don't panic

Bobby Heugel reveals very small changes he made to reopen beloved Montrose dive bar

One of Montrose’s most enduring bars will soon reopen its doors. Sometime between now and Thanksgiving Bobby Heugel and his business partner Peter Jahnke will welcome patrons to Catbirds.

Open since 1995, Catbirds closed suddenly in August. Heugel and his business partners, who already owned the shopping center that includes Catbirds, purchased the bar’s assets and name from former owners Shelly Wilburn and her daughter Emily.

Heugel says he used the University of Houston LGBT Research Collection to trace the space’s history back to the early ‘80s, when it operated as a wine bar called Et Vu. Since then, the bar has been a condom store and a photography studio. Its familiar mural of jazz musicians dates back to Dizzy’s, which immediately preceded Catbirds.

After finalizing the purchase, Heugel and Jahnke have spent time cleaning the bar up, giving it a fresh coat of paint, and securing the necessary permits to reopen under their ownership. Notably, they didn’t change much. For example, the new paint is the same color as the old paint. Rotting wood on the patio has been replaced. The patio lights have been changed from white to pink, but they’re hanging from the same lines as before.

Former staff members — some of whom have been hired to work at the bar when it reopens — and a few choice regulars have been in to see the renovations. They approve, as Jahnke explains.

“We got the stamp of approval from people who have known this place for 10 years plus. People walk in the door, they go, ‘okay. Not that much [has changed],’” he says. “That was the mentality the whole way through. Fix it if it’s broken. Try not to change it too much.”

“The pool table is the biggest change,” Heugel adds. “Same TVs, same shelving. All of the bar equipment is the same. We added a dishwasher. We added a freezer so we could have frozen schooners of Lone Star, which will also be $3.50 on happy hour.”

They did make a couple other small changes. A single-person bathroom has been closed off due to its propensity of being used for illicit behavior. The ATM has been moved to the back of the room where it’s out of the way.

As for the prices? They’re actually a little cheaper than before. Packaged beers are priced between $3-5, with draft beers at $5 or $6. Frozen daiquiris will cost $8 for regular or $9 for flavors — choice of strawberry, coconut, chili mango, or “voodoo.” Jello shots will be $6, and house wines will be $8 by-the-glass or $28 per bottle. Classic cocktails will cost $10, but Catbirds will only stock a limited selection of spirits and ingredients

During happy hour — available on weekdays from 3:30 - 6:30 pm —all beers will be priced at $3.50 or less. Well spirits will also be $3.50. Those prices should appeal to both returning regulars and new customers.

“That place was closed for awhile and now it’s back,” Jahnke says about the way he hopes people will respond to the reopening. “The service is great, and the prices are a little cheaper. It’s what I wanted plus a little extra.”

Janhke estimates he’s worked at approximately 40 restaurants and bars in a variety of roles. He served as part of the opening crew for bars such as Tongue-cut Sparrow and Refuge, has spent time working as a bartender at restaurants including Nobie’s and The Toasted Coconut, and even cooked on the line at Theodore Rex and Squable. Running a casual neighborhood bar might not seem like an obvious next choice, but it’s where he wants to be.

“It hits that perfect juxtaposition for me. It’s been hard, good work getting it open and being here every day,” he says. “From cooking days and stuff, I love working high end, but I really like to be at a low end or a neighborhood spot. That’s where I’m most comfortable. Being able to apply all of that to a place I care about, those are the things that I’m excited about — making regulars and saying yes to everybody and seeing big groups come in.”

Heugel plans to let people get reacquainted with the bar for the first couple months. Starting in January or February, he has some ideas for programming such as trivia nights, tarot card readings, and steak night. The bar’s stage could be used to host bands or DJs that would complement the atmosphere. Catbirds’ TVs will continue to feature local teams. Mostly, the two friends are ready to throw open the doors and share the space with their customers.

“I think it’ll be good. I think Montrose and Westheimer needs it,” Heugel says. “I don’t think this neighborhood is in a bad place. I just think it’s kind of sagging in the moment. It would feel good to have another bar on the strip again instead of it being closed.”

Photo by Eric Sandler

The new owners didn't make many change to Catbirds.

cocktails nightlife openings

A CultureMap Exclusive

Ronnie Killen sets closing date for his Michelin-rated comfort food eatery

Kelly Louis, Ronnie Killen, Mollye Hildebrand, Ryan Hildenbrand

Photo by Eric Sandler

Kelly Louis, Ronnie Killen, Mollye Hildebrand, and Ryan Hildenbrand at the 2025 Texas Michelin Guide ceremony.

Since the Michelin Guide’s arrival in Texas, it has been rare for any included restaurant to close, but Killen’s, chef Ronnie Killen’s Southern restaurant that holds a Bib Gourmand designation, will serve its final meals on Sunday, July 19.

Open since 2020 in the space previously occupied by Hickory Hollow, Killen’s serves a Southern-inspired menu based on chef Killen’s family recipes. That includes chicken fried steak and fried chicken, as well as Killen’s signature items such as barbecue and smoked pork belly bites. Last year, chef Killen recruited chef Ryan Hildebrand (formerly of Triniti) to elevate the menu and upgraded the restaurant with new furniture, dinnerware, and silverware.

All of which is to say that chef Killen’s decision to sell the property for $3.5 million to a new owner — who plans to convert it into a gas station — comes as a bit of a surprise. As he tells CultureMap in an exclusive interview, a number of reasons played into the decision.

Why Killen’s is closing

First, the chef has been consolidating his operations over the past few years. Closing Killen’s follows the 2023 closure of Mexican-inspired Pearland restaurant Killen’s TMX; the 2024 shuttering of Killen’s STQ, his live fire steakhouse in Briargrove; and the 2025 closures of both of his restaurants in The Woodlands, Killen’s Steakhouse and Killen’s Barbecue.

As Killen has discussed before, a number of injuries and surgeries have limited his mobility and caused him considerable pain. A couple months ago, he had another back procedure that’s left him unable to bend over to tie his shoes but has improved his overall health.

“The chronic pain was so much worse than it was [before the surgery]. I’m not taking drugs everyday not to be in pain,” Killen says.

In addition, the chef’s confidence in the restaurant’s location has also waned due to increased crime in the area. In one particularly bizarre incident, he spent $8,000 to remove graffiti by a mentally unstable woman who accused the restaurant of causing harm to her stuffed monkey.

“When I first bought the place, I could walk to H-E-B and get stuff. I was never asked for money. or worried about getting held up,” he says. “Now, i get asked for money three different times on every corner. I think the area has gotten worse.”

Finally, despite the Michelin recognition and new energy chef Hildebrand brought to the restaurant, it simply hasn’t performed as well financially as it needed to in order to stay open. The money he’ll make from selling the land is far more than the restaurant will earn, even over the next couple of years.

“If the place were doing $10 million a year, I would have looked at the restaurant value instead of the land value,” Killen says.

Ryan Hildebrand’s perspective

Chef Hildebrand understands Killen’s business decision to cash out and move on. He went through a similar process at Triniti, his critically-acclaimed fine dining restaurant that closed in 2017. He’s committed to staying with the restaurant until it closes — at which point, he’ll be looking for a new job.

“I’ve been an owner,” Hildebrand says. “I’ve owned the real estate. When someone makes you an offer and the restaurant isn’t doing what you wanted, you have a decision.”

Ultimately, Hildebrand thinks the changes he made — including adding more seafood and other items to move the restaurant slightly upmarket — confused regular customers who just wanted the restaurant’s original dishes and heaping portions.

“The challenge was to not shock the system too harshly. To hang onto the clientele that was existing and that was loyal. They were entrenched in barbecue,” Hildebrand says. “We had to maintain the identity and at the same time change things. We probably needed to rebrand the whole show. Shut it down. Change the name. Change the menu.”

Still, he's proud of the work he did in the eight months he spent at the restaurant, and he's eager to take on his next challenge.

"I definitely want to stay in Houston," he says. "We’re home. We’re much happier. The search starts now. You can announce it. I am wildly available."

Closing Killen’s will leave Ronnie Killen with just five restaurants — three locations of Killen’s Barbecue in Pearland, Cypress, and Hobby Airport; Killen’s Burgers in Pearland; and Killen’s Steakhouse, which is currently closed for renovations that Ronnie Killen hopes will help it earn a Michelin star (more on that in the weeks to come).

“It’s just business and timing,” Killen says. “Trust me, it’s very hard. That place means so much to me. It was built with recipes that my grandmother and my godmother made. It was the food I ate as a kid that made me want to become a chef.”

chefs closings news-you-can-eat interview