hands up

Heights favorite sushi spot now serving hand rolls in Spring Branch

A popular Heights restaurant has arrived in Spring Branch. Hando is now serving sushi hand rolls, small plates, and cocktails in the Spring Branch Village shopping center (8141 Long Point Rd.).

The new location is similar to the original Hando that opened in 2019. A slightly larger space means its sushi counter seats 30 people — six more than the Heights. The intimate restaurants found in Japanese train stations inspired the space’s design.

“We can’t wait to share the Hando experience with this neighborhood,” co-owner Jason Andaya said in a statement. “Everyone on the team has been working so hard to make sure Spring Branch gets the same friendly service, fresh food, and creative drinks that our Heights guests have enjoyed over the last four years.”

Chef Man Nguyen's menu is built around set offerings of three, four, or five hand rolls along with a la carte offerings. In order to ensure the nori wrapper stays crispy, rolls are prepared and served individually. Small plates such as Brussels sprouts, gyoza, and izakaya-style skewers round out the offerings. Limited time specials add a touch of novelty. They're paired with creative cocktails, sake, and beer.

The Heights location has a companion cocktail bar called Kanpai Club. Spring Branch has a similar, speakeasy-style spot, but it’s under wraps for now. A representative tells CultureMap details about it will be released soon.

“We’re very excited to announce that our second Hando restaurant has opened in Spring Branch,” co-owner Raymond Chan added. “We looked at other areas, but a number of factors, including the mix and caliber of restaurants in the neighborhood, made Spring Branch the logical choice.”

As he notes, Hando is located in the same shopping center as a number of other restaurants, including The Blind Goat, Feges BBQ, Stuffed Belly, Jinya Ramen, Slowpokes, and Barnaby’s. Spring Branch also recently welcomed Texas comfort food restaurant Wild Oats, a second location of Underbelly Burger, and The Decoy, a lively sports bar with volleyball courts.

Courtesy of Hando

Specials include a king salmon hand roll.

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Country star Koe Wetzel opens new location of his lively bar in Houston

Photo by Motion Theory Media

The pickup truck on the front of the building makes it easy to spot.

One of Texas country’s rising stars has brought his lively bar to Houston. Koe Wetzel’s Riot Room opened last month in Midtown.

Located at the former Electric Feelgood space (2416 Brazos Street), the Houston location of Riot Room builds on the success of the Fort Worth original that opened in 2023. Known for his outlaw country swagger, including his 2022 release, Hell Paso, that debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard 200, Koe Wetzel partnered with Fort Worth hospitality veteran Emil Bragdon to bring the Riot Room to life. It consistently ranks as one of Fort Worth’s highest-grossing bars.

At over 8,000 square feet, the Houston Riot Room has considerably more space than the original. Wetzel and his team have used that to their advantage, expanding on the country music dance hall theme with details such as:

A seating area made from a full-sized pontoon boat
A DJ booth in the engine bay of a Ford pickup
Photo ops in a “jail cell” and a life-sized bucking bull
Neon signs that display Wetzel’s song lyrics.

A full kitchen allows the bar to serve a menu of Southern-inspired bar fare such as chicken wings, Texas chili, potato skins, Southwestern egg rolls, burgers, salads, and more. Signature dishes include smoked beer can chicken and the Trailer Park Sandwich, featuring two breakfast sausage patties topped with cheddar cheese and served on a biscuit with strawberry jam. Houston will also be the first city to experience the bar’s take on weekend brunch.

Bragdon told CultureMap that the bar’s name references someone who’s fun to be around, as in a laugh riot.

"It's about who Koe is and what he represents," he says. "He has a carefree party attitude, that whole persona, which is so infectious. He's a true Texas guy, a good old country boy who's hospitable and likes to have fun - that’s what the place is about."

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Teresa Gubbins contributed to this article.

Photo by Motion Theory Media

The pickup truck on the front of the building makes it easy to spot.

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