Armadillo Palace Expands

Houston honky tonk triples in size as part of massive expansion; armadillo remains

Big changes are coming to Armadillo Palace, Goode Co's combination honky tonk and restaurant on Kirby. The company announced an ambitious plan to triple the venue's capacity with new indoor and outdoor stages, a beer garden and a cocktail bar. Expected to open in early 2016, the venue will remain open throughout the construction.

Both the new concert hall and a backyard with an outdoor stage will allow Armadillo Palace to expand both the frequency and variety of music acts it hosts. A further nod to music comes with the cocktail bar, which will be named the "Orange Blossom" after a song written by Goode family friend and celebrated fiddle player Leon "Pappy" Selph.

In addition to the physical changes, Armadillo Palace will expand its menu with dishes that blend "the salt of the Gulf, soul of the South, the spice of Mexico and the sweet smoke of Texas," according to a release. A new outdoor barbecue pit will give diners a view into how their food is prepared.

“We’re excited to continue to grow with the community and offer more space to enjoy good music and great food, right here in the neighborhood our family has been so lucky to be part of for more than three decades,” said Levi Goode, president of Goode Company Restaurants in a statement. “We’re confident our guests will love the expanded space and dishes, and we look forward to welcoming everyone to the new restaurant early next year.”

One thing that won't change: the venue's unofficial mascot, a 12-foot tall, mirrored armadillo, is staying put.

An ambitious plan will triple the size of Goode Co's Armadillo Palace.

Courtesy photo

An ambitious plan will triple the size of Goode Co's Armadillo Palace.

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a spoonful of sugar

New Mexican eatery sweetens Houston with 150 spirits and bold flavors

Courtesy of Mexican Sugar

Mexican Sugar is coming to Regent Square in December.

A Dallas-based Mexican restaurant is coming to Houston. Mexican Sugar will open its first Houston location in Montrose this December.

Located next to Georgia James in the Regent Square mixed-use development, Mexican Sugar will occupy a two-story, 13,000-square-foot building. All that room offers seating for 375 as well as two private dining rooms with full audio-visual capabilities. Both the upstairs and downstairs patios will have a view of nearby Buffalo Bayou Park.

Its part of FB Society, the Dallas-based hospitality group behind Whiskey Cake, Sixty Vines, and Haywire, the Texas-inspired comfort food restaurant that opened its first Houston-area location earlier this year. Mexican Sugar has three locations in the Dallas area: Plano, Las Colinas, and Uptown Dallas.

In a release, Mexican Sugar touts its use of seasonal ingredients. It also makes its tortillas by hand. Menu highlights include skirt steak, lobster fundido, and a bone-in pork chop. At brunch, look for options such as cajeta French toast, Benedictos Rancheros, and vanilla-cinnamon pancakes.

Agave fans will find plenty of choices courtesy of more the 150 tequilas and mezcals. They’re available in individual pours as well as in flights that allow customers to compare the flavors of the different spirits.

“Our goal is to create a dining experience that blends bold Mexican flavors with our signature style of hospitality that stays two steps ahead,” Justin Beam, Mexican Sugar’s director of operations, said in a statement. “We’re excited to offer Houstonians an immersive Mexican experience in a fresh, light, and approachable way.”

Courtesy of Mexican Sugar

Mexican Sugar is coming to Regent Square in December.

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