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    Burlesque Bar Twist

    Downtown burlesque bar unveils latest twist in plans for "decadent" experience

    Eric Sandler
    Aug 20, 2014 | 1:16 pm

    As it draws closer to opening next month, Prohibition, the downtown burlesque bar, restaurant and supper club, continues to attract top talent to bring plans for a "nostalgic and decadent" dining experience to life. First, Prohibition tapped former Batanga chefs Ben McPherson and Matt Wommack to execute a seafood-driven menu of Gulf Coast cuisine.

     

    Now, the restaurant announced that it has hired Lainey Collum as beverage manager to put its wine, beer and cocktail programs in equally good hands. Collum brings extensive experience to the position, with stints at both The Hay Merchant and The Pass & Provisions to her credit. The New York Times featured one of Collum's cocktails in March: the Down the Rabbit Hole, which uses a mushroom tincture.

     

     

    "There’s nothing about this that’s not fun," Collum tells CultureMap. "We’ve got burlesque dancers. We’re doing barrel-aging. We’re going to have an amazing ice program. The owners just want the environment to be fun, to be a good time." 

     
     

    "I am thrilled to have Lainey join our team," said Prohibition managing partner Anh Mai in a statement. “Lainey’s extensive knowledge about spirits, wine and beer, paired with her restaurant and hospitality background, is a unique combination that will make her a fantastic addition to our restaurant."

     

    Collum has a simple explanation for what aspect of joining Prohibition most appealed to her. "Honestly, it’s fun," Collum tells CultureMap. "There’s nothing about this that’s not fun. We’ve got burlesque dancers. We’re doing barrel-aging. We’re going to have an amazing ice program. The owners just want the environment to be fun, to be a good time."

     

    Although the downtown scene is already crowded with top-notch cocktail destinations like Goro & Gun, Bad News Bars, El Big Bad and The Pastry War, Collum believes Prohibition has a way to find its own niche. "We’re going to put on a show," she explains. "A lot of it is just going to be come in and have a good time. Lose yourself in this '20s environment, and we’ve transformed it into another world."

     

    In the beginning, Collum says she intends to focus on Prohibition's signature barrel-aged cocktails. She has 25 barrels in house, and diners will be able to order a barrel for their table. Her training a Cicerone will guide Prohibition's beer selections, and she spent time on Tuesday tasting wines for a future list.

     

    More than any specific drink, Collum wants Prohibition to deliver great service.

     

    "How can we make the cocktails really good and also come out really fast," she says. "We’re going to be joking around with the guests. We just want them to come in and relax."

     

     Prohibition is scheduled to open in September. Catch weekly burlesque pop-ups every Saturday in an adjacent space at 1000 Prairie.

    Prohibition has hired Lainey Collum as its beverage manager.

    Lainey Collum Prohibition bartender bar manager
      
    Photo by William Hardin
    Prohibition has hired Lainey Collum as its beverage manager.
    unspecified
    news/restaurants-bars

    something to talk about

    Country star Koe Wetzel opens new location of his lively bar in Houston

    Eric Sandler
    Jul 1, 2025 | 4:15 pm
    Koe Wetzel Riot Room Houston
    Photo by Motion Theory Media
    The pickup truck on the front of the building makes it easy to spot.

    One of Texas country’s rising stars has brought his lively bar to Houston. Koe Wetzel’s Riot Room opened last month in Midtown.

    Located at the former Electric Feelgood space (2416 Brazos Street), the Houston location of Riot Room builds on the success of the Fort Worth original that opened in 2023. Known for his outlaw country swagger, including his 2022 release, Hell Paso, that debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard 200, Koe Wetzel partnered with Fort Worth hospitality veteran Emil Bragdon to bring the Riot Room to life. It consistently ranks as one of Fort Worth’s highest-grossing bars.

    At over 8,000 square feet, the Houston Riot Room has considerably more space than the original. Wetzel and his team have used that to their advantage, expanding on the country music dance hall theme with details such as:

    • A seating area made from a full-sized pontoon boat
    • A DJ booth in the engine bay of a Ford pickup
    • Photo ops in a “jail cell” and a life-sized bucking bull
    • Neon signs that display Wetzel’s song lyrics.

    A full kitchen allows the bar to serve a menu of Southern-inspired bar fare such as chicken wings, Texas chili, potato skins, Southwestern egg rolls, burgers, salads, and more. Signature dishes include smoked beer can chicken and the Trailer Park Sandwich, featuring two breakfast sausage patties topped with cheddar cheese and served on a biscuit with strawberry jam. Houston will also be the first city to experience the bar’s take on weekend brunch.

    Bragdon told CultureMap that the bar’s name references someone who’s fun to be around, as in a laugh riot.

    "It's about who Koe is and what he represents," he says. "He has a carefree party attitude, that whole persona, which is so infectious. He's a true Texas guy, a good old country boy who's hospitable and likes to have fun - that’s what the place is about."

    ----

    Teresa Gubbins contributed to this article.

    Koe Wetzel Riot Room Houston
      

    Photo by Motion Theory Media

    The pickup truck on the front of the building makes it easy to spot.

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