Late Night Cocktails + Bites

Put it in Reverse! 10 great nighttime happy hour deals that are later than youthink

"Epicurean Voyeurism" at Sorrel Urban Bistro, with live feed to the kitchen
Photo by Davon Hatchett
Juicy and tender pork tenderloin from 1252 Tapas
Photo by Davon Hatchett
The wall of wine bottles at 1252
Photo by Davon Hatchett
Crispy, breaded Shrimp Piccante drizzled with spicy aioli at Brio
Photo by Davon Hatchett
These people know a good happy hour when they see one.
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Gulf seafood tacos at Sorrel Urban Bistro
Photo by Davon Hatchett
Sorrel's cool bar area
Photo by Davon Hatchett
The bar at Brio
Photo by Davon Hatchett
The Bird & The Bear's delectable calamari
Photo by Davon Hatchett
The red bar at The Bird & The Bear
Photo by Davon Hatchett

Ah, happy hour: that enchanting time of the day when working stiffs gather en masse and partake of inexpensive, frosty adult beverages to celebrate the triumphs, or drown the sorrows, of the work week. For those few pivotal hours, restaurants and bars beguile patrons with prices that lull them into opening their wallets with abandon and liberally consuming conspicuous amounts of the libation(s) of their choice.

But what if a late work day unexpectedly holds you hostage? Or there are errands demanding to be run? Or there’s a child that must be fed (babies with fur included)? Or, heck, what if you’re just too tired to go straight to happy hour? What’s a wannabe cocktail imbiber to do?

Reverse Happy Hours (RHH) allow those for whom having drinks “after-work” means getting to the bar at 9 or 10 p.m. to experience the magic of enjoying happy hours specials typically offered.

The happy hour savvy don’t sweat it. While everyone else is battling to get to the bar at 5 p.m., seasoned happy hour goers know that they can go home, relax, shower, change clothes, and maybe even get in a little nap.

Then, just as everyone else is calling it a night, the savvy emerge refreshed and ready to cocktail it up at one of the city’s fantastic "Reverse Happy Hours."

For the uninitiated, Reverse Happy Hours (RHH) are a special gift from the elixir fairies and libation pixies. They allow those for whom having drinks “after-work” means getting to the bar at 9 or 10 p.m. to experience the magic of enjoying happy hours specials typically offered earlier in the day.

Here is my curated list of some of the best RHH spots in Houston:

The Bird and the Bear

The blood red banquettes, black walls, and chairs-hanging-from-the-ceiling décor hint at the experience in store at The Bird and The Bear. The long J-shaped bar in the center of the restaurant makes for a convivial and relaxed bar scene and happy hour revelers will be delighted by the extensive bar menu options.

Several beers are offered for just $3 and wine lovers will be pleased with the selection of almost two dozen wines (including bubbly) by the glass ranging from $4 to $9. There are creative late-night cocktails, such as the “Black & Blue Paloma” (Herradura Silver Tequila, fresh blackberries, blue basil, lime & grapefruit soda) at just $5, and a wide array of tapas. Winning bites include the succulent beef short rib tacos; the lemony, tender sautéed calamari; and the crispy cornmeal-fried oysters.

The RHH also features live music/deejay with an “upbeat groove and international mix.”

RHH: Thursday-Saturday, 9-11:30 p.m. (And special weekend deals: Saturday and Sunday, 2:30-5:30 p.m.)

Sorrel Urban Bistro

$3 real ale draft beers anda rotating list of $5 premium well drinks (currently featuring Ketel One, Tanqueray, 10 Cane, Bulliet, Jose Cuervo & Johnny Walker Red), real ale draft beers, vintner’s wine on tap, and a bartender’s specialty cocktail highlight the drink options at Sorrel Urban Bistro.

The rotating menu of happy hour farm-to-table bites include duck confit "shepherd's pie," foie gras stuffed fried risotto ball, and crispy seafood wontons, just to name a few.

RHH: Tuesday-Saturday, 9-11:00 p.m.

1252 Tapas Bar

OK boys and girls, you’re going to want to take notes on this one, because the 1252 Tapas Bar Uptown Park has enough fantastic RHH specials to make your head spin. First, there’s a RHH that features a delicious array of hot and cold Spanish tapas for $2-$6. Go for the tasty fried manchego cheese, served with olives and a sweet-tart quince jelly (also known as membrillo) that tastes like a cross between an apple and a pear; small plates composed of Spanish cheeses, figs and ham; or the juicy, marinated grilled pork tenderloin served with gremolata.

Sangria, draft and bottled beer run $3-$4, while $5 will get you a house Spanish red or white wine.

But wait, there’s more.

On Thursdays and Saturdays the bar has $6 Ketel One vodka, along with tunes spun by a DJ, where you can get your Ketel One straight, on the rocks, as a martini, or in any drink form your little heart desires.

On Tuesdays, the bar hosts a “Tapas, Tunes and Tequila” night with live flamenco music and $9 margaritas made with a featured top-shelf tequilla (for December it's Don Julio 70th Anniversary). If you haven’t passed out from all of the happy hour fabulous-ness yet, I have one more for you: all day long on Wednesdays, ladies can partake of $3 red & white sangria & bottled beer; $5 wine & well drinks; $5 cava; and $15 pitchers of sangria.

With all of these specials, if there are any hours out there that are happier than those at 1252, I don’t know where they could be.

RHH: Thursday & Saturday, 10-11 p.m.; Tapas, Tunes & Tequilla: Tuesday, 7-10 p.m.; Ladies Night Wednesday: 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

Brio River Oaks

Inner Loopers, rejoice: Brio River Oaks open a few months ago,which means that no more treks out to the City Centre or Woodlands locations are required to partake of all of your favorite $3.95 Tuscan Tasters.

Bar menu favorites include the delectable spicy eggplant and shrimp; the melt-in-your mouth beef carpaccio; and fried shrimp with spicy aioli. The menu includes $5 wine and cocktails like white peach sangria and strawberry mojitos.

The restaurant has also done a wonderful job of putting its own design stamp on TSFKAP (The Space Formerly Known As Pesce) and has added cozy booths in the center of the dining room. The most spectacular change, though, involves the bank of huge windows facing Kirby that are outfitted with the most ingenious feature: the windows have sliding panes and automated shaded screens that roll up and down. This gives patrons the outdoor dining feeling while offering protection from crawling critters and weather. Plus, the view of Kirby isn't blocked and sippers are enveloped in the comforts of a controlled temperature atmosphere. Absolutely brilliant.

RHH: Monday-Friday, 9 p.m. until close.

Want more? Here's a few additional reverse (and weekend!) happy hour options:

Underbelly: Monday-Thursday, 10 p.m. - 1 a.m. and Friday & Saturday, 11 p.m. - 1 a.m.
Beavers: Saturday, noon-7 p.m.
Yard House City Centre: Sunday-Thursday, 9:30-11 p.m.
Royal Oak Bar & Grill: Sunday-Thursday, 10 p.m. -midnight.
Max’s Wine Dive: Monday-Friday, the last 2 hours of business; food only
Morton’s Steakhouse: Sunday-Friday, 9 p.m. to close
Brennan's: Monday-Sunday, 2-7 p.m.

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designed for all occasions

New restaurant's Astrodome-inspired design is 'unlike anything in Houston'

Photo by Leonid Furmansky

Kirkwood's design includes a recreation of the Astrodome's ceiling.

Legendary Houstonian Mac Haik has managed to fit many lives into his impressive 80 years. Haik, whose empire of car dealerships made him a household name, played no small part in the development of the city’s booming west side. Prior to that, at just 22-years-old, Haik made history with the Houston Oilers as the first person to catch a touchdown pass in the Astrodome.

His latest venture — the glitzy Kirkwood restaurant — pays homage to the Energy Corridor, a storied football career, and the people who helped him along the way.

While the Mac Haik Restaurant Group has focused on franchises such as breakfast concept First Watch, Kirkwood is its debut signature restaurant concept. The restaurant’s kitchen is led by executive chef Stephen Chiang, who guests will see quite a lot of thanks to the copper-clad, open-concept kitchen that includes a custom copper hood.

Located at the base of Energy Tower II at 11720 Katy Freeway, MHRG designed Kirkwood to host a range of experiences. When it opens on Monday, May 11, Kirkwood is intended to become a go-to spot for lunch meetings, a chic spot for group dinners and celebrations, and a cozy place to share a romantic evening near the double-sided, all-seasons fireplace, among other occasions.

It takes a keen eye and majorly-sharp editing skills to create a space that can perform so many different tasks. It’s unusual for a space that highlights a career in sports to read as elegant and refined, but designer Gin Braverman has done just that. Gin Design Group is the firm behind many of the best hospitality designs in Houston — including Eunice, Haii Keii, and ChòpnBlọk — and Kirkwood is no exception.

“We were going for a classic clubhouse vibe with a Vegas layer of glitz — definitely a Vegas ‘wow factor,’” Braverman tells CultureMap. “It’s going to be a draw for everyone. You can rent out the sunroom as well as the private dining room, so that will be a big draw. There is a bar cart going around and table side features. There are so many different experiences to be had in the space. It’s going to hit all the boxes.”

The 242-seat restaurant covers almost 7,000 square feet separated into distinctive spaces: a 154-seat main dining area; 16-seat private Frances Room, named after Haik’s mother; and a 1,900-square-foot sunroom, named the Sunny Room after Haik’s wife, with seating for 72 centered around a curved, double-sided fireplace.

The restaurant’s symbol, a magnolia, is a nod to Haik’s home state of Mississippi. One impressive magnolia sighting belongs to the patinated-copper front doors inlaid with the flowers and accentuated by leather door pulls. Prior to entering, diners pass through a gallery of wall display cases with Mac Haik memorabilia.

In the rotunda, customers are greeted from above by a mirrored glass replica of the ceiling of the Houston Astrodome, created by the artisans at Houston-based design and fabrication firm Rootlab. Broken stone mosaic floor tiles add playful movement and patter to the space. Tactile installations like felt wallcoverings by Phillip Jeffries and velvet draperies keep the space feeling warm and inviting amid all the glass and stone.

The lounge occupies a raised platform with an artisan parquet floor and a burled-wood covered ceiling featuring beautifully-placed copper light fixtures by Tom Dixon, custom sofas, a custom rug, and custom tables.

An inviting, oversized wraparound bar beckons diners to mingle beneath a tiered canopy, composed of burled walnut, which is also carried through to the bar’s facade, bullnose trim, and integrated foot rail. A marble countertop completes the bar, while the stone is repeated in the custom tables. Custom barstools take inspiration from the seats of Mac’s now vintage Porsche.

Illuminated cove lighting anchors the bar space, with a red-tinted mirror installed behind the bar shelving and the liquor lockers on the end caps. The shelving is highlighted by custom LED racetrack lighting. Custom copper and alabaster bar lamps complete the space.

Kirkwood’s booths have been upholstered with alternating leather and teal velvet fabrics with a copper-tinted toe-kick for a bit of glam. Custom arched lighting — crossing above each booth — is comprised of a copper finish structure, alabaster lenses, and copper chain accents.

The central dining and exposition kitchen space is a framed with burled wood-clad banquettes with integrated planters. Broken stone mosaic floor tiles dance beneath the custom large-scale chandelier that features inverted alabaster and copper arches and a wood surround with integrated cove lighting.

The private dining room features rich leather wall panelings, a custom leather buffet table, and a metallic gold plaster ceiling with hand-painted magnolia detailing.

Lastly, the 1,400-square-foot sunroom features a knockout fireplace with an integrated overhead planter. Custom light columns with copper metal mesh flank the fireplace. An impressive glass-and-metal bar canopy attaches to the back bar fireplace.

The restaurant’s art collection further enriches the space, with original works by English artist Paul Dove displayed throughout. In the private dining room, an original painting by Austin-based artist Lucy MacQueen offers a more personal note, interpreting “The Grove” at Haik’s alma mater, Ole Miss. The piece also serves as a quiet tribute to his mother, Frances Jordan, who was recently honored with a memorial wall at the iconic site. Artist Melissa Leandro contributed a vibrantly embroidered interpretation of the magnolia motifs to the back wall of the sunroom.

Overall, Braverman is thrilled with the design of Kirkwood. So, which spot is her favorite?

“The sunroom,” she says. “That circular bar with the column lamps and fireplace with the skylight are unlike anything else in Houston.”

Photo by Leonid Furmansky

Kirkwood's design includes a recreation of the Astrodome's ceiling.

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