Washington's new patio bar

New beer garden, cocktail bar, and coffee spot opens on Washington Ave with BBQ bites and patio scene

The Kirby Group, the successful hospitality company behind Heights Bier Garten, Holman Draft Hall, and others, has debuted its newest patio bar. Bayou Heights Bier Garten is now open on Washington Avenue with coffee in the morning and drinks all night.

Located on the site of a former drive-thru bank near the intersection of Washington and Yale (3905 Washington Ave.), Bayou Heights adds a couple of new twists onto Heights Bier Garten’s successful formula. Like HBG, Bayou Heights offers a dedicated cocktail bar and a separate craft beer and wine bar that are united by a common patio.

At Bayou Heights, the cocktail bar features a 36-foot long bar, lounge-style seating, and a list of 28 drinks in categories such as “Refreshing & Balanced,” “Spirit Forward,” “Refreshing & Spicy,” and “Tropical & Tiki.” The wine and cocktail bar, located in the adjacent silo, features 74 beers and 16 wines selected by beverage director Joel Ramirez and general manager Dave Minda.

Where the new bar distinguishes itself is a third building that’s devoted to coffee. Open daily beginning at 8 am, it serves all the usual drip and espresso options, including some flavored with housemade syrups, along with pastries that are also baked onsite.

Similarly, the food offerings have received an upgrade courtesy of chef Teddy Lopez, who spent several years as a top chef at Ronnie Killen’s restaurants such as upscale steakhouse Killen’s STQ, Tex-Mex concept Killen’s TMX, and comfort food restaurant Killen’s. At Bayou Heights, Lopez’s menu includes shareable snacks such as smoked chicken wings, sweet potato tots, smoked queso, and a flatbread topped with vegetables and hummus.

Fittingly for a Killen’s Restaurants veteran, his offerings also includes a limited barbecue menu with meats such as beef brisket, pork ribs, pulled pork, and five different sausages. Those meats can be served as plates or sandwiches and paired with barbecue-style sides like queso mac and cheese, German potato salad, and crispy Brussels sprouts.

Lopez’s menu is available beginning at 3 pm on weekdays, when the beer bar opens, until 10 pm with a few items served as late as midnight on Friday and Saturday. A separate brunch menu is served Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm (both bars also open at 11 am on weekends).

Bayou Heights is only the Kirby Group’s first opening of 2023. This spring, the company will launch Verde Garden, a Mexican-themed bar that will be part of the Harlow District, which is the new name given to the Montrose property that previously housed Italian restaurants Nino’s and Vincent’s.

Photo by Dustyn Zenner

Bayou Heights Bier Garten is now open on Washington Avenue.

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What's Eric Eating Episodes 518 and 519

Meet the men behind River Oaks' new destination for bowls and broth

Photo by Becca Wright

Find Honest Mary's in the River Oaks Shopping Center.

On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” Honest Mary’s founder Nelson Monteith and COO Andrew Wiseheart joined CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss the Austin-based restaurant that just opened its first Houston location in the River Oaks Shopping Center (2047-A West Gray St).

Monteith shares that he started the restaurant in 2017 in order to fulfill his vision of a restaurant which could serve food that’s fast, fresh, and affordable. A trained chef who operated pioneering Austin restaurant Contigo, Wiseheart joined the group to bring both culinary expertise and operational acumen to the grouping company.

Part of what sets Honest Mary’s apart is that diners can add cooked vegetables to the rice and proteins at the heart of every bowl. The “Market Sides” section includes an array of roasted vegetables — including sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, beets, and Brussels sprouts — as well as black beans, maple-glazed carrots, and green lentils. Bowls can be further enhanced with toppings such as Texas pecans, crispy chickpeas, goat cheese, avocado, and apples as well as sauces such as creamy poblano, cashew lime crema, sesame vinaigrette, spicy peanut, chimichurri and apple cider vinaigrette

Monteith explains that looking at the ingredients on display usually inspires him when he’s deciding what to eat at Honest Mary’s.

“I will almost always look at the line and see what looks fresh and good,” Monteith says. “Today, I got the salted kale with white rice. Then, I got garlic-pepper steak. I added on lentils — they’re my go-to in the winter. They blend everything together, and I love it Then Brussels sprouts looked green. I got some jalapenos. Avocados, cause that’s healthy. Then I got the chimichurri sauce.”

Honest Mary’s is also known for its hearty broths, a classic chicken and a vegetarian option made with seaweed and mushroom. Sandler raves about the chicken broth to Wiseheart, who shares how it’s made.

“We spent six or seven months testing recipes and drinking it ourselves to see if it’s a good idea,” Wiseheart says. “I talk about it as a great complement to the menu. It’s healthy. It’s really simple. Most of the kitchens I came up with were rooted in French cuisine. This is just chicken stock with salt in it.”

Listen to the full episode to hear more about Honest Mary’s plans for additional locations in Houston and Dallas. Then Monteith asks a Sandler a few questions about the Houston dining scene.

In this week’s other episode, Sandler and co-host Mary Clarkson discuss the news of the week. Their topics include Home Slice Pizza opening a new location in the Heights; the closures of Brett’s BBQ Shop in Katy and Killen’s Barbecue in The Woodlands; and Esquire including ChòpnBlok on its list of America’s best new restaurants.

In the restaurant of the week segment, the two friends discuss their recent meal at Hypsi, the Italian restaurant in the newly-opened Hotel Daphne. Listen to the episode to hear their favorite dishes and other thoughts on the meal.

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Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hear it Sunday at 9 am on ESPN 97.5.

Photo by Becca Wright

Find Honest Mary's in the River Oaks Shopping Center.

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