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.

openings cocktails craft-beer coffee news-you-can-eat

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.

openings news-you-can-eat tex-mex