Midtown remains one of Houston’s favorite places to party. The neighborhood’s status has only been enhanced over the last year or so, courtesy of new arrivals like Jack & Ginger’s, 77 Degrees, and Holman Draft Hall.
A massive new sports bar and nightlife venue has quietly begun a soft opening that will bring even more revelers to the area. Although it isn’t officially set to open until August 10, Pour Behavior has hosted trial runs each of the past two weekends and is serving happy hour this week from 4-7 pm.
Pour Behavior is a joint venture from three Houston bar scene veterans: Joe Arbeely (Lumen Lounge, On The Kirb), Chase LoVullo (Brixx on Washington, V21, Proof Rooftop Lounge) and Roveen Abante (Lincoln Bar). Collectively, they bring more than 25 years of experience and ideas to the project.
“We combined a lot of different venues,” LoVullo tells CultureMap. “Personally, I’ve done six projects. We’ve added and improved on each one of them.”
The 12,000-square-foot space features 40 65-inch TVs for game days, a range of seating options, and a custom light and sound system to keep the party going late into the night. Sliding doors along the front mean the space will be able to let cool breezes blow during nice weather.
Perhaps most importantly, the bar’s valet company has access to 600 nearby parking spots.
All that parking should come in handy, because Pour Behavior is more than just a bar. It also offers 7,000 square feet of private event space that’s divided into rooms big enough for 45, 125, and 400 people. The two larger rooms feature their own bars, and the largest room even has separate bathrooms.
Chef Jeff Auld comes to Pour Behavior from On the Kirb. While the menu of chicken wings, burgers, and pizzas looks like mostly standard fare, Auld has a commitment to quality that will likely exceed people’s expectations for such a massive venue.
Pour Behavior grinds its own burger meat, makes its own pizza dough, and even cuts its own french fries from Kennebec potatoes. The bar is buying from high-quality local purveyors, too, such as getting cheese from Houston Dairymaids and hamburger buns from Cake & Bacon.
“We just try to elevate really simple food,” Auld says. “The problem is, if we don’t nail it, it can be [bad].”
Rather than using something out of a jar, the sauce for the lemon pepper wings uses fresh-squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest for a pleasant citrus pop. Pizza arrive with legit char on the crust, and even the ribeyes are smoked on-site before being grilled.
On the beverage side, the bar has 40 taps with that mix both craft and macro beers. Cocktail drinkers will appreciate the speed of service provided by seven draft cocktails such as the Poire Behavior (vodka, gin, kiwi, Midori, etc.), the Pour Decisions (three kinds of rum, pineapple, coconut cream, etc.), and the Tijuana Scandal (tequila, watermelon juice, hibiscus syrup, etc.). Three bottled cocktails are available individually or in buckets of six. Bottle service is also available.
Pour Behavior enters a crowded marketplace with lots of popular venues, but the venue's compelling mix of options will help it stand out. Crowds have already flocked to the previews, and they'll only build as word gets out about Midtown's massive new party spot.
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Pour Behavior; 2211 Travis St.; Monday-Wednesday, 4 pm to midnight, and Thursday-Sunday 4 pm to 2 am.
The front doors slide open in pleasant weather.
Handies will occupy 2,000 square feet at 1107 Hutchins.Courtesy of Pagewood