meet the tastemakers

Presenting Houston's 10 best patios for outdoor drinking and dining

Each year, the CultureMap Tastemaker Awards includes a wildcard category that’s unique to that year’s ceremony. For 2024, CultureMap’s editors have selected Best Patio.

After all, Houstonians love to eat outdoors. Sure, it becomes tricky in July and August, but our mild winters mean plenty of al fresco opportunities. Recognizing that reality, restaurant and bar owners have provided their fellow Houstonians with any number of comfortable spaces for drinking, dining, and socializing.

Our nominees run the gamut from a down home ice house to River Oaks’ ultimate see-and-be-seen spot. Some have a view of a parking lot, while one offers one of the best places to admire the downtown skyline. All of them offer an ideal environment for escaping the stress of city life.

Which establishment will win? Find out March 27 at the Tastemaker Awards party. We’ll dine on bites from this year’s nominated restaurants and sip cocktails from our sponsors before revealing the winners in our short and sweet ceremony.

Buy your tickets now. VIP passes are already sold out. Don’t miss out on the remaining General Admission tickets.

Axelrad
Since it opened at the end of 2015, Axelrad has welcomed patrons to its spacious backyard patio. Whether lounging in a hammock or gathering for community events like movie nights and concerts, Axelrad’s outdoor space facilitates a wide array of experiences. The extensive beer selection, craft cocktails, and the ability to order pizza from Luigi’s all contribute to the experience.

Courtesy of Saint Arnold

Saint Arnold Brewing Company.

Backstreet Cafe
This River Oaks institution has a small exterior patio, but the true prize is its spacious interior courtyard. The tree-shaded space has a magical ability to feel cool during all but the hottest summer days. It feels even more special during Sunday brunch, when diners feast on chef Hugo Ortega’s creations while sipping on selections from the extensive wine list.

Better Luck Tomorrow
The sprawling patio at Bobby Heugel and Justin Yu’s neighborhood bar has become a Heights staple. Friends gather on it for casual weeknight dinners or as a place to grab drinks before wandering around the neighborhood. Recent upgrades to the furniture make it an even more comfortable place to spend an afternoon.

Brasil
Choose from two experiences at this Montrose cafe. The front patio gets energy from its proximity to the bustling intersection of Westheimer and Dunlavy. An inner courtyard offers a quiet escape from the city’s hustle and bustle. Either way, Brasil’s casual, affordable menu will satisfy almost any craving.

Brasserie 19
Houston’s ultimate see-and-be-seen patio provides a venue for its River Oaks regulars to schmooze and socialize. Trays of oysters and bottles of bubbles provide sustenance, or indulge in French classics like Nicoise salad and trout almondine. B19’s patrons add an extra level of excitement by rolling up in the latest hypercars or a vintage Ferrari.

Coltivare
Houstonians have been eating pepperoni pizzas and bowls of black spaghetti on Coltivare’s patio for 10 years. The patio connects to the restaurant’s massive garden that supplies the kitchen with herbs and produce to demonstrate its commitment to only using the freshest seasonal ingredients. When the weather warms up, the signature gin & tonic helps cool things off.

Giacomo's Cibo e Vino
Lynette Hawkins’ River Oaks restaurant remains one of Houston’s most satisfying Italian eateries. Its patio serves as an ideal place to enjoy Giacomo’s carefully curated menu of vegetable dishes, pastas, and other favorites. The ivy-covered fence adds a natural element that will lift anyone’s spirits. Even better, it’s dog friendly.

Saint Arnold Brewing Company
If this category were titled “Best Patio View,” then Saint Arnold’s look at the downtown skyline would make it the automatic winner. A large canopy — complete with a fountain made from an upside down brew kettle — provides an all-weather space where patrons can enjoy beers, pizza, and more. The brewery displays Astros games on a giant screen, making it a perfect place to root for the home team.

West Alabama Ice House
Not to get too romantic, but something special happens in this bar’s sprawling backyard. Houston may not have better spot to gather on a sunny afternoon. Grab a beer. Play a lawn game or two. Snack on tacos from the adjacent Tacos Tierra Caliente truck. It doesn’t get better than that.

Winnie's
It’s a simple fact that po’ boys and cocktails taste better when eaten outdoors. Thankfully, Winnie’s has a spacious patio with picnic tables that provides a proper setting for sampling its wares. The patio also serves as a venue for pop-up markets and other happenings that keep regulars coming back again and again.

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The 2024 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards takes place 6-10 pm Wednesday, March 27 at Silver Street Studios (2000 Edwards St.).

The Tastemaker Awards ceremony is brought to you by Stella Artois, Rías Baixas Albariño, Topo Chico Sparkling Mineral Water, 8th Wonder Cannabis, Tito's Vodka, and more to be announced. A portion of proceeds will benefit our nonprofit partner, the Southern Smoke Foundation.

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perfectly paired

2 Michelin-rated Houston restaurants teamed up for taco-fueled fundraiser

Big Brothers Big Sisters Houston Perfect Pairing Pit Room Tatemo

Courtesy of Big Brothers Big Sisters Houston

Michael Sambrooks, Emmanuel Chavez, Humberto Celis, Alexia Ramirez, Matt Harris, and Amber Kelusky.

A chef who leads a Michelin-starred restaurant teamed up with a Michelin-rated Houston barbecue joint to raise money for a local nonprofit that helps young people reach their potential.

Held Sunday, August 30, the Perfect Pairing event united Tatemó chef-owner Emmanuel Chavez with The Pit Room’s Memorial location for an epic evening of tacos, margaritas, and community. Both restaurants are included in the Michelin Guide, with Tatemó holding one star and The Pit Room holding a Bib Gourmand desgination. Michael Sambrooks, founder of The Pit Room’s parent company Sambrooks Hospitality, credits BBBS volunteer and event chair Matt Harris for the original idea behind the event.

“The idea is to have guest chefs, do something lowkey that’s more like a fun party than a big gala,” Sambrooks says. “All the proceeds go to Big Brothers Big Sisters — 100 percent of the ticket sales. We donate all the costs of the space, food, and drinks.”

Harris proposed two styles of ribeye tacos to Chavez that have become trendy in both Texas and Mexico — gaoneras and cachetadas — both wrapped in Tatemó’s signature nixtamalized corn tortillas. The Pit Room’s staff served them to diners alongside papas fritas and smoked corn elotes. Chavez’s signature tuna tostada and huitlacoche quesadilla kicked off the meal, while jackfruit tres leches with Altima caviar ended the night on a sweet note.

“Part of the event is we want people to have fun. We don’t want it to be too fussy, but the food has to be good,” Harris says. “Talking to people in the crowd last night, a lot of people were intrigued and excited because it’s a pretty high level taco. To be able to present them tableside, it just felt right.”

“We were just there with a flat top trying to bust out tacos as fast as we could,” Chavez says. “I felt like I was on Top Chef. There were 30 minutes, you have x amount of people, go.”

Harris credits Sambrooks for providing the organization with such generous support.

“What people saw on the plate was great, but the number of moving parts that it took to make that happen was not small. None of that would be possible without Michael,” Harris says. “It’s very humbling to have someone be that generous and not just open the doors but provide service, provide product, open his relationships with vendors — it doesn’t stop.”

Sambrooks explains that he’s decided to support both Communities in School and Big Brothers Big Sisters with larger events, which allows his company to have a greater impact than if it spread its contributions around more broadly.

“Restaurants always get asked for donations. You’ve got to pick who you want to work with,” Sambrooks says.

Overall, the sold-out crowd of 120 people raised over $12,000 to support Big Brothers Big Sisters mentorship programs. Seen in the crowd were Burger Bodega chef-owner Abbas Dhanani and his wife Nida; Craft Pita chef-owner Raffi Nasr and his wife Brittney, commercial real estate developer John Andell, Leaf & Grain founder Deets Hoffman, former Masterchef contestant Cesar Cano, Houston Business Journal 40 under 40 recipient Chassidy Deckhard, and Houston Chronicle food critic Bao Ong.

Courtesy of Big Brothers Big Sisters Houston

Michael Sambrooks, Emmanuel Chavez, Humberto Celis, Alexia Ramirez, Matt Harris, and Amber Kelusky.

fundraisers chefs tacos barbecue