Bacon Bros is coming

Bacon-obsessed gastropub invades Sugar Land with Houston's hottest chef

The bacon fad may have come and gone, but the trend's larger point — that almost everything is a little more delicious with bacon — remains true. Starting in December, Sugar Land residents will have a new option to indulge their cravings for cured, smoked pork belly.

Bacon Bros. Public House announced Wednesday that it has selected Sugar Land Town Square for its first Houston-area location. The South Carolina-based restaurant features a made from scratch menu of comfort food-style dishes like burgers and fried catfish, as well as charcuterie. Diners can get a look at some of the housemade items via a window into the restaurant's curing chamber.

Beyond the comfort food, the restaurant also serves barbecue. Sugar Land only has a couple of smoked meat options, and the possibility of getting South Carolina-style pulled pork and freshly made sausage certainly adds some interest to the concept.

On the beverage side, the restaurant offers craft beer, wine, and cocktails, including an Old Fashioned made with house barrel-aged bourbon. Bacon Bros. is also family-friendly, with a kid's menu. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner.

"I became a fan of Bacon Bros. through frequently traveling to South Carolina for work and I always made sure to start and end my trip at Bacon Bros.,” said local partner Travis Cook in a statement. “I quickly realized that Bacon Bros. was something I wanted to bring home to Texas and I look forward to the community enjoying the same fare I have come to love.”

Cook, a Cypress native and Texas A&M alum, has hired an appropriately bacon-obsessed chef de cuisine to oversee his new restaurant. Diners may know chef Joseph Zerwas for his lead roll in the popular Bourbon & Bacon pop-up series that formerly operated out of the kitchen at Little J's on Washington Avenue. Back in 2013, Eater readers voted Zerwas "Houston's Hottest Chef," which admittedly doesn't make his food taste better, but might lure some people in for a first visit.

Meat boards are served by the ounce at the Bacon Bros. Public House.

Courtesy Photo

Meat boards are served by the ounce at the Bacon Bros. Public House.

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With or Without Whiz

Houston burger mastermind fires up new pop-up devoted to Philly cheesesteaks

Photo by Michael Ma

Abbas Dhanani is serving up cheesesteaks at his new pop-up.

Abbas Dhanani is at it again. The food influencer-turned-restaurateur behind the CultureMap Tastemaker Award-winning smash burger concept Burger Bodega is firing up a new pop-up concept devoted to another iconic sandwich.

Called Bas’s Cheesesteaks, the new concept will Dhanani’s take on the classic Philly cheesesteak, made with sliced ribeye and white cheese on a seeded hoagie roll — onions and a spicy sauce are optional. A second version swaps the white cheese for Cheez Whiz. Like Burger Bodega, Dhanani is using halal beef for his cheesesteaks.

Bas's Cheesesteaks cheesesteak sandwich The cheesesteak is served on a seeded hoagie roll.Photo by Michael Ma

“We have experimented with cheesesteaks as specials on the menu at Burger Bodega and received amazing feedback,” Dhanani said in a statement. “However, the cheesesteaks at Bas’s are the most refined versions we have done so far. I am excited to bring authentic Philly cheesesteaks to Houston as a new flavor experience while continuing to build on the energy and community we have created at Burger Bodega. This is a huge passion project for me, and I plan to take it step by step, just like Burger Bodega."

As Dhanani notes, he introduced Burger Bodega with a series of pop-ups throughout Houston. To answer the obvious question, of course a restaurant could be in the cards for Bas’s, too.

“I think thats the goal of any new pop-up concept,” Dhanani tells CultureMap. “Like Burger Bodega, we want to take it one step at a time and see where it goes.”

Bas’s Cheesesteaks will have its first pop-up on Monday, June 30 at Burger Bodega’s location (4520 Washington Avenue). In addition to the two cheesesteaks, diners can get fries. Future pop-ups will be announced via Instagram.

As for Burger Bodega’s second location in Katy, Dhanani says it’s still working through securing the necessary permits to begin construction.

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