Austin favorites arrives in Montrose

Cool Austin oyster bar opens in Montrose with see-be-seen patio, IG-ready aquarium, and more

The latest contender in Houston’s Great Seafood Restaurant Boom of 2023 has entered the ring. Clark’s Oyster Bar is now open for lunch, brunch, and dinner.

First announced in February 2022, Clark’s occupies the former Montrose Car Care building at the corner of West Alabama and Montrose. It’s part of Austin’s acclaimed McGuire Moorman Lambert Hospitality, the hotel and restaurant group behind Austin staples such as Jeffrey’s, Joann’s, and Perla’s Seafood & Oyster Bar. Houston’s Clark’s joins the original in Austin as well as a second location in Aspen, C

Inspired by American seafood from New England to San Francisco, Clark’s menu covers a wide range of options. As its name implies, the restaurant’s raw bar section starts with oysters from the East and West Coasts. It also includes caviar, crudo, ceviche, shrimp cocktail, and seafood towers.

Entrees options range from East Coast staples like a lobster roll, clam chowder, and fried clams to classics such as cioppino, crispy snapper, and linguine with clams. Non-seafood choices include steak, chicken paillard, and a well-regarded cheeseburger topped with sauce gribiche and gruyere. Breads, including the restaurant's signature sourdough, are made in-house.

Courtesy of Clark's

Clark's serves hot and cold seafood dishes.

“We have several restaurants and I love them all, but there's something special about Clark’s,” MML co-founder Tom Moorman said in a statement. “It’s got great classic seafood, a setting that feels like a nice place in New England, and honest American cooking with just the right amount of luxury.”

The company’s in-house design team took the lead on transforming an auto repair shop into a contemporary restaurant. Design details include leather booths, a yellow-and-white-striped awning, a marble-topped oyster bar, a private dining room, and a “see-and-be-seen patio.” A 280-gallon aquarium is sure to serve as a backdrop for social media photos.

Clark’s arrives at a moment when Houston has been flush with a number of new, upscale seafood restaurants. They include Navy Blue, Aaron’s Bludorn’s restaurant in Rice Village; Little’s Oyster Bar, the caviar-obsessed restaurant from Pappas Restaurants; and Balboa Surf Club, a California-inspired restaurant from the owners of il Bracco. In addition, Dallas’s Vandelay Hospitality Group will (finally) open Hudson House next to Brasserie 19 in the coming weeks. Houston restaurateur Ben Berg will put his spin on New England-style seafood at a new restaurant called Dune Road that’s opening downtown. Despite all the competition, MML co-founder Larry McGuire has even loftier aspirations for Clark’s.

“I’m a huge fan of El Tiempo, Hugo’s, Pappas, Armando’s, Da Marco, and the other Houston institutions,” he said. “We don't really have a bunch of those kinds of spots in Austin and I think those are the restaurants that Tom and I have been trying to build. We have tons of friends and family in H-Town and look forward to cooking and hosting for them and creating a special place in Montrose.”

Only time will tell whether Clark’s achieves the same kind of longevity as the restaurants McGuire cited. For now, expect the Austin import to draw plenty of attention as Houstonians decide for themselves whether the restaurant lives up to its lofty reputation.

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2-acre Houston patio bar rebrands with new name and family-friendly menu

Photo by Sean Rainer

The bar's patio includes 10,000-square-feet of turf.

A bar in Houston’s Near Northside neighborhood is switching things up with a new name and revised menu. Effectively immediately, Woodland Social is now known as White Oak Social.

Simply put, the new name is designed to end confusion about the bar’s location, which many people assumed was in The Woodlands. In fact, it’s located next to popular concert venue White Oak Music Hall, which is reflected in the new name.

“We wanted a name that truly represented where we are and the community we serve,” the bar’s owners said in a statement. “Many guests thought we were located in The Woodlands, so renaming the business to White Oak Social makes our location clear and aligns our brand with the neighborhood we love.”

Along with the new name comes a few improvements. They include an outdoor playground that’s designed to appeal to area families, many of whom are already regulars.

In addition, the restaurant has broadened its menu. While pizzas still remain, White Oak Social now offers burgers, chicken tenders, more entrees, and a kids menu. An all-new brunch menu includes updated cocktails and more options for kids.

Piper’s Hospitality Group (Preslee’s Southern Good Eatery) opened Woodland Social in 2024. Originally named for the Woodland Heights neighborhood, the two-acre property has an 8,000-square-foot main bar area, a 15,000-square-foot outdoor patio that includes 10,000-square-feet of turf, and more than 100 parking spaces.

“We’re excited for this next chapter,” the group said. “The new name, the expanded menu, and the playground show our commitment to being a neighborhood gathering place for all ages.”

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