Downtown office workers will soon have a new happy hour option serving Houstonians' favorite spirit. Real Agave opens this Wednesday, September 14, on the first floor of 1100 Louisiana St.
As its name implies, Real Agave is a bar and lounge devoted to tequila and other agave spirits along with a Mexican-inspired food menu. Initially, the bar will be open for happy hour and early dinner from 3:30-8 pm Monday through Friday. Weekday lunch service will begin in October.
Restaurateur Bill Floyd will operate Real Agave in conjunction with El Real, a scaled-down revival of the Montrose Tex-Mex restaurant that closed in 2019. Floyd, a Houston hospitality veteran whose prior experiences include everything from Reef to Potente, also owns Porta'Vino, a wine bar and restaurant with locations on Washington Avenue and in The Woodlands.
Whereas El Real features classic Tex-Mex such as enchiladas, quesadillas, and chips and queso, Real Agave will feature upscale, more traditional Mexican cuisine. Floyd tells the Houston Chronicle that the menu will include dishes such as tuna tiradito, shrimp campechaña, and carnitas sliders with guajillo barbecue sauce.
Diners will also find an upscale environment for their post-work revelry. Global architecture and design firm Gensler transformed a former bank branch into an approximately 2,300-square-foot space that will seat just under 100 people. Design details include custom, hand-painted Dia de Los Muertos murals.
“The classic Tex-Mex menu of El Real has been elevated by chef Derek Cooper to bring mouthwatering bar bites to the Gensler-designed space of Real Agave,” Floyd said in a statement. “The bar, featuring full wine and spirits selections along with the tequilas and mezcals, is staffed by some of Houston’s most accomplished mixologists.”
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A vintage picture of chefs EJ Miller and Ryan Lachaine. Photo by