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    fit to print

    New York Times critic awards Houston restaurant 2 stars in glowing review

    Eric Sandler
    Dec 16, 2025 | 5:15 pm
    Chopnblok food spread
    Courtesy of ChòpnBlọk

    Let’s just call 2025 the year of ChòpnBlọk. In a review published Tuesday, December 16, the New York Times has awarded the Houston restaurant two stars (“very good”).

    Written by chief restaurant critic Tejal Rao, the review touts many of the same qualities that the Times already praised when it included ChòpnBlọk on its list of America’s 50 best restaurants.

    Rao writes that she usually avoids restaurants that serve food in bowls, but she’s impressed by the way that chef-owner Ope Amosu has put a West African spin on the concept.

    “For inspiration, Ope Amosu looked to the kind of chain restaurants that were built to scale, where flavors are often subdued to appeal to the broadest possible audience, focus-grouped to death. But the delight of ChòpnBlok is in its sure sense of self, its lively, multidimensional cooking and clear, delicious vision for modern food from the Black diaspora,” Rao writes.

    She singles out specific dishes, including the Nigerian red stew with short rib, the Black Star bowl with shrimp, and the signature Motherland, made with chicken, greens, and plantains. “It’s utterly simple, but draws you in for more with the mouthwatering twang of not-too-much MSG — an international shortcut to building umami that tends to be used carefully, and layered with other forms,” she writes.

    The review also touches on the way Amosu switched the restaurant from counter service to full service — described as “warm, informal, and quick with the jokes” — and his time working at Chipotle to learn the basics of the restaurant operations.

    A two-star review is only the latest instance of ChòpnBlọk receiving national attention. In addition to the Times 50 best list, Esquire recently named it one of America’s best new restaurants. The Michelin Guide awarded it a Bib Gourmand designation for 2025. Amosu earned a semifinalist nomination for Best Chef: Texas in the 2025 James Beard Awards.

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    where to drink now

    20 Houston restaurants and bars serving spirit-free sips for Dry January

    Brianna McClane
    Jan 6, 2026 | 1:30 pm
    berg hospitality january reset
    Photo by Brian Kennedy
    Berg Hospitality's concepts, including Turner's and Annabelle Brasserie, has a January Reset menu featuring spirit-free beverages like the Lemoncell-No Martini.

    January may be a time to resist a tipple for many, but that doesn’t mean skipping Houston’s bar scene. For those embracing Dry January, local hot spots are pouring everything from non-alcoholic (NA) spirits to refreshing juices — proof that a night out can mean skipping the booze without missing out on flavor.

    Barcelona Wine Bar
    The Montrose wine bar has two non-alcoholic cocktails on hand. The Bees and Bays is a layered sip of lime, salted honey syrup, and cardamom, topped with sparkling water and finished with torched smoky bay leaves. Meanwhile, hibiscus, blue flower, Earl Grey tea, blueberry shrub, salted honey syrup, lemon, aquafaba, and mint are blended for Tea Time.

    Berg Hospitality Group
    Benjamin Berg’s restaurants are January resolution–friendly with Reset menus at Annabelle Brasserie, B&B Butchers, B.B. Italia, Prime 131, The Annie Café & Bar, Trattoria Sofia, and Turner’s. Alongside the prix-fixe, protein- and calorie-conscious menu are zero-proof beverages, including the Lemoncell-No Martini (NA lemon liqueur, triple chamomile tea, and lemon juice) and the Proteiña Colada, a creamy concoction that provides 10 grams of protein.

    The Board Room
    The recently-opened CityCentre spot dedicated to charcuterie has six mocktails on its drink list for January. Highlights include the Lavender Spritz Mocktail, a pairing of sparkling NA wine, lavender syrup, lemon, and Topo Chico, and the NA Morada, a zesty combination of NA tequila, fresh blackberries, and ginger beer.

    Brasserie 19
    Three classic cocktails get the NA treatment at this French brasserie. The No-jito, Spicy Paloma, and French “O”-75 deliver the familiar flavors with Ritual NA spirits.

    Brennan’s of Houston
    Snag a spot in the iconic restaurant’s newly renovated Courtyard Bar to savor sips such as the Ginger Pear (pear nectar, ginger beer, lemon juice, cinnamon sugar), the Nogroni (NA gin, NA aperitif, orange), and the Sparkling Cranberry Apple (cranberry juice, sparkling apple cider, lemon, cinnamon syrup).

    Coltivare
    Pair a pizza or cacio e pepe with this Heights eatery’s zero-proof cocktails or non-alcoholic beers and wines. Creative selections include the Madame Pamplemousse with grapefruit, bay leaf, apple cider vinegar, and Topo Chico, and the Il Rosmarino, a combination of cranberry, rosemary, black pepper, apple cider vinegar, and Topo Chico.

    Good God, Nadine’s
    Cold-pressed juices from local juicery ZoZo Fresh star in Good God, Nadine’s mocktail lineup. With anti-inflammatory benefits, offerings range from the Obsidian, a charcoal-activated juice with strawberry and lemon, to the Nightcap, a cacao nut milk drink with cold brew and cardamom, finished with shaved chocolate.

    Guard and Grace
    The upscale steakhouse continues its attention to detail with its spirit-free selections. Find the Zero Mule and Italia-No (a riff on a negroni) listed with the fruit-forward Tropical Tango and Blackberry Sparkler. The Desert Oasis stands out with assam black tea, pomegranate, orgeat, and za’atar.

    Hamsa
    Hamsa leans into inventive flavor combinations with its zero-proof options. Choose between four unique drinks, including the Yerba Mate-plum-ginger beer creation Tea Time and the Put Your Cukes Up, a mixture of basil, shishito, cucumber, pink peppercorns, lime, and Topo Chico.

    Jethro’s Cocktail Lounge
    Dry January doesn’t mean skipping this Midtown lounge. Jethro’s four booze-free beverages include a Watermelon Fresca (Cut Above Agave, lime, agave, and watermelon juice) and 9 out of 10 (strawberry purée, orgeat, and lime).

    Latuli
    Chef Bryan Caswell’s Memorial-area hotspot nods to Texas roots with its mocktails. The zero-proof tequila drinks are the Ginger Spur with ginger simple syrup, orange juice, and ginger beer, and the Spring Saddle, blending strawberry chamomile with lemon, lime, and soda.

    Lyric Market
    The downtown food hall is serving spirit-free blueberry, strawberry, mango, and classic margaritas throughout January. Non-alcoholic brews from Athletic Brewing Co. are also on the menu.

    The Marigold Club
    The mocktails match the elegance of the interior at the Marigold Club. Seedlip non-alcoholic spirits serve as the base, with additional notes of olive in the Secret Garden, cranberry and lime in the Chelsea Bloom, and grapefruit and lemon in the Windsor Fire.

    Monkey’s Tail
    The neighborhood bar has crafted a list of spirit-free drinks to entice those imbibing or not. The six NA items include twists on a carajillo, gin and tonic, and penicillin. The Pick-Piña is flavor-packed with fresh pineapple, chamoy, giffard grenadine, dill pickle brine, and tajin. The Viva Maracuya, a passionfruit-mango-tiki spices beverage, and the Chango House Soda, with green apple, lime leaf, and lemongrass, round out the menu.

    Morton’s Steakhouse
    For those who want to skip any and all spirits, Morton’s Steakhouse has the Orchard Season (apple, pineapple, cranberry, lemon, and Fever-Tree Ginger Ale) and the Lavender Field (lavender, pineapple, and Fever-Tree Sparkling Sicilian Lemonade). The Margarita Zero and Strawberry Nogroni deliver the full cocktail experience using NA spirits.

    Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille
    The Faux-Paloma (traditional or spicy) with ruby red grapefruit soda, and the Moscow Mule-inspired Clean Kick are two new additions to Perry’s Steakhouse for Dry January, along with the restaurant’s signature shaken sodas, the Raspberry Cucu-Cooler and the Pineapple Ginger Ale.

    Postino
    The wine cafe’s alcohol free list includes a Naked Ranch Water and Espresso Flirtini, along with non-alcoholic beer. There are three new additions for 2026: Airplane Mode with Italian orange and NA Amaro, the Ginger Drift with NA Amaro, lemon juice, ginger beer, and mint, and Best Day Brewing Kolsch.

    Snooze A.M. Eatery
    Feel like an insider by ordering one of the three new dirty sodas to slip onto Snooze’s secret menu. Pineapple Upside Down pairs Coke with pineapple juice, vanilla syrup, and vanilla cream, while the Strawberry Shortcake has Sprite and house-made strawberry purée, and the Orange Dreamsicle features Fanta.

    Traveler’s Table
    Why settle for one NA beverage when there’s an entire flight at Traveler’s Table. The Free-Spirited Flight features the Freelance Journalist with NA gin, tonic, lime juice, simple syrup, cucumber, and rosemary; A Shady Place for Sunny People with NA rum, guava, pineapple, coconut, and cinnamon; and The Quiet Life, a NA tequila drink with pineapple purée and chili salt. The hibiscus-forward La Vida Tranquila and the fruity To Have and Have Not mocktails can be ordered separately.

    Uchi
    The restaurant’s three Ritual zero-proof cocktails pair seamlessly with its Japanese-inspired menu: the Mitsu Mitsu with NA gin, rosemary, and yuzu honey; the Akabanaa with hibiscus, lime, and agave; and the Shokuzen, made with NA aperitif, zero-proof wine, and citrus oleo.

    berg hospitality january reset

    Photo by Brian Kennedy

    Berg Hospitality's concepts, including Turner's and Annabelle Brasserie, have a January Reset menu featuring spirit-free beverages like the Lemoncell-No Martini.

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