• Home
  • popular
  • EVENTS
  • submit-new-event
  • CHARITY GUIDE
  • Children
  • Education
  • Health
  • Veterans
  • Social Services
  • Arts + Culture
  • Animals
  • LGBTQ
  • New Charity
  • TRENDING NEWS
  • News
  • City Life
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Home + Design
  • Travel
  • Real Estate
  • Restaurants + Bars
  • Arts
  • Society
  • Innovation
  • Fashion + Beauty
  • subscribe
  • about
  • series
  • Embracing Your Inner Cowboy
  • Green Living
  • Summer Fun
  • Real Estate Confidential
  • RX In the City
  • State of the Arts
  • Fall For Fashion
  • Cai's Odyssey
  • Comforts of Home
  • Good Eats
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2010
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2
  • Good Eats 2
  • HMNS Pirates
  • The Future of Houston
  • We Heart Hou 2
  • Music Inspires
  • True Grit
  • Hoops City
  • Green Living 2011
  • Cruizin for a Cure
  • Summer Fun 2011
  • Just Beat It
  • Real Estate 2011
  • Shelby on the Seine
  • Rx in the City 2011
  • Entrepreneur Video Series
  • Going Wild Zoo
  • State of the Arts 2011
  • Fall for Fashion 2011
  • Elaine Turner 2011
  • Comforts of Home 2011
  • King Tut
  • Chevy Girls
  • Good Eats 2011
  • Ready to Jingle
  • Houston at 175
  • The Love Month
  • Clifford on The Catwalk Htx
  • Let's Go Rodeo 2012
  • King's Harbor
  • FotoFest 2012
  • City Centre
  • Hidden Houston
  • Green Living 2012
  • Summer Fun 2012
  • Bookmark
  • 1987: The year that changed Houston
  • Best of Everything 2012
  • Real Estate 2012
  • Rx in the City 2012
  • Lost Pines Road Trip Houston
  • London Dreams
  • State of the Arts 2012
  • HTX Fall For Fashion 2012
  • HTX Good Eats 2012
  • HTX Contemporary Arts 2012
  • HCC 2012
  • Dine to Donate
  • Tasting Room
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2012
  • Charming Charlie
  • Asia Society
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2012
  • HTX Mistletoe on the go
  • HTX Sun and Ski
  • HTX Cars in Lifestyle
  • HTX New Beginnings
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013
  • Zadok Sparkle into Spring
  • HTX Let's Go Rodeo 2013
  • HCC Passion for Fashion
  • BCAF 2013
  • HTX Best of 2013
  • HTX City Centre 2013
  • HTX Real Estate 2013
  • HTX France 2013
  • Driving in Style
  • HTX Island Time
  • HTX Super Season 2013
  • HTX Music Scene 2013
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013 2
  • HTX Baker Institute
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2013
  • Mothers Day Gift Guide 2021 Houston
  • Staying Ahead of the Game
  • Wrangler Houston
  • First-time Homebuyers Guide Houston 2021
  • Visit Frisco Houston
  • promoted
  • eventdetail
  • Greystar Novel River Oaks
  • Thirdhome Go Houston
  • Dogfish Head Houston
  • LovBe Houston
  • Claire St Amant podcast Houston
  • The Listing Firm Houston
  • South Padre Houston
  • NextGen Real Estate Houston
  • Pioneer Houston
  • Collaborative for Children
  • Decorum
  • Bold Rock Cider
  • Nasher Houston
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2021
  • CityNorth
  • Urban Office
  • Villa Cotton
  • Luck Springs Houston
  • EightyTwo
  • Rectanglo.com
  • Silver Eagle Karbach
  • Mirador Group
  • Nirmanz
  • Bandera Houston
  • Milan Laser
  • Lafayette Travel
  • Highland Park Village Houston
  • Proximo Spirits
  • Douglas Elliman Harris Benson
  • Original ChopShop
  • Bordeaux Houston
  • Strike Marketing
  • Rice Village Gift Guide 2021
  • Downtown District
  • Broadstone Memorial Park
  • Gift Guide
  • Music Lane
  • Blue Circle Foods
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2022
  • True Rest
  • Lone Star Sports
  • Silver Eagle Hard Soda
  • Modelo recipes
  • Modelo Fighting Spirit
  • Athletic Brewing
  • Rodeo Houston
  • Silver Eagle Bud Light Next
  • Waco CVB
  • EnerGenie
  • HLSR Wine Committee
  • All Hands
  • El Paso
  • Avenida Houston
  • Visit Lubbock Houston
  • JW Marriott San Antonio
  • Silver Eagle Tupps
  • Space Center Houston
  • Central Market Houston
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Travel Texas Houston
  • Alliantgroup
  • Golf Live
  • DC Partners
  • Under the Influencer
  • Blossom Hotel
  • San Marcos Houston
  • Photo Essay: Holiday Gift Guide 2009
  • We Heart Hou
  • Walker House
  • HTX Good Eats 2013
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2013
  • HTX Culture Motive
  • HTX Auto Awards
  • HTX Ski Magic
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2014
  • HTX Texas Traveler
  • HTX Cifford on the Catwalk 2014
  • HTX United Way 2014
  • HTX Up to Speed
  • HTX Rodeo 2014
  • HTX City Centre 2014
  • HTX Dos Equis
  • HTX Tastemakers 2014
  • HTX Reliant
  • HTX Houston Symphony
  • HTX Trailblazers
  • HTX_RealEstateConfidential_2014
  • HTX_IW_Marks_FashionSeries
  • HTX_Green_Street
  • Dating 101
  • HTX_Clifford_on_the_Catwalk_2014
  • FIVE CultureMap 5th Birthday Bash
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2014 TEST
  • HTX Texans
  • Bergner and Johnson
  • HTX Good Eats 2014
  • United Way 2014-15_Single Promoted Articles
  • Holiday Pop Up Shop Houston
  • Where to Eat Houston
  • Copious Row Single Promoted Articles
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2014
  • htx woodford reserve manhattans
  • Zadok Swiss Watches
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2015
  • HTX Charity Challenge 2015
  • United Way Helpline Promoted Article
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Fusion Academy Promoted Article
  • Clifford on the Catwalk Fall 2015
  • United Way Book Power Promoted Article
  • Jameson HTX
  • Primavera 2015
  • Promenade Place
  • Hotel Galvez
  • Tremont House
  • HTX Tastemakers 2015
  • HTX Digital Graffiti/Alys Beach
  • MD Anderson Breast Cancer Promoted Article
  • HTX RealEstateConfidential 2015
  • HTX Vargos on the Lake
  • Omni Hotel HTX
  • Undies for Everyone
  • Reliant Bright Ideas Houston
  • 2015 Houston Stylemaker
  • HTX Renewable You
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • HTX New York Fashion Week spring 2016
  • Kyrie Massage
  • Red Bull Flying Bach
  • Hotze Health and Wellness
  • ReadFest 2015
  • Alzheimer's Promoted Article
  • Formula 1 Giveaway
  • Professional Skin Treatments by NuMe Express

    Sip and Shoot

    From brothels to bars: Before they mixed drinks, these Houston hotspots turnedtricks

    Marcy de Luna
    Jul 30, 2010 | 10:16 am
    • Sugarcane
    • Eighteen Twenty
      Photo by Farah A.
    • Big Star Bar
      Photo by Nick DiFonzo

    Although I’ve never actually visited a brothel, I’ve had plenty of exposure to the world’s oldest profession: I followed the Heidi Fleiss media frenzy, I’ve seen The Best Little Whore House in Texas at least 57 times, I’ve marveled at the mystical lights of “Boy’s Town” while on a trip to Nuevo Laredo, and I’ve met Charlie Sheen (OK, I saw him from across the patio at the Ivy in LA, but close enough).

    Frankly, I don’t know why you would want to shut down the type of establishment that could inspire the classic tune, “A Hard Candy Christmas.” But if you must subscribe to that whole “prostitution is illegal and I'd rather not end up making license plates in an unflattering orange jumpsuit” thing, why not open a bar in its place? These three spots with checkered pasts are worth stopping in for a tipple (if not a nipple).

     Sugarcane may specialize in organic drinks, but back in the day, the building was home to a good old-fashioned bagnio. Originally built in 1917, it was Houston's first auto parts store for Model T Fords.

    When a turning station popped up a few blocks away in the 1920s, the business-savvy owners saw an opportunity to make money by converting the shop into a flophouse and offering cheap room and board to rail yard workers. As a dangling carrot to lure in would-be customers, the enterprise’s list of amenities included renting female companions by the hour.

    Sugarcane even offers a brothel-inspired drink: The Sugardaddy. Made with tequila, organic agave nectar, Crème De Violette, lime juice, and sage, it is similar to a margarita on the rocks but a little lighter and less sweet.

    Before it was the Big Star Bar in The Heights, word is that the former tavern kept a couple of Winnebago’s parked out back for after-hour trysts with transient tramps. Alas, the portable cathouses are no longer and the dress code and clientele have since changed dramatically.

    Brothel inspired drink of choice at Big Star Bar: The Heidi Fleiss Shot. Created by Arian, the bartender, it is comprised of Smirnoff, pineapple juice, energy drink, and Coca-Cola. It tastes a lot like cream soda (make your own joke).

    The building at 1820 Franklin Avenue, now the Eighteen Twenty Bar, is the former home of The Burlesque Club. With the Hotel Lamonte conveniently located upstairs, it was the perfect setting for a bordello.

    Although women of the evening and their patrons often occupied the bar and hotel rooms, this former salon of ill repute is now a legitimate saloon. Brothel inspired drink of choice at Eighteen Twenty: The Slow Comfortable Screw on Satin Sheets. This cocktail is made with slow gin, Southern Comfort, vodka, Frangelico Hazelnut and orange juice.

    It tastes like fruit punch, if you can stomach the name.

    unspecified
    news/restaurants-bars

    burger time

    Austin burger favorite P. Terry's sets opening date for third Houston store

    Eric Sandler
    Jul 18, 2025 | 4:33 pm
    P. Terry's cheeseburger burger
    P. Terry's Burger Stand Facebook
    undefined

    Austin burger favorite P. Terry’s continues its expansion into Houston this Monday, July 21. The restaurant will open its third Houston-area location in Richmond’s Aliana neighborhood.

    Located at 10305 W Grand Pkwy S, the drive-through-only location is less than 10 miles from P. Terry’s first Houston-area outpost at 9207 FM 723 that opened last year. A location in Spring opened in April.

    Founded in 2005, P. Terry’s has built a devoted following for its burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, and milkshakes. The restaurant is known for its high quality ingredients such as hormone-free Black Angus beef, Idaho potatoes, and cage-free eggs. Prices are affordable, with a single-patty cheeseburger starting at $3.65.

    In a video shared on social media, co-founder Patrick Terry assures Houstonians that the brand will eventually push closer to downtown.


      
     
     
     
     
     
     
    View this post on Instagram
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    A post shared by P. Terry's Burger Stand (@p_terrys)


    “I want everyone in Houston to know that right now we’re concentrating on the west side of the city, and we are heading central,” he says. “You’ve just got to give us a little time, but our commitment right now is to Houston.”

    While the timing of those other locations is still uncertain, the restaurant has at least one more Houston-area location slated for the Village Green at Bridgeland Central development in Cypress. It’s expected to open later this year.

    The Aliana location will be open beginning at 7 am Monday through Friday and 8 am on Saturday and Sunday.

    news-you-can-eatopeningsburgersp terry's
    news/restaurants-bars
    CULTUREMAP EMAILS ARE AWESOME
    Get Houston intel delivered daily.
    Loading...