What's Eric Eating Episode 204

Digging into Georgia James Tavern, plus adult mini-golf and green eats in Memorial

Photo by Claudia Casbarian

On this week's episode of "What's Eric Eating," co-host Michael Fulmer joins CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler to discuss the news of the week and their recent meal at Georgia James Tavern.

The news segment begins with a conversation about Tatemó, which recently leased a space for a permanent location. This widely acclaimed restaurant startup uses heirloom corn from Mexico to make artisan tortillas, and chef-owner Emmanuel Chavez creates multi-course tasting menus uses different corn preparations.

From there, the discussion turns to news that The Palm steakhouse will relocate from its current home in Briargrove to a new location downtown. News about The Puttery, an adults-oriented mini-golf concept, prompts a discussion about the wave of other, similar venues that are coming to Houston over the next several months.

The segment concludes with news that the owners of Hungry's Cafe will bring Heartbeet, a plant-based concept, to Memorial. They note that vegetarian and vegan restaurants are becoming more popular in Houston.

In the restaurants of the week segment, the two friends share first impressions of Georgia James Tavern, James Beard Award winner Chris Shepherd's more casual concept that recently opened in downtown's Market Square Tower. With a small interior and a tidy menu with lots of more affordable choices, they note that the restaurant lives up to its "tavern" name.

"One of the criticisms I've often heard of Georgia James is it's not a good value even for a steakhouse," Fulmer notes. "I can tell you that is very aggressively priced, meaning there were many good values on there while maintaining the quality that Chris is known for. That's a difficult tightrope to walk, but I think they walked it well."

In particular, they praise the Texas wagyu ribeye, the warm spinach salad, and the first rate service. "It wasn't just us. We weren't just getting 'the treatment.' I saw the tables around us all getting [the same level of service]."

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Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Google Play, or Spotify. Listen to it Saturday at 1 pm on ESPN 97.5.

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Eagerly-anticipated Houston barbecue joint hosts weekend preview pop-ups

Courtesy of Eastbound Barbecue

Get a first taste of Eastbound Barbecue this weekend.

One of Houston’s most eagerly anticipated new barbecue joints is giving diners a preview of what’s to come. Eastbound Barbecue will host “Sneak Peak Weekends” every Saturday and Sunday beginning this Saturday, December 20, until the restaurant opens in early 2026.

Held at the restaurant’s location in the East End (1105 Sampson Street) from 12-4 pm (or sold out), the weekend service gives diners their first chance to try Eastbound Barbecue’s smoked meats, sides, and desserts. That includes, smoked brisket, baby back ribs, jalapeno & cheese sausage, hatch chili lasagna mac & cheese, herbed potato salad, and more. Save room for the two dessert offerings, salted caramel banana pudding and cookie butter cake.

To distinguish Eastbound’s barbecue, chefs Lopez and Granville use different seasonings than other restaurants, such as rosemary salt in the brisket rub and a miso-caramel sauce that gives its ribs a sweet and savory bite. During the preview, Eastbound’s prices are noticeably lower than many other Houston barbecue joints, with brisket priced at $29 per pound, ribs at $26 per pound, and pulled pork at $22 per pound.

As CultureMap reported in August, Eastbound unites four friends, Ryan Penn, Ryan Powell, Luis Lopez, and Jake Granville, who also held senior roles at various restaurants owned by prominent Houston chef Ronnie Killen. Since then, the four partners have finished many of the improvements they needed to make prior to opening, including closing in the patio and installing offset smokers on the property.

For Penn, leaving the Killen’s organization after almost 20 years was a difficult decision, but one he felt he had to make. “I could have worked for [Killen] forever and been happy. It was more along the lines of, if I don’t do this now, I don’t want to be 70 and wish that I had,” he said at the time.

Courtesy of Eastbound Barbecue

Get a first taste of Eastbound Barbecue this weekend.

news-you-can-eat barbecue openings