Video Sneak Peek

Midtown's highly anticipated new bars serve up opening dates and stunning downtown view

Quite a view from the top of 77 Degrees.

Photo by Eric Sandler

Get a sneak peek of two of this fall's most eagerly anticipated bars: Jack & Ginger's, an updated take on an Irish pub, and 77 Degrees, a rooftop bar with an expansive view of the downtown skyline. The two new establishments from Austin's Union Venture Group replace Stoked Tequila & Tacos and Red Door at 2416 Brazos St.

In our exclusive video, co-owner Darren Van Delden and director of operations Eric Dunahoe guide us through both spaces as construction draws to a close. Jack & Ginger's will open October 25, with 77 Degrees following a couple of weeks after.

As Van Delden told CultureMap in August, Jack and Ginger’s will offer a slightly elevated take on a classic Irish pub with 82 beers on tap, a menu of classic pub grub, and a commitment to soccer. Fans of the game will be able to watch matches at all hours of the day from TVs hung strategically throughout the bar.

On Sundays, the bar will feature an Irish brunch buffet complete with an Irish coffee bar and a Bloody Mary bar. Weekday happy hours (3 pm to 7 pm) will feature $7 beer flights and $5 select appetizers. Dinner entrees will include pub classics like fish and chips, shepherd's pie, and and a cheeseburger topping with Irish cheddar.

If Jack & Ginger's is an everyday destination, 77 Degrees will likely serve as a slightly fancier alternative for a proper night out. Patrons who climb the 50 or so stairs to the main floor will find a good view of the skyline as well as a variety of seating options, including a few cabanas available for groups.

At night, a DJ on an elevated platform will help set the mood. Three additional levels offer more room for revelers or can serve as the venue for a private party. In addition to wine, beer, and cocktails, a limited menu of tapas-style shareable plates will be available for the happy hour crowd.

As the crowds packing places like Holman Draft Hall, Truckyard, and Present Company demonstrate, the patio bar trend shows no signs of slowing down. Expect 77 Degrees to find a similar audience — it really is all about the view.

nightlife openings

Pizaro's on the move

Family-owned Houston pizzeria rises with 2 new locations

Photo by Sergio Trevino

The Meyerland location will serve New York-style pies.

A Houston pizzeria will expand its footprint with two new locations in Meyerland and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). Slated to open in March 2027 and October 2026, respectively, the new locations will allow more Houstonians to enjoy Pizaro’s Pizza’s creative pies.

Brother-and-sister owners Matt Hutchinson and Nicole Bean, along with Nicole’s husband Brad Bean, have claimed a former dry cleaners at 9150 Chimney Rock for a new location that will operate for to-go and delivery only. Diners will have the option of picking up their orders via the restaurant’s drive-through. It is intended to make Pizaro’s most accessible to customers in West U., Meyerland, Bellaire, Westbury, and other surrounding neighborhoods.

Pizaro's Pizza Brad Bean, Nicole Bean, and Matt Hutchinson Brad Bean, Nicole Bean, and Matt Hutchinson are the owners of Pizaro's Pizza.Courtesy of Pizaro's Pizza

Notably, the Meyerland location will only serve styles of pizza that travel well, such as New York, Chicago cracker thin, and Detroit, a rectangular-shaped deep dish pie with crispy edges. It will not serve the wood-fired Neapolitan-style pies served at Pizaro’s existing locations in Montrose and the Energy Corridor.

On the other hand, the IAH restaurant, which will be located in Terminal B, will serve a variation on Neapolitan-style pizza that’s cooked in a gas-fired oven. For security and safety reasons, restaurants at the airport are not allowed to cook with wood. Nicole Bean tells CultureMap the IAH outpost will serve 10-inch, personal-sized pies.

Chicago cracker thin has been a special at both locations over the past couple of years. It will join the menu full time next month, Bean says.

“We’ve wanted to expand for a really long time. In 2020, we started to take steps toward making that dream a reality, but then the pandemic happened and we halted all planning,” Nicole Bean added in a statement. “We revisited the idea in 2024, and last year all the pieces started falling into place. Both locations fit the criteria of what we were looking for, and we’re thrilled to bring our pizzas to first timers and the customers we’ve fostered relationships with throughout the years.”

This year has been a dynamic one for Houston pizzerias. Winnie's co-owner Benjy Mason and chef Jason Kerr teamed up to open Shredder's, a retro-style pizzeria serving New York-style pies. In Spring, Pi Pizza and Gold Tooth Tony's founder Anthony Calleo recently opened Galaxy Pizza. In July, chef Angelo Emiliani began serving wood-fired pies at Angie's Pizza in the Heights.

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