The wait for the Heights’ new neighborhood bar has come to an end. EZ’s Liquor Lounge is now open next to Coltivare at 3302 White Oak Dr.
Photo by Mikah Danae
EZ's Liquor Lounge is now open in the Heights.
Located in a former bicycle shop, EZ’s pays tribute to the casual neighborhood bars that Agricole Hospitality partners Ryan Pera, Vincent Huynh, and Morgan Weber enjoy patronizing. To bring EZ’s to life, they partnered with bartender Matt Tanner, whose resume includes lengthy stints at Anvil and Pappas Restaurants.
“When we started talking about what EZ’s could be, even before we had a name, we were pretty dialed in on what a neighborhood bar could like filtered through our lens,” Weber said on a recent episode of CultureMap’s “What’s Eric Eating” podcast. “We’re not opening a dive bar. Maybe 30 years from now it will be considered that, but I do feel like that’s one of those names that’s earned over time.”
While EZ’s isn’t a dive bar, it does have a vintage feel thanks to Tanner, who traveled Texas and beyond looking for old advertisements, neon signs, and other artifacts. Highlights from the collection include the tall Texas statue from iconic Heights dive bar Alice’s Tall Texan, a self serve water tap installed in a ‘50s era fridge that belonged to Tanner’s uncle, and a shrine to baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan.
“It would start at one small thing. This would be cool to put into the bar. Next thing you know, you find yourself at an estate sale across town to pick up one item,” Tanner said on the podcast. “It’s just the most random, nonsensical thing out there that is a lot of fun to do.”
“If it’s weird, it gets considered,” Weber added.
While the partners had a good time decorating the space, Tanner devoted just as much attention to the cocktail menu. The 14 house cocktails include staples such as a margarita, mule, gin and tonic, and Old Fashioned. Other choices include a freezer martini, nitro Irish coffee, two frozen drinks, and a dulce de leche Old Fashioned made with bourbon, bitters, dulce de leche, dark sugar syrup, clarified lemon juice, and clarified milk.
The bar’s food menu also embraces the neighborhood theme. Snack on dishes like queso, pickled jalapeño onion dip, or pimento cheese. Those looking for something a little more substantial may opt for chili, hot dogs, or chili dogs.
“When we set out to open our version of a neighborhood bar, we knew we wanted it to be a place that people want to hang out day or night, with something for everyone,” Tanner added in a statement. “Our hope is for EZ’s to be that go-to, comfortable place where you come to watch sports, play games, and be with friends.”
