Booze News

New Midtown bar blends craft beer, music, food, art — and light rail

When Margaret Weymer and Bob Tatum decided to open a bar, they looked to iconic pop artist Andy Warhol for inspiration. "We love pop art and he was famous for — well, he liked to go out and have a drink—he was a partier," Tatum said." So we thought it was a good start and honestly, we couldn’t have thought of a better one."

Worhals, a new hangout located at 2016 Main Street in the former Mainstage location, marks the duo's first hospitality collaboration. Their inspiration for this Andy Warhol-ish tribute bar also includes a love for Texas craft beer, music, art — and proximity to the light rail line.

"The light rail was a big spark for us," Weymer said. "We had been looking for a location for a long time. When this came up for sale. It was just perfect."

Tatum envisions the Midtown/downtown crowd taking the light rail to the bar. "You know, stay off the roads, less DUI’s. We’re going to have bicycle tubes and repair kits, I know how to repair bikes. We want people to leave here in a safe way," he said.

Worhals is set to open Thursday, with more than 150 craft beer selections. "We will have all the local beers you can think of (as well as) Texas-made beers, regional beers and so on," Tatum added, listing Karbach, Saint Arnold's, Southern Star, Fort Bend and Buffalo Bayou among the selections.

The menu will include burgers, steaks and wings, along with healthier items, like wraps, salads, paninis, grilled fish and chicken. And the owners plan to showcase local art and music.

"It’s going to be different every night," Tatum said. "We’ll have jazz on Tuesdays, a type of “Texas Music Thursdays” starting with a happy hour, and we’re thinking about doing a rock jam on Sunday nights."

Warhol fans will notice the difference in spelling; Tatum and Weymer say the change was made for legal reasons. "The 'A' and 'O' are switched and the 'S' is obviously different. We actually talked to an attorney, because we wanted to name it after Andy Warhol. You know, art and crafty beer, arts and crafts on the wall — its all art.”

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One Day Only

Chef of Michelin-starred Texas BBQ joint pops up at Houston crawfish favorite

Photo by Quit Nguyen

Join Lucas McKinney for a crawfish pop-up this Sunday, May 17.

The pitmaster behind one of Texas’ Michelin-starred barbecue joints will be in Houston for a one-day-only crawfish boil. Evan LeRoy, chef and co-owner of Austin’s LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue, will be at Josephine’s this Sunday, May 17 from 2-6 pm.

Part of the restaurant’s Backyard Boil pop-up series, LeRoy and Josephine’s executive chef Lucas McKinney have collaborated on a four dishes that will be served at the pop-up, which will take place on Josephine’s patio. They are:

Smoked Crawfish Boil Sausage on a Stick: andouille flavored pork sausage with crawfish, corn, and potatoes
Brisket and Cheddar Croquettes: Chopped brisket and cheddar cheese in a creamy bechamel. Scooped, breaded in panko, and fried til crispy
Oysters on the Half Shell: Pickled Onion Mignonette, Smoked Jalapeno Salsa, Kimchi Elote
Smoked Salsa Macha with Beef Tallow: Guajillo, ancho, and arbol chiles, lime, soy, garlic, onion, pepitas, and pecans

The pop-up is part of LeRoy’s tour for his new book, New School Barbecue: Recipes for Next-Level Smoking and Grilling, which he co-wrote with Texas Monthly restaurant critic Paula Forbes. Released this week, the book contains almost 100 recipes for mains, sides, and desserts.

LeRoy & Lewis Evan Leroy ATX Evan LeRoy is coming to Houston this weekend. Photo by Briana Balducci

“Lucas asked me to participate in a crawfish boil this year, and it happened to line up with the release of the book, so I said yes,” LeRoy tells CultureMap. “The event format centers around a crawfish boil, along with some fried items and oysters, so it doesn't necessarily reflect the recipes in the book. Instead, we decided to bring a few dishes we’ve been working on over the past year or so, including the brisket and cheddar croquettes — which will definitely make it into my next cookbook.”

McKinney has already hosted pop-ups with the likes of ChòpnBlọk chef-owner Ope Amosu and Mike Pham of Trill Burgers.

“With these crawfish boils, I want each chef to bring their own perspective and let the menu reflect their personal style of cooking,” McKinney adds. “Events like this are really centered around community, collaboration, and introducing something fresh and exciting to Houston each time.”

LeRoy and Lewis has earned wide acclaim for its “new school” barbecue. In addition to being one of only four Texas barbecue joints to hold a Michelin star, it ranked No. 2 on Texas Monthly’s list of the state’s 50 best barbecue joints. McKinney began patronizing the restaurant when his friend, pitmaster Cole Parkman, worked there.

“It’s incredibly good,” McKinney says. “Eating there feels like they’re telling you, ‘I know you think you like brisket, but this is what you should really like.’ I really respect that they’ve planted their feet firmly in the ground and committed to doing things differently. It all makes so much sense — and it’s delicious.”

Reservations (free) are required to attend the Backyard Boil at Josephine’s; both 2 pm and 4 pm seatings are available. Attendees will purchase food and drinks a la carte. Josephine’s regular menu will not be available at the pop-up. Copies of New School Barbecue will also be available for purchase.

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