BOOZY NEWS

The ultimate guide to Houston Beer Week: The best of what's on tap at eight-daybeerfest

Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company's Gingerbread Stout makes its triumphant return atOnion Creek on Nov. 16 as part of Houston Beer Week.
Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co./Facebook
The signature event of HBW, The Draft will have more local and nationalbreweries represented than any other event during the week and will also supportLive It Big, Inc.

“Houston Beer Week is like Christmas, if Christmas lasted seven days and tasted like beer,” Hay Merchant co-owner Kevin Floyd says about the beer holiday that’s about to hit Houston.

The eight-day beerfest, which kicks off Saturday through Nov. 17, has craft beer connoisseurs excited about discovering something they’ve never had, enjoying a hard-to-find favorite or learning something new about the brewing process. With so many special tappings, it’s easy to drown in the list of events, so we've gathered the can’t-miss festivals, beer dinners and cigar pairings — some bartenders will even recite poetry to you when you buy a flight.

Creeperfest, Saturday (Nov. 10)

While this festival isn’t serving beer exclusively (although they’re advertising free beer all day), the guys who organize it definitely know their brews. Creeperfest will be a good intro to those seeking a gateway into the craft beer world, complete with a brewing class at 3 p.m. for those interested in learning how to homebrew. If none of that impresses you, show up for the movie screening and over 30 bands that will play throughout day.

Pros Versus the Joes Brew-In, Saturday (Nov. 10), 10 a.m.

Houston homebrew institutions DeFalco’s and The Foam Rangers will host some competitive fun as famed homebrewer Jaime Robles goes head to head with City Acre Brewing Co.’s Matt Schlabach. What’s better for breakfast than a beer battle?

Hay Merchant & Shmaltz Brewing Beer Dinner, Sunday (Nov. 11), 7 p.m.

It might be hard to believe that this Westheimer craft beer mecca hasn’t hosted an in-house pairings dinner yet, but their first will definitely impress with respected brewery Shmaltz. Merchant will pour cask-conditioned He’Brew Origin Pomegranate Ale as well as the 16%-abv Jewbelation Sweet 16 Anniversary Ale. The dinner is also relatively affordable at $65 a seat, especially when you’re having “the chosen beers.”

Ben Fullelove and Beaver’s Beer Dinner, Monday (Nov. 12)

The guys at Petrol Station may be a laidback group, but they are serious about their craft beer and craft food. Beaver’s will host Petrol proprietor Ben Fullelove and collaborate on beer-infused fare. Craft beer enthusiast Jose Luis Cubria promises that the dinner likely “won’t hold back,” and between these two, we believe him.

Rockwell Tavern and Brooklyn Brewery Beer Dinner, Monday (Nov. 12)

It might be out in Cypress, but this restaurant and beer paradise is worth every mile. They’re serving everything from ceviche to quail dishes to compliment five Brooklyn Brewery beers. They had me at bananas foster with Black Chocolate Stout. At $55 a head, it’s the bargain of the dinner bunch.

Shmaltz and Buffalo Bayou Beer & Cigar Pairing, Monday (Nov. 12) , 7 p.m.

A good cigar brings out the smoke in Buff Brew’s cedar-aged 1836, so you’ll be lucky to have the small batch ale poured alongside Alex Bradley Cigar Co.’s offerings at Onion Creek. A $20 pairing gets you two beers and one cigar. Onion Creek will also host Buff Brew’s Gingerbread Stout release party on Nov. 16, so go taste the full-bodied, 10%-abv pint of Christmas if you’re ready to get in the spirit.

“Houston Beer Week is like Christmas, if Christmas lasted seven days and tasted like beer,” Hay Merchant co-owner Kevin Floyd says.

Down House & 8^th Wonder Brewing Co. Dinner, (Wednesday) Nov. 14, 7 p.m.

While 8^th Wonder is not yet distributing, they will be serving up samples of good things to come. Eatsie Boys’ Matt Marcus and Down House’s Benjy Mason will collaborate on this special sneak peek.

Camp Beer XIII: Belgian Holiday, Wednesday (Nov. 14), 7 p.m.

The nerdiest of the beer nerds will be on hand at the final meeting of the ongoing Camp Beer events, which will benefit Live It Big, Inc., an organization that offers funding for several start-up charities around town. A lecture from Merchant’s Floyd and an impressive beer list of brews from around the world (including De Struise Brouwers’ Pannepot Grand Reserva 2005) will make your $100 go far and help a good cause.

El Gran Malo’s Pumpkin³, Wednesday (Nov. 14)

If you still haven’t satisfied your pumpkin fix, this will do the trick. The big, bad tequila hotspot will pour Saint Arnold’s Pumpkinator and pumpkin tequila alongside pumpkin empanadas. The luchador will be proud to see you conquer the calabaza trio.

Underbelly dinner with Karbach Brewing, Thursday (Nov. 15)

There haven't been many details released about this collab between one of Houston's hottest restaurants and one of its most popular new breweries, but with only 32 seats available, we suggest buying tickets first ($100, at Underbelly) and asking questions later.

Gratifi and Randy Rucker dinner, Nov. 16 & 17, 6 p.m.

Gratifi (formerly Ziggy's) will host famed locavore chef Randy Rucker as they collaborate for two nights on two beer dinners, so you don’t have to sacrifice another HBW event to join in. Known for their weird beers and collaborations, Buff Brew will be bringing some special kegs that you can’t find anywhere else.

The Draft, Nov. 17, 12-5 p.m.

If you must miss all of the other HBW events, this should be the one you attend. The culmination of the beer week events will feature craft cooking demonstrations, a bottle share with the cream of beer scene crop, cigar companies and keg art presentations. The Draft will also have the biggest roundup of local and national breweries. Help support the HBW organizers in their goal of raising $30,000 for Live It Big, Inc. Prices vary, but, as always, designated drivers catch a break.

Mongoose versus Cobra Literature Pairing, Nov. 10-17

Okay, you’ve seen the food and cigar beer pairings, but this might be my favorite combination of all: Every day during HBW, our favorite red-headed bartender and poet Shafer Hall will recite a poem to pair to your beer. Free recitation with a flight of your favorite brews.

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raising the steaks

Houston's new, all-you-can-eat wagyu beef restaurant opens this week

Courtesy of Wagyu House

Meals at Wagyu House also include sushi, dumplings, and more.

While Houston has undeniably evolved as a restaurant city, local diners still love a good steak. Beginning this Friday, a new restaurant will give the city an all-you-can-eat wagyu experience.

Meet Wagyu House. Opening this Friday, May 1 in the former Peli Peli space in the Galleria (5085 Westheimer Suite 2515), the Japanese barbecue restaurant is the latest project from Chubby Group, a wagyu-focused hospitality company that first made a splash locally with Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House, an all-you-can-eat, wagyu-based shabu shabu concept that opened in 2024.

“Houston is a fantastic city with a very vibrant culture about Asian food,” Chubby Group partner David Zhou tells CultureMap. “Experiencing domestic wagyu, Australian wagyu, and A5 wagyu from Japan, the customers have been very fond of that, and we’ve seen that in the feedback. That’s why we’re very excited to bring more of our concepts here.”

What distinguishes Wagyu House from, say, a typical Korean barbecue restaurant is that all of its meats are wagyu — either domestic, Australian, or Japanese. The restaurant offers four tiers of pricing — silver, gold, diamond, or black diamond — that each offer increased access to more premium cuts of beef. For example, silver includes less premium cuts of both domestic and Australian wagyu such as chuck, brisket, and shoulder. Stepping up to gold adds in a limited amount of those same cuts from Japan, while diamond offers unlimited meats from all three countries.

Each tier also includes a selection of unlimited appetizers and snacks, such as gyoza, shrimp tempura, salmon nigiri, yellowtail nigiri, and fountain drinks. Prices start at around $55 for silver and go up to about $100 for diamond, plus any alcoholic beverages and tip. Considering Japanese wagyu can sell at restaurants for $40 or more per ounce, the restaurant offers a lot of value for meat lovers.

“It’s very difficult to get that kind of pricing,” Zhou says. “We supply the cuts and we buy the cattle as a whole instead of a third party. Because of that, we’re able to provide significant value to our customers.”

The restaurant also runs a higher food cost than most, at close to 40 percent. To make money, the restaurant needs to be busy all the time, Zhou explains.

“The only way we’re profitable is to squeeze our occupancy cost to three or four percent instead of 13 percent,” he says. “Our dollar per square foot has to be ridiculous. We have to have lines out the door. We have to pack the house daily.”

Wagyu House offers diners the opportunity to get even lower pricing by joining its membership program. Priced at $58 per year, members receive lower pricing on their meals as well as access to a concierge service that will make priority reservations that allow them to skip ahead of non-members for tables. As Zhou points out, members earn back the cost after two or three visits, making it a useful option for the restaurant’s most ardent fans. Even better, it’s valid at all of the company’s locations, which will grow to as many as 100 by the end of 2026.

All-you-can-eat concepts are having a moment in Houston, especially with sushi, where restaurants like Seven Sushi & Robata are drawing crowds. Wagyu House is a more premium experience, but Zhou understands why these concepts appeal to diners.

“There's a dopamine hit when you go to a restaurant and you don’t have to think about menu pricing,” Zhou says. “You get value. That’s a big component. You don’t have to worry about what you order. You can have it all at an amazing price point.”

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