Drink for a cause

Top chefs compete to raise money for Houston's new charity bar: Special menusand trash talk

Chefs will be competing at Grand Prize Bar all week to raise money for theforthcoming downtown OKRA Charity Saloon.
Photo by Sarah Rufca
Grand Prize Bar
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Guys turning virtually any situation into a competition is nothing new, but when the trash talk involves an impressive lineup of Houston gourmands cooking for charity, it’s downright exciting.

All this week, seven distinguished chefs will offer up dishes at Grand Prize Bar to raise funds for the renovation completion of The Original OKRA Charity Saloon, a forthcoming non-profit bar. The chefs (listed below) have already started tempting with menu teasers and competitive banter over who will raise the most money for the Charity Saloon, as 100 percent of Grand Prize’s food proceeds for the week go straight towards the new project.

At the helm of the upcoming philanthropic drinkery is The Organized Kollaboration on Restaurant Affairs (OKRA), which is made up of several independent local bar and restaurant owners who plan to give back to the community and address concerns affecting the hospitality industry — resolving parking permit issues and pushing for a walkable Westheimer has been a recent focus.

After a brief preview this summer, The Charity Saloon will likely open in the next three weeks, licensing and construction permitting, and will take Red Cat Jazz Cafe's old location at 924 Congress. Once open, all of the profits will benefit a different charity every month, and patrons will get to vote on the recipient. OKRA has also set up an account on PeerBackers, a crowd-funding site, to ensure the Charity Saloon’s timely opening.

So whether you stop in to Grand Prize this week for a pint or just to escape the onrush of holiday guests, make sure to grab a bite, too. In the competition of who raises the most for charity while serving up a value of a bite, everyone wins.

Here is a list of the culinary talents donating their efforts this week:

Paul Petronella, Paulie’s, Monday (Nov. 19)
Justin Yu, Oxheart, Tuesday (Nov. 20)
Chris Shepherd, Underbelly, Wednesday (Nov. 21)
Josh Martinez, The Modular, Thursday (Nov. 22)
Antoine Ware, The Hay Merchant, Friday (Nov. 23)
Justin Basye, Pappas; Adam Dorris, Revival Market, Saturday (Nov. 24)

unspecified

Pivot to catering

Houston barbecue joint will soon shutter due to $72,000 of unpaid rent

Fainmous BBQ/Facebook

Fainmous BBQ is asking for help.

Unpaid rent is forcing a Houston barbecue joint to shutter its brick-and-mortar location, but the restaurant’s popular catering business will live on. In an emotional social media post, Jamie and Karen Fain shared that Fainmous BBQ, their restaurant in Sawyer Yards, will soon close due to unpaid rent of $72,000.

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A post shared by Fainmous BBQ (@fainmousbbq)

Widely considered the only East Tennessee-inspired barbecue restaurant in Houston, Fainmous moved from its original location in Westbury to Sawyer Yards in 2019. In a 2025 article in the Houston Chronicle, the Fains explain the location didn’t pan out the way they thought it would, prompting them to focus on catering. When the restaurant reopened for dine-in, it offered barbecue sandwiches for as little as $8, but it hasn’t been sufficient to pay back the rent they owe.

The social media post also discusses their challenges with other tenants at the property. With the unpaid rent due by Sunday, February 15, the restaurant's time at the development appears to be coming to an end.

Lovett Commercial, which owns the property, provided CultureMap with a statement about the situation:

We’re aware of the recent fundraising effort and the public conversation surrounding it. Like many businesses, we experienced significant impacts during COVID, particularly related to development timelines and operations. With that context in mind, ownership has worked extensively and in good faith with Fainmous BBQ over a prolonged period, providing meaningful flexibility on rent, including a structured payment plan that ultimately was not fulfilled.

The accumulation of several years of incomplete payments has contributed to the current outstanding balance and situation. Our priority remains finding a responsible and equitable resolution for all involved, and we remain hopeful that a constructive path forward can be achieved.

For the Fains, the path forward is to leave. Towards that end, the couple have started a GoFundMe to facilitate their exit from Sawyer Yards and a move to a new catering kitchen. So far, it has raised approximately $2,000 out of $3,500 requested.

closings news-you-can-eat barbecue