steaks and whiskey in memorial city

Memorial City goes haywire with new elevated ranch-to-table restaurant from Velvet Taco masterminds

A Dallas-based restaurant devoted to Texas comfort food is coming to Houston. Haywire will open in the summer of 2024 in the former Vallone’s space at Gateway Memorial City.

Part of FB Society, the Dallas-based hospitality group behind restaurants such as Whiskey Cake, Velvet Taco, and Sixty Vines, Haywire describes itself as serving ranch-to-table cuisine. Houston will be the restaurant’s third location, joining Plano and Dallas’s Uptown district.

“Memorial City has everything we’re looking for in a development partner – high foot traffic, accessibility, shopping, hotels, etc,” Haywire vice president of operations Judd Fruia said in a statement. “We’re excited to become part of the community and introduce our larger-than-life concept and elevated farm-to-fork menu to Memorial City.”

Open for lunch, brunch, and dinner, Haywire serves dishes such as a tomahawk steak, chicken fried steak, and Texas whiskey barbecue ribs. At brunch, the menu includes kolaches, biscuits, migas, and chicken and waffles. They’re paired with cocktails, an extensive selection of whiskeys, and a wine list that’s worthy of Wine Spectator magazine’s Best of Award of Excellence.

Each Haywire location features photo-worthy design elements. In Plano, they include a 1962 Airstream trailer that’s been transformed into a roof top lounge and a whiskey lounge with fireplace. The combination of Haywire’s food, drinks, and decor helped it earn a nomination for Restaurant of the Year in the 2021 CultureMap Dallas Tastemaker Awards.

If the idea of a comfort food restaurant in Gateway Memorial City that serves chicken fried steak and chicken and waffles sounds familiar, it might because that roughly describes State Fare, the Texas-inspired comfort food restaurant that opened in 2016. Not so fast, says Memorial City developer MetroNational.

“Haywire provides an elevated farm to table dining experience with an emphasis on modern Texas staples and a variety of whiskey offerings. Haywire offers a broader menu and has more of a steak focus,” Danna Diamond, MetroNational’s vice president of retail leasing, said in response to CultureMap’s request for comment about the apparent similarities between the two restaurants.

“In addition, they will be providing opportunity for event space that does not exist today. State Fare provides a unique and contemporary twist on southern favorites.”

Haywire is one of several new restaurants coming to the Memorial City area. Common Bond will open two of its On-The-Go concepts in the area. Austin-based pizzeria Via 313 and Miami-based burger and kebab concept Pincho are slated to open this spring. A second location of Montrose barbecue favorite The Pit Room will open in the fall.

Courtesy of The Nix Company

Haywire serves comfort food such as chicken and waffles.

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forme fitting

Beard-recognized Houston chef serves up fresh concept in Midtown high-rise

Courtesy of Lucille's Hospitality Group

Lucille's Hospitality Group is now operating The Branch.

One of Houston’s most acclaimed hospitality groups has opened a new wellness-focused concept in a Midtown high-rise. The Branch is the latest concept from Lucille’s Hospitality Group.

Located on the 12th floor of the Forme, a luxury high-rise at 5501 La Branch, The Branch will serve a seasonal menu that includes a raw bar, daily crudo specials, oysters, caviar, and charcuterie. Those dishes can be paired with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails.

Currently, the restaurant is open to both residents and members of the general public for dinner Thursday-Saturday and during the day on Sunday. Daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner service will be added over time.

Founded by James Beard Award finalist Chris Williams, Lucille’s Hospitality Group is known for its Southern-inspired Museum District restaurant Lucille’s and Late August, its Midtown establishment that earned both a Recommended designation in the Michelin Guide and a Best New Restaurant award from Esquire for its blend of Afro-Caribbean and Mexican flavors. Lucille’s 1913, the group’s nonprofit, operates farms that provide access to fresh food in underserved areas.

"We're incredibly excited to partner with The Forme, because this is about much more than opening a new hospitality venue, it's about helping build a community," Williams said in a statement. "The Branch allows us to bring together thoughtful food, wellness-inspired hospitality, art and community in one space. Launching the partnership through a fundraiser that leaves a lasting impact on Houston makes this collaboration even more meaningful."

The Forme is a 33-story high-rise that’s focused on wellness, productivity, and community. In addition to The Branch, its amenities include a 20,000-square-foot fitness and recovery area, a 9,000-square-foot outdoor pool deck with pool and expansive hot tub, and 20,000 square feet of flexible coworking space.

The Branch will celebrate its opening on July 4 with Liberty and Lux, a fundraiser that will support efforts to paint murals on the Forme’s parking garage honoring America’s 250th anniversary. Tickets, $150, includes an open bar, passed hors d'oeuvres, and an expansive view of area fireworks displays from the building’s 12th floor pool deck.

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