steakhouse switcheroo

Luxurious Houston steakhouse reboots as 'relaxed' neighborhood eatery

Owner Michael Sambrooks and chef Michael O'Connor are making big changes at Andiron.

Photo by Duc Hoang

One of Houston best new restaurants of 2023 is switching things up. Montrose steakhouse Andiron is moving in a more “relaxed and approachable” direction that’s “more conducive to our neighborhood”, according to a statement from owner Michael Sambrooks.

“When opening Andiron in 2023, we dreamed of setting the standard in ultra fine dining experiences in the city. However, after listening closely to our customers and recognizing a noticeable shift away from fine dining across the restaurant industry, we realize this isn’t what best serves our neighborhood or the greater Houston dining community,” the statement continues. “We are deeply thankful for our Andiron patrons and look forward to embracing a new, more modest era of Andiron soon.”

Until it opens its new patio in mid-October, the restaurant will be closed Monday-Wednesday with regular dinner hours Thursday-Saturday. Andiron is part of Sambrooks management, the restaurant group behind Montrose Tex-Mex favorite Candente and The Pit Room, the Guy Fieri-approved barbecue joint with locations in Montrose and Memorial.

Although its been generally well received, Andiron has struggled to find an identity that connects with diners. When it opened last year, Sambrooks recruited chef Louis Maldonado to lead the kitchen. A Top Chef alum who earned a Michelin star at Cortez restaurant in San Francisco, Maldonado had a vision of Andiron as being a luxurious dining destination and loaded the menu with wagyu beef, caviar, and other pricey ingredients. But that era of the restaurant ended when Maldonado departed less than three months after opening.

In November 2023, Sambrooks hired Michael O’Connor as Maldonado’s replacement. Formerly the executive chef of Vic & Anthony’s, O’Connor put a focus on Texas ingredients.

During an appearance on CultureMap’s “What’s Eric Eating” podcast, Sambrooks offered a vision for a more casual, steakhouse-style restaurant that might provide some insight into Andiron’s new direction. He referenced C&H Steak Company, a casual concept that Pappas Restaurants operated in the late ‘90s and early aughts, as a source of inspiration.

“It was more burgers, cheaper steaks, sandwiches, fries. Nice environment. We talk about that quite a bit as a group,” Sambrooks said. “Trying to figure out a way to lower that price point in a steakhouse environment. We go back to, are we just Houston’s now, doing lunch and dinner? It’s probably a little bit different, but at the end of the day you want soups, sandwiches, burgers, a few Choice steaks grilled over wood. I think that would be a great concept for Houston.”

Houstonians will get to see the new Andiron in the weeks to come. Until then, diners have a few weeks to get one final wagyu flight or buckwheat souffle with caviar.

news-you-can-eat

FM Kitchen closes

Inner loop pickleball bar expands into neighboring burger joint

Photo by Becca Wright

PKL Social has expanded into FM Kitchen & Bar.

One of the inner loop’s most popular pickleball destinations is getting a makeover. PKL Social is expanding its footprint by claiming the space formerly occupied by FM Kitchen & Bar.

Since both PKL Social and FM Kitchen share ownership and management, the name change unites the property under one brand. It focuses on PKL Social’s success in its first year-plus of operations and sheds the FM Kitchen brand that’s been serving up burgers, comfort food, craft beer, and cocktails since 2017. Although the change won’t officially take place until July 26, the building’s exterior is already sporting a fresh coat of paint with PKL Social’s branding.

“It’s a direct response to the demand for more,” operating partner Jason Mok said in a statement. “We’ve conceptualized everything people have loved about FM Kitchen & Bar and PKL Social by creating a single concept and venue that brings it all together in an exciting, more seamless way.”

Open since March 2024, PKL Social has four pickleball courts, big screen TVs for watching sports, and two, 140-inch LED video walls for big games and other events. The rebranding brings upgrades in the form of Full Swing golf simulators that will allow people to play golf and other games for an hourly rental fee.

Some things will remain the same. The new PKL Social will still serve many of FM Kitchen’s most popular dishes, including its signature cheeseburger, smash burger, and weekend brunch items. Additions include on-trend items such as a chopped chicken Caesar wrap and a Buffalo chicken wrap, a fried shrimp basket, and a California-style burrito.

Beverage options include cocktails, craft beer, and wine. Non-alcoholic options include beer, cocktails, oat milk lattes sourced from Tenfold Coffee, and a frozen strawberry lemonade.

In terms of the venue’s layout, the patio bar and restaurant area that had been home to FM Kitchen will remain family-friendly. The court area around PKL Social’s original footprint will remain adults-only.

“PKL Social is becoming so much more than a pickleball destination. It’s a sports bar and event-centric destination with high energy and excellent food,” Mok added. “With our new upgrades, we can offer customers everything from corporate events and happy hours to social events such as our game day and reality TV watch parties, popular bingo nights, and cold plunge socials. We are excited to expand these options even further to be a true social destination for all.”

PKL Social will celebrate its expansion on July 26 with drink specials, raffle prizes, giveaways, a DJ, sips from brands including LALO Tequila, Athletic Brewing Co., Beam Suntory, and more.

Photo by Becca Wright

PKL Social has expanded into FM Kitchen & Bar.

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