ride the wave

Fresh new Galleria seafood restaurant opens with surf-inspired, midcentury modern vibe

Galleria-area diners have a fresh new option for seafood. Balboa Surf Club has opened for lunch and dinner daily.

Courtesy of Western Addition

The menu features dishes such as seafood cocktail and grilled halibut.

Located in the former Masraff’s space at 1753 Post Oak Blvd., Balboa Surf Club is the latest concept from Western Addition, the Dallas-based hospitality group behind il Bracco, the Italian restaurant that is also located in the Post Oak Plaza shopping center. Western Addition vice president of design Mary Lucille Quick teamed up with Texas-based firm the Michael Hsu Office of Architecture to transform the 7,200-square-foot space.

Like il Bracco, Balboa Surf Club has a midcentury modern design that uses port windows and skylights to add natural light to the dining room. It also takes some inspiration from Brazilian brutalist design for its dramatic entryway and surf bungalows with its plant life throughout the space, according to press materials.

A 1,200-square-foot patio features a concrete fire pit and a 60-foot fountain. Artwork comes from the personal collection of Mary Lucille Quick and her husband, Western Addition president and CEO Robert Quick.

Turning to the menu, Balboa serves a menu of classic American seafood with a few global touches. Meals begin with dishes such as seafood cocktail, shrimp cocktail, or fried oysters. From there, diners may opt for sushi rolls — including a decadent king crab hand roll — or salads including a wedge, endive, or a Louie with shrimp and crab.

Entree selections start with seafood options such as a crab cake, grilled scallops, miso salmon, and grilled halibut. Non-seafood lovers will find a ribeye, a filet, and roasted chicken. Lunch features more entree-style salads as well as a cheeseburger and a fried grouper sandwich.

"We're dedicated to quality, freshness and attention to detail," COO Matt Gotlieb said in a statement. "Sushi rice is prepared fresh every 45 minutes, tortillas are made in house and then fried into tostadas to be served warm alongside made-to-order guacamole. Our burgers are a labor of love. Everything from the freshly baked bun, to the meat ground for service that day, even the cut size of the lettuce, freshness of the tomato, and thickness of the cheese has to be consistent for the perfect bite, every time."

Since it opened last year, il Bracco has been a hit, earning a CultureMap Tastemaker Award nomination for Best New Restaurant. By applying the Western Addition formula to seafood, Balboa seems poised to follow in its footsteps.

openings news-you-can-eat

Let's a-go-go tacos

Houston taqueria opens 2 new locations with cocktails by Anvil owner

Tacos A Go Go Sharon Haynes Bobby Heugel Maribel Gomez

Photo by Dylan McEwan

Co-owners Sharon Haynes and chef Maribel Gomez with Anvil owner Bobby Heugel.

Residents of the Heights and Briargrove have a new options for tacos and margaritas. Tacos A Go Go has opened new locations in both neighborhoods.

Located in the former Lola Neighborhood Diner (1102 Yale St.) and Killen’s STQ (2231 S. Voss Rd.), the two new restaurants are the first Tacos A Go Go locations to feature a full bar. Owners Sharon Haynes and Maribel Gomez turned to Anvil owner Bobby Heugel to create the cocktail program.

“Launching a full bar felt like the natural evolution of Tacos A Go Go,” Haynes said in a statement. “We’re known for fresh, authentic flavors, and our bold, fun new cocktails and designated bar area are totally in line with that thinking. Working with Bobby Heugel meant we could bring that same care and thought to the bar, offering excellent cocktails with fresh-squeezed juices and perfectly matched spirits.”

Heugel, along with bartenders Máté Hartai and Tyler Wang, put a Mexican spin on familiar cocktails, including the Mole Espresso Martini (vodka, espresso, coffee liqueur, and mole spices), the Frozen Mangonada (Mexican rum, mango, lime, chamoy, and chile spices), and a fresh spin on the margarita that can be enhanced with a housemade pico de gallo syrup and finished with a pico de gallo garnish.

At 2,646 square feet, the Heights location offers more space and better parking than Tacos A Go Go’s former home on White Oak. Both new locations feature interior design by Brittany Vaughn of Garnish Designs (Milton’s, Tiny Champions) and hand-painted graphics and collages by Matt Tabor of Letterset Houston.

The restaurants will serve Tacos A Go Go’s familiar menu. Led by chef Gomez, it includes street-style tacos with fillings such as carne guisada, pastor, picadillo, and barbacoa. In addition, the restaurant offers breakfast tacos all day and more elevated options such as grilled shrimp and smoked brisket. Non-taco options include burritos, quesadillas, and salads.

The Heights location is open from 7 am-10 pm Sunday through Wednesday and 7 am-12 am Thursday through Saturday, while Briargrove is open daily from 7 am-10 pm. Both restaurants offer happy hour daily from 2-5 pm, including $5 margaritas.

Photo by Dylan McEwan

Co-owners Sharon Haynes and chef Maribel Gomez with Anvil owner Bobby Heugel.

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