Garden Oaks residents will soon have a new place to enjoy craft beer in a casual environment. Upside Pub will open August 9 in the former Tres Amigos space at 3402 N. Shepherd Dr.
First announced in the spring, husband-and-wife owners Andy and Paige Lujan moved to Houston in order to open a neighborhood pub. Paige, who will serve as the bar's managing partner, has 13 years of hospitality experience, including opening craft beer bars in California and co-founding the Artisinal Brewers Collective, a group of 15 bars, restaurants, and brewpubs in Southern California. Andy is a former Army Ranger who will provide back-end support to the bar.
Working with kitchen manager David Browne, Upside will serve food for lunch, dinner, and late night with weekend brunch and happy hour menus to follow. Dishes draw on the couple's roots in California and the East Coast.
A meal at Upside could begin with boiled peanuts, wings, queso, or potato latke balls (served with both apple sauce and sour cream). Entrees include a shrimp roll, bacon-wrapped brisket hot dog, a patty melt, and a California-style burrito filled with carne asada, french fries, and cheese.
The beverage offerings start with 14 taps that are focused on Houston craft breweries like Saint Arnold, 11 Below, Holler, and Equal Parts but also includes Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Pale Ale and Köstritzer Schwarzbier from Germany. Canned and bottled beers will add depth in more obscure styles. Non-beer drinkers may opt for wine or two draft cocktails.
TVs will show all the local teams as well as special events like English Premier League matches and F1 races. Board games and shuffleboard will also be available.
“We are ecstatic to have the opportunity to open an establishment in our community,” Paige Lujan said in a statement. “Every neighborhood deserves a neighborhood pub, and after a lot of hard work, paint-stained T-shirts, and learning plumbing on YouTube, we are finally ready to bring this pub to the Garden Oaks-Oak Forest neighborhood.”
The Upside Pub opens August 9.
