this….” Blah blah blah. As the chefs would say, “What grows together goes together...” Blah blah blah. As the rounds go on, the more you taste, the better the verbal battle becomes!

In the end, we tied, which is how it was supposed to be. Two teams giving it their all and having a blast with friends.

One thing that really resonated was that the two teams need each other to run successful operations and to be better for our guests. We work together to provide hospitality and a true vision of what we think a restaurant service can be. It’s emotional and beautiful all at the same time. When everything clicks, the guest has the time of their life.

The reason I am write about this is that you and your friends can have these same experiences together — as well and form a bond that no one can dispute. Hospitality calls in many ways, not just in the walls of a restaurant, but in the walls of your own home.

How you choose to engage in those moments is what defines us as humans and as friends. Battle it out on a Saturday night. You will find that a bond forms, because you were together learning, tasting, and possibly a little shit talking. That’s what friends and hospitality are all about.

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Houston's top 10 dog-friendly bars for you and your furry friend

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