Where to eat on July 4

Have a blast at Houston restaurants and bars serving 4th of July deals — from 50-cent oysters to $2 hot dogs

Home Run Dugout will offer a cornhole tournament and a hotdog eating competition.

Photo by Alex Montoya

Like Memorial Day, celebrating July 4 calls to mind a lazy day of lounging by the pool, meat on the grill, and fireworks. Of course, Houston restaurants have plenty of tempting options for those who feel like venturing out.

The list below offers a range of choices, from a steakhouse prix fixe to $2 hotdogs.

a’Bouzy
The champagne-obsessed River Oaks restaurant will serve 50-cent Gulf oysters on both July 3 and July 4 while supplies last. On Tuesday, It will also offer a $46 takeout special with a half rack of ribs, Cornish game hen, smoked sausage, sides, and choices of wine (Château Greysac Le Blanc, Bordeaux, France '18 or Mommessin Gamay Beaujolais Nouveau, Burgundy, France '18).

Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company
Watch the fireworks from the brewery’s rooftop patio. A $20 ticket provides access to the party and one beer. Additional food and drinks may be purchased a la carte.

Christian’s Tailgate
The Houston burger favorite will serve $2 hotdogs (toppings available for an additional charge), $2 tacos, and $3 draft pints of Bud Light.

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse
The Galleria’s popular steakhouse will serve a three-course, $67 prix fixe menu July 2-6. Start with choices such as lobster bisque, Caesar salad, or wagyu meatballs. Entree choices include pan roasted salmon, sesame-crusted tuna, and a 6-ounce filet mignon. Finish with choice of dessert.

Heights & Co.
Brian Doke’s bar in the Heights will feature a queso-topped hotdog ($6) and the Bomb Popsicle Slush — a red, white, and blue popsicle served with frosé ($12).

Home Run Dugout
The baseball activity center, bar, and restaurant in Katy will celebrate the holiday with a build-your-own hotdog and burger station, a cornhole tournament, and a hotdog eating contest. Register for the cornhole tournament ($30) to get $5 Karbach Love Streets and the opportunity to win gift cards. Fireworks will take place after dark.

Kirby Ice House
All three locations of the massive indoor-outdoor bar with off $1 off draft beers all day, $5 Deep Eddy cocktails, and happy hour from 2-7 pm. Each location will also have food trucks on site to keep people fed.

Liberty Kitchen & Oysterette
Both locations will feature a surf-and-turf cheeseburger made with wagyu beef that’s topped with grilled lobster ($33).

State Fare Kitchen & Bar
All three locations of the Texas comfort food restaurant will serve a special "Freedom Board" that includes elote corn ribs, blackened shrimp and andouille skewers with bell pepper, dill pickle dip and BBQ chips, brisket firecrackers, and Southern deviled eggs ($55).

Traveler’s Table
Available only from 5-9:30 on July 4, the restaurant’s specials include fried quail with sweet potato grits, cast iron-seared ribeye with vegetables, and the Cape Cod lemonade cocktail.

Photo courtesy of a'Bouzy

River Oaks staple a'Bouzy brings back 50-cent oysters.

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where there's smoke

Houston's only Michelin-recognized Tex-Mex restaurant now open in Bellaire

Photo by Duc Hoang

Don't miss the brisket nachos at Candente.

It didn’t take Sambrook Hospitality Group long to turn Mandito’s into Candente. First announced in September, the restaurant’s second location officially opens today, Monday, December 22, at 5101 Bellaire Blvd.

Speaking on a November episode of CultureMap’s “What’s Eric Eating” podcast, Sambrooks Hospitality founder Michael Sambrooks explained that, as a Bellaire resident, he saw an opportunity to open a restaurant close to home.

“It was a combination of, this location became available, and we liked the market. I think Bellaire is underserved. As far as Tex-Mex options, I think it’s limited,” he says. “We always struggle with where’s somewhere we can grab a bite that’s five minutes away as opposed to driving to another part of town. I think Candente is that solution. I think it’s going to be pretty well received.”

In terms of design, the restaurant replicates many of the same elements as the original Montrose location that opened in 2019, such as its copper-topped tables and yellow, orange, and maroon accents. Diners will note a mural by local artist Franky Cardona along one wall. Overall, the restaurant seats 125 in its dining room, 10 at its bar, and 24 on an outdoor patio.

While the location is new, the menu is the same. That means the same wood-fired fajitas, brisket enchiladas, nachos, birria tacos, and other fare that helped it achieve a “Recommended” designation in the Michelin Guide for Texas — the only Tex-Mex restaurant in Houston to make the prestigious guide. Pair them with margaritas (both shaken and frozen), as well as agave-based cocktails such as the paloma and ranch water, beers, and non-alcoholic options.

Sambrooks Hospitality also operates The Pit Room, the barbecue joint with locations in Montrose and Memorial City that earned a Bib Gourmand designation.

“It’s a privilege to open in Bellaire and get to know and serve a new clientele,” Sambrooks said in a statement. “We’re excited to introduce our style of authentic, handcrafted Tex-Mex that has made us a Houston dining staple.”

Candente will be open for lunch and dinner during the week beginning at 11 am. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday beginning at 10 am.

Don't miss the brisket nachos at Candente.

Photo by Duc Hoang

Don't miss the brisket nachos at Candente.

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