Yum Yum

All the mouthwatering food and drinks you'll find at The Tailgate

Dig into wings from Sticky's Chicken.

Sticky's Chicken/Facebook

Attention, sports fans: The Tailgate is almost here. CultureMap Houston's newest signature event is happening October 27 at Silver Street Studios, and you'll want to be there.

Why? Because even if you aren't a football fanatic, hockey hound, soccer supporter, or basketball and baseball buff, you're probably a big fan of fantastic local food and drinks.

Here's what's on the menu:

2021 Tastemaker Awards Restaurant of the Year winner Street to Kitchen will be serving sai oua, a spicy northern Thai sausage.
d'Alba Craft Kitchen & Cocktails, the 2022 Tastemaker Awards Best New Restaurant winner, is presenting its Falcon Lakes Bolognese.
Tastemaker Awards 2020 Best Pizza winner Pizaro’s Pizza Napoletana is bringing Truffalo Wing Pizza Bites.

Also expect:

chicken wings from Sticky's Chicken
pulled pork tostadas from Chef Jake Gober of Silver Whisk Elite (who also happens to be JJ Watt's former personal chef)
hummus, pita chips, and veggie sticks with Labneh ranch from Craft Pita
queso arancini, elotes, and mini hotdogs from Heights & Co.
brisket sliders from Daily Gather
pretzels and queso from Dish Society
smoked pork yakisoba from Ramen Tatsu-Ya
cochinita pibil sausage wraps from J-Bar-M
chicken barbacoa tacos and drunken pulled pork BBQ sliders from Bayou & Bottle at the Four Seasons
drunken pineapple-glazed brisket from Loro Asian Smokehouse & Bar
assorted kolaches from Kolache Shoppe

Whole Foods Market will have a game-day catering spread and a variety of 365 favorites for tailgating — learn all about their delicious options here.

Cast your vote on-site to choose the best tailgate dish, and we’ll announce the winner at the end of the event.

To wet your whistle, there will be signature cocktails by 1800 Tequila and Dripping Springs Vodka — just wait until you taste the Sideline Rita and QB Crusher — plus Austin Cocktails and beer from 11 Below Brewing. You'll also get to vote for your favorite drink in the cocktail competition hosted by Dripping Springs Vodka.

Aside from the concessions, expect game-day activities and fun yard games, the chance to snap pics with the Houston Texans cheerleaders, and there just might be appearances from your favorite athletes, who will be shining a spotlight on the sports-related nonprofits they support and giving you the chance to pitch in and make a difference for the causes they champion.

Get your tickets now, and use promo code FOOD15 to get $15 off tickets. We’ll see you on October 27.

sports promoted

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.

View this post on Instagram

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